MTV Power Yoga
MTV and yoga? The two concepts don’t go together as naturally as, say, Siegfried and Roy. Still, this 40-minute program (plus a brief Pilates-based routine for the abs) has more to offer than the chance to gaze at buff young bodies in leotards. Instructor Kristin McGee (who also appears onMTV Yoga, the channel's 2002 yoga program) continually emphasizes the crucial element of the breath, and the routine includes sun salutations, backbends, balances, twists, and other aspects of a well-rounded practice. But not enough time is allotted for warm-up, and the pace is very brisk; any practice that uses the downward dog pose primarily for resting is not for the faint of heart. That’s fine for the short-attention-span generation spawned by MTV, but not great when it comes to a discipline that cultivates endurance, will, patience, and introspection by way of the depth and deliberateness of the movements. It’s yoga all right, but this is definitely not recommended for the inexperienced.--Sam Graham