3 Week Yoga Retreat (Beachbody)

I picked up this DVD set at a used book sale last fall and followed the rotation during the month of November (yes, it took me that long to write this review!).

This is a beginner's yoga set, not really designed for someone like me, a yoga practitioner for almost 20 years and yoga teacher for the past five. But I learned yoga myself via videos, and so I'm still intrigued by what they have to offer. Also, I had previously tried some YouTube yoga routines with one of the instructors in this set, Vytas Baskauskas, and I really liked his style.

There are four total DVDs in this set. Each week gets its own DVD, and the fourth DVD is designed for weekends. The general structure of the workouts is the same for each week: Day 1, Core (30m); Day 2, Stretch (30m); Day 3, Balance (30m); Day 4, Flow (30m); Day 5, Flow On-the-Go (20m); Day 6, Relax (25m); and Day 7, Take 10 (10m). The DVDs feature different instructors and build progressively on each other. I have provided complete breakdowns below.

DVD #1: WEEK 1, FOUNDATION, WITH VYTAS BASKAUSKAS (long-time yoga instructor and former Survivor contestant)

*Core*

Discussion of core bodies and principles. Start seated with seated twist; move on to cat/cow, bird/dog, child's pose, and downward go. Transition through forward fold, and chair. Balance with knee lift/twist. Repeat low lunge 3x and move through down dog, plank. Return to floor for bridge, core series, and a long stretch to finish.

*Stretch*

Focus on lengthening, extending, and creating space. Begins lying with reclined leg stretch. Transition with down dog to mountain to half lift. Perform half sun salutes and wide forward fold. Repeat lunge variations 2x and move back through down dog, squat, and reverse table. Seated, perform twist and forward fold.

*Balance*

Designed as a balance of core and length, strength and stretch. Starts with child's pose and down dog and moves through forward fold, half lift, and mountain. Balance with knee lift to tree pose. Standing poses included warrior 2, wide forward fold, side angle, and triangle. Transition back down to floor through downward dog and plank; introduce chaturanga. Perform eagle arms and neck stretch to finish.

*Flow*

Move from mountain into slow lunge salutes with variations. From half salutes, move into lunge salutes with crescent pose. Break down up dog. Move through sun salutations 3x with variations. Finish on floor with reverse table, seated 1-leg forward fold, and cross legged seated forward fold.

*Flow On-the-Go*

Start in mountain; move into chest lift and half sun salutes. Continue with forward fold, down dog, lunge, and crescent; add plank, cobra, and up dog. Perform sun salutation A 3x with options. Finish with child's pose, reverse table, and cross-legged forward fold.

NOTE: The "Relax" and "Take 10" routines for Saturday/Sunday are on a separate DVD as I have described below.

DVD #2: WEEK 2, EXPANSION, WITH ELISE JOAN (former ballet dancer)

NOTE: I didn't like Elise as much as Vytas; although she is fine overall, her speech contained a lot of repetitive language, such as saying "we remember…" over and over.

*Core*

Start seated for breathing and a side stretch. Move to hands and knees for cat/cow and bird-dog balance. Take a modified side plank and kneeling half moon. Move through down dog and half sun salutes with chair pose. Perform rag doll forward bend and a twist. Move into lunge; add low lunge with twist. Come into wide standing position for triceps and side stretches; move into warrior 2 and extended side angle pose. Transition from mountain pose to plank pose (held 3 breaths) to child's pose, then core work with twisting half boat variations. Finish with bridge, reverse table, reclined Figure 4, and return to seated.

*Stretch*

Start with seated breathing; add cactus arms. Seated twist into seated 1 leg twist and seated Figure 4. Yoga squat to wide forward fold, warrior 2, reverse warrior, and triangle. Perform goddess pose, mountain, and lunge with backbend, half split, and high crescent pose. Flow through down dog and plank to seated for bound angle. Perform first relaxation pose (4.5m) and finish seated.

*Balance*

Start with yoga squat. From mountain, move through sun breaths and add chair pose. HOLD plank pose and then move into tabletop and bird-dog balance. Flow through down dog, crescent lunge, warrior 3, standing knee twist, and tree. Vinyasa transition to child's pose. Move through down dog/down dog split; add hip stretch and knee-to-chest. Return to child's pose and then perform kneeling rock star. Move through rolling cat/cow and finish seated.

*Flow*

Perform 2 sun salutes, adding chair and then moving through chair flow. Introduce dancing warrior flow (warrior 2, reverse warrior, triangle, reverse warrior) and introduce forearm plank. Come to seated for Figure 4 and cradle. Finish with a short relaxation (2.5m) and seated.

*Flow-on-the-Go*

Start in mountain and move through sun salutes, adding chair pose. Flow through crescent lunge, low lunge, twisting lunge, high crescent, and warrior 3. Move from wide standing dancing warrior flow. After a wide standing forward fold, vinyasa transition to child's pose. Finish with kneeling rock start and seated breathing.

DVD #3: WEEK 3, PROGRESSION, WITH TED MCDONALD (trainer to Tony Horton and Tour de France competitor)

Ted clearly is more athletic in his approach to yoga; he comes across as more of a general fitness instructor. Also, this week felt like a significant step up from Week 2, with many poses to challenge even more experienced practitioners.

*Core*

Start breathing in mountain pose. Move through shoulder stretch and standing side bend, then into forward fold with shoulder stretch. Flow through chair pose and move into sun salutation A series; add crescent lunge plus hip/hamstring stretch. Transition through child's pose and then into forearm plank and dolphin. Come to belly for long hold of locust, back through child's, and repeat. Move through side forearm plank, dolphin, child's pose, happy baby, and half happy baby into a twist. Finish with short relaxation and end seated.

*Stretch*

Start kneeling with neck stretch/roll. Come to a wide leg standing position for side lunge and add twist. Move through half sun salutes. Transition to plank, chaturanga push-up, cobra pose, child's pose, and down dog. Move through hip/hamstring flow, lizard pose, and return to down dog. Flow through two sun salutes, adding low lunge and crescent pose. Final poses included down dog, child's, camel, and "happy cow" (bull seat); conclude seated.

*Balance*

Start seated for side stretch and cat/cow. Move through hip circles and kneeling side stretch Transition through down dog, forward, fold, and mountain, then one sun salutation. Next, vinyasa flow series with warrior 1, pyramid, vinyasa and then warrior 1, revolved triangle, vinyasa. Balance in tree pose and then standing extended hand-to-foot pose, releasing foot. Finish with pigeon, down dog, and very short relaxation; end seated.

*Flow*

Start in mountain pose for neck stretch, shoulder stretch, and lateral stretch. Move through a round of sun salutation A and then sun salutation B; add dancing warrior series (warrior 1, warrior 2, reverse warrior, and side angle pose). Next, "bonus" flow that includes chair pose, plank, down dog, warrior 1, warrior 2, half moon, and triangle pose. Come to floor for cross leg twist, short (1.5m) relaxation, and finish seated, saying "namaste" for the first time.

*Flow-on-the-Go*

Perform one round each of sun salutation A and sun salutation B followed by dancing warrior. Move through crescent flow that includes vinyasa transition, crescent, warrior 3, half moon, and triangle pose. Come to floor for pigeon pose and conclude with seated twist.

DVD #4: WEEKENDS WITH FAITH HUNTER (experienced yoga/meditation instructor)

I found the "Relax" routines to be fairly active, not what I would generally choose for a more restful practice.

*Relax, Week 1*

Started with seated breathing and a seated twist. Move into table, down do, plank, cobra, and child's pose. Move through down dog into mountain pose and then half sun salutes. Perform lunge, down dog, plank sphinx, cobra, and child's pose. Finish with wide forward fold, cross leg forward fold, and seated breathing.

*Relax, Week 2* (longer, almost 29m)

Start breathing in mountain pose; move through sun salutes into child's pose. Continue into goddess with flowing movements and then low lunge, adding an upright twist. Return to the floor for bound angle with cat/cow, forward fold, twist, and a short relaxation.

*Relax, Week 3* (longer, 30m)

Starts standing with breathing and a lateral stretch; moves into wide forward fold x2 and optional ragdoll x2. Transition through 3-legged dog to lizard lunge and then perform vinyasa to child's pose and lateral child's. Come seated for 1-legged seated twist and 1-legged seated forward fold. Finish with short relaxation.

*Take 10, AM*

Designed to energize and wake up. Start seated for breathing and move in arms flow. Flow through down dog, cobra, forward fold, and half sun salutes. Standing, perform warrior 2 and wide forward fold; finish in mountain.

*Take 10, PM*

Recommended for before falling asleep. Starts seated with breathing, neck stretch, and side stretch. Lying, moves through bridge flows, reclined figure 4, reclined hamstring stretch, knees in, and happy baby; finishes with lying breathing.

*Take 10, ABS*

Begins with a standing side body stretch. Moves into cat/cow, adding knee to chest balance (10x). Flows through down dog, 3-legged dog, dog with knee in 3x, and side plank. Concludes with boat twist, locust, and seated cat/cow.

*BONUS: Beginner Basics*

These are short tutorials, about 3-4 minutes each. All four instructors take turns. The chapters include Balance, Breathing, Child's Pose, Cobra vs. Upward Dog, Downward Dog, Elongating the Spine, Elongating the Core, Mindfulness, Mountain Pose, Props & Equipment, Savasana, The Warriors, and Yoga Squat.

OTHER INCLUDED MATERIALS

* Quickstart Guide - a step-by-step instructions on following the program

* Clean Eats Nutrition Guide - a nutrition calendar that includes recipes

* Class Calendar - a large, colorful 21-day calendar outlining each day's workouts

* Pose Tracker - a guide for visually measuring your progress (via photos)

ADDITIONAL GENERAL NOTES

Most of these routines do not include a final relaxation, or shavasana; many end seated. The music is generally soft and pleasant; there is a music on/off option. The set is white and featureless. With the exception of the "Take 10" practices, each routine features two of the other instructors in the background who are performing "easier" and "harder" variations. Other than a yoga mat, no props are used in these routines (which, in my opinion, is not an appropriate way to teach to beginners.)

As I noted, I am a yoga instructor myself. I largely teacher beginners/those new to yoga, and these practices are well beyond most of my students, even the regulars. Although some modifications are offered here at times, it is difficult to provide appropriate variations for different body types and abilities when 1) you are not actually showing differing bodies, and 2) you are not using props. This more athletic approach to vinyasa-style yoga would mainly be appropriate for already fit people who were new to yoga.