Product: Yoga for Surfers [VHS]
Rating: 4.0
Very nice, mostly gentle yoga practice providing excellent stretching
I'm not a surfer, but I do practice yoga regularly. I had heard that Yoga for Surfers 1 was excellent for stretching the upper body, an area where I tend to be quite tight, so I decided to try this DVD. Led by surfer/yoga instructor Peggy Hall, the practice portion of this DVD is broken down into 3 segments: a Pre-Surf Session, intended to prepare your body for surfing/other activity; a Water Session containing stretches to do on your surfboard (can also be performed out of the water without a board); and a Post-Surf session providing stretching and relaxation. I have broken down each of these three sessions into greater detail below.Pre-Surf Session: Flexibility and Focus, 9 minutes.This was a nice warm-up session, although I found that it moved a bit too quickly for my preference. After a few standing side stretches, Peggy leads you through a series of standing poses performed entirely on one side before moving to the other. Peggy does not give names of all postures, but they included wide-legged standing forward bend, lunge, twisting lunge, pyramid, warrior 1, triangle, and side angle. Peggy then transitions to the floor via squat and crow pose (a rather advanced arm balance for this otherwise beginning-level practice); final poses include a seated twist and a triceps stretch.Water Session: Energy and Confidence, 4 minutes.This session, which is interspersed with surfer interviews, consists mainly of upper body stretches which you can perform seated on your surfboard in the water (or in a chair if you are on land). There are a few full-body stretches as well, such as down dog using the board.Post-Surf Session: Stretching and Rejuvenation, 20 minutes.This sessions provided a very nice series of stretches performed entirely on the floor. Starting in child's pose, Peggy moves to hands and knees for a side stretch and a cat/cow series. A squat/toe stretch sequence comes next, and then you remain seated on your heels for eagle arms and a chest expansion. Next comes an enjoyable series of side stretches. As with the standing poses, these are performed all on one side before moving to the other, and they include mermaid (a Pilates move), chest expansion/contraction, a unique seated twist, pigeon pose (adding a quad stretch), half spinal twist, easy seated forward bend, 1-legged seated forward bend, and then spinal rolls before repeating on the other side. This segment finishes with table, reclined twist, reclined cobblers, and relaxation pose (savasana).Overall, I enjoyed the gentle stretching offered by this yoga practice. Although with a few exceptions, most of the poses were quite accessible for someone new to yoga, Peggy doesn't offer much in the way of form pointers, so some prior exposure to yoga principles might be beneficial. Those who are more experienced in yoga and looking for a more intense practice will not find it here. I think this DVD (which also includes bonus material such as interviews with surfers) is probably best-suited for those with the goal of obtaining flexibility and relaxation through a basic, easy-to-follow yoga practice.