I just received this yoga tape (thanks Rosie) and I have to say that I thought Bryan Kest's tapes were tough. This tape is almost as challenging as The Power Within by Mark Blanchard and this is only his level 2 tape, I'd hate to see level 3. What I like the most about this tape is that you do almost 55 minutes of standing poses so it is a very thorough yoga routine. You do a good warm up before going through the routine and it includes all your basic yoga poses plus Baron includes balancing poses and some you do twice. I think it's a much more thorough routine than any of Bryan's tapes, I'm not putting Bryan down by any means, but this is one tough yoga workout and a true meaning of Power Yoga. The total length of the video is 70 minutes with about 15 minutes being floor poses. You do back stretches, hip stretches, inner thigh stretches and different variations of each that you don't find in other tapes. I happen to love doing Power Yoga and I'm thrilled that I am finally finding tapes that go beyond Bryan's vol. 3 workout. Between The Power Within and now Baron's tape, I know I will be able to continue to grow in the poses. I still love doing short yoga routines after my cardio or strength workouts but for days when I only do yoga, these 2 tapes are the best! Now I can't wait to try Baron's vol. 3.
Instructor comments: Baron is a very likable instructor, very motivating with an upbeat personality. I like his teaching style and the workout is great!
Dawn Henson
7-16-98
This is m favorite yoga video. More athletic than most. At the end of this tape I feel like I've gotten a great workout, but I also feel relaxed. I find this tape to be a great compliment to my routine. I stretch and strentghen my muscles and it's done wonders for my back pain. Get it you won't be sorry.
Instructor comments: Baron is a great teacher. His calm voice and demeanor make you want to do yoga, if for no other reason, than to get a little of that serenity.
steven
steven435@webtv.net
3-4-99
Baptiste *Hot* Yoga Series vs. *Power* Yoga Series
(or, "when Good Times goes bad")
Baron Baptiste made a three-video series in 1998. There
are at least two versions of these tapes on the market, and
the production quality varies significantly. The videos
labeled as "Hot Yoga" are distributed by Good Times and are
the poorer quality versions, and the video's labeled "Power
Yoga" are the better productions - however, it aint quite
that simple...
The covers of the better tapes are labeled: Baron
Baptiste's Power Yoga, and the individual tapes were titled
1) Level 1: Power Yoga For Beginners, 2) Level 2, Ultimate
Power Yoga Challenge, and 3) Power Yoga The Next Challenge.
They do not mention "Good Times" as the distributor.
"Good Times" productions began distributing the tapes
shortly after they hit the market. Good Times made cheaper
reproductions that look like 5th generation copies and have
spots on the tapes that are blurry - at least mine do!
Good Times originally mass marketed the tapes for $14.95
each but many people got the Good Times version as part of
a Walmart distributed three-pack which sold for $12.96 for
the set of three. Rather than being called *Power* Yoga,
these tapes are called "Baron Baptiste's *Hot* Yoga", with
the same individual tape titles as the *Power* Yoga
version.
So, you're figuring, "ok, if I want good quality, I'll just
get the *Power* Yoga tapes rather than the *Hot* Yoga
Tapes. Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple.
Baronbaptiste.com offers tapes which show a cover graphic
for the *Power* Yoga series, however, the description which
accompanies the graphic says *Hot* Yoga, Levels 1, 2, and
3. This was done so people would not mistakenly buy the
Power Yoga series believing it was a different program than
the Hot Yoga series. The baronbaptiste.com tapes sell for
$20 +S&H each.
Collagevideo.com indicates they purchased their tapes
directly from Baron, and were quite miffed that Baron had
allowed Good Times to package a lower quality version for
$12.96 for all three - a price below their wholesale cost
for the better tapes. The Collage tapes are entitled
*Power* Yoga. However, you might get confused because
their catalog and website graphic for the Level 3 tape says
*Hot* Yoga (they indicate this will soon be corrected).
Collage sells the tapes for $14.95 each, and the set for
$40.00+S&H.
The $12.96 Walmart three-pack does not appear to be
currently available. It does pop up on Ebay, and the
Videofitness and Firmbelievers swap forums. Please note
that in addition to the 3 shrinkwrap bundle, the tapes
are individually shrinkwrapped, so it's quite possible to
unwittingly trade for one of the cheesy Good Times tapes.
If you want the better tapes, avoid versions which
reference "Good Times" productions.
Finally, none of this has anything to do with Baron's most
recent, and completely different series, which came out in
2001 and is entitled "Baron Baptiste Live" - these tapes
feature a completely different program which I personally
prefer - the real smart money will go there.
Jane C.
7/05/01
This video is very challenging and it moves at a quick pace. Baron begins with a long standing forward bend. Then you jump right into the upward and downward facing dog series and repeat this several times. This really gets your heart rate up and warms you right up. Later you move into some other challenging poses like eagle, tree, warrior, sun salutations, camel, and pigeon pose. There was one pose that I could not do. It is a backward bend where you bend back so far that only your feet and hands are touching the floor. The last part of the workout is floorwork, but don't think you will get a break here. This section includes cobra to strengthen your back, and a slow motion bicycle exercise to work your obliques. Finally, you get to the very deserving final relaxation pose.
The poses in this video require a lot of balance. There are a lot of standing on one leg poses and other poses that incorporate squats and lunges (and even calf raises). You will feel your leg muscles working hard throughout the workout. Overall, I think this is an excellent intermediate/advanced power yoga workout that will increase your strength and flexibility. The production quality is not the greatest (picture could be a little criper and clearer), but this did not bother me. One small thing that did bother me was the fact that everyone was wearing white - it kind of made the video look boring. Baron says that the workout is called "hot yoga" because you are suppossed to do it in a warm room so that your muscles will become more pliable and you will be more flexible. (I didn't find it necessary to practice in a hot room, because my muscles were plenty warm in my nice, cool workout room!)
Instructor comments:
Great instructor. His cueing was great, he walks you through the poses step by step (even though he does it quickly). He is also very encouraging. He keeps reminding you to only go as far as you can go, and, if you fall out of a pose just get back up and try again.
Laura
18 May 03
I picked up this video at Target for $7, a real bargain. It is definitely a step up from the "basic" yoga video. I love this tape, but do not recommend it for those who have never done yoga before. This is a good one for me because most yoga videos (Living Arts, Yoga Zone) are way to easy for me. I found myself able to do most of the poses, but I still have plenty of room to improve. I learned several new postures I had never seen in other videos. There is a very thorough warm-up of sun salutations, LOTS of back bends, standing poses, balancing poses, and a floor series. I definitely recommend this for those who want more of a challenge.
Instructor comments:
Baron is very motivating, yet has a nice, calming voice. Although this is a more advanced video, he could explain the postures a little more thoroughly.
Kimberly
2/26/04
This is the second program in Baron Baptiste's older "Hot Yoga" Series. In my opinion it's the most challenging of the three from that series, though they all present their own challenges for sure :)
It's over an hour long and it is a very thorough practice that covers a large amount of poses.
While I would admit that I probably like most of his newer programs a bit more than this one, I still feel that it's an excellent program to work into one's Power Yoga rotation.
Here is a breakdown of the practice:
00:00 Intro
01:50 Uttanasana
03:10 Clasp hands and reachg overhead (while still in forward fold)
03:58 Rag Doll
04:08 Sweep up Palms together overhead and look up …..then continue with Sun Salutation A 3x’s
08:20 Sun Salutation B variation 4x’s
18:10 Hold Chair Pose
18:40 Clasp hand and reach over head in Forward Fold
19:10 Standing Side Bend (One Arm by the side, one overhead)
20:30 Standing back bend (hands at sacrum)
21:10 Bent Leg Forward bend with hands under heels (Gorilla Pose/Padahastasana)
22:10 Standing Side Bend w/ hands interlocked (index fingers point up)
23:00 Backbend w/ arms out, palms up
23:30 Standing Forward bend w/ hands under heels
24:00 Chair pose w/ arms out front
24:30 Stand on toes with arms out, then bend knees w/ toes still raised
25:00 Knees together, Feet hip width, Knees bent
25:40 Knees bent w/ Knees and Thighs together, Toes Raised with Arms up and back
26:05 Stand on toes, Knees bent, Arms forward
26:35 Knees bent w/ Knees and Thighs together, Toes raised wit Arms up and back
27:10 Eagle Pose (2x’s each side)
29:30 Sun Salutation A
30:15 Uttita Hasta Padangustasana with leg forward
30:50 then straight out, hands on hips (then repeat on left side)
31:50 Balance on Bent Left Leg, Right Leg Forward and raised forward, place hands around the soles of feet (then switch legs)
33:15 Natarajasana 2x’s
35:30 Warrior 3
36:50 Airplane Balancing on one leg, then
37:20 Bring right hand to right heel, then lunge (switch sides)
39:15 Wide stance forward bend
40:00 Wide stance forward bend (holding toes)
41:10 Triangle to Warrior 2 to Reverse Warrior to side angle pose
43:00 Do the same sequence on the left side
44:50 Parsvottanasana (left leg forward) w/ arms forward by front foot (then repeat on the right side)
46:30 Tree pose (bend right leg against left thigh first, then do on other side)
48:20 Sun Salutation (vinyasa)
ABS
48:55 Navasana
49:35 Twisting Situps
50:30 Supta Padangustasana (lying or sitting) grap right toe w/ leg up (other leg on the floor) then bring leg out to the side
BACK BENDS
52:45 Bridge Pose
53:30 Wheel Pose
54:15 Rock and Rolls 6 times (while moving in a circle) up to flat feet on the last one. Then to
54:40 Sun Salutation (vinyasa) to
55:00 Cobra to locust to Bow
56:00 Camel
57:15 Child’s Pose
57:20 Up Dog, Down Dog to:
57:35 Pigeon to Janu Sirasana w/ same leg to seated twist
then Vinyasa to Pigeon/Janusirasana to seated twist on the other side
1:03:25 Pachimottanasana Vinyasa to
1:05:00 Kneel w/ “fire” breathing
1:06:10 Savasana
Instructor comments:
Baron is my favorite overall Yoga teacher. I really like his energy and the way he puts programs together. If you like a challenge and want to flow then Baron will certainly give you what you are looking for. He's the son of Walt and Magana Baptiste, two of the early Yoga pioneers in the United States and grew up doing Yoga.
Yogadad
2-24-06