3 Week Yoga Retreat - Deluxe DVD

I discovered this DVD by accident--I had purchased a used copy of the 3 Week Yoga Retreat set, and I unbeknownst to me, this DVD was inside. Although I felt somewhat lukewarm about the set, I really like this Deluxe DVD and am glad I kept it.

The DVD features the same 4 instructors in the main set, each leading their own routine. There are 3 30-minute practices and one 10-minute. I have provided details on each below.

GET CENTERED with Elise (31:38 min)

Elise was my least-favorite instructor from the original set, and this was also my least-favorite practice. The title of this practice refers to a focus on the core, and Elise states that this includes mobility with lateral stretching. She offers a number of variations on boat pose, starting with alternating between boat/low boat. She also incorporates both bent knee and straight leg bicycles, plank, forearm plank, and plank with knee pulls. Other poses include fallen triangle, crescent, twisted crescent, chair, and twisted chair. Poses to target the obliques include side lunge, knee lift, triangle with no arms, and side angle. Finishing poses include reverse table, lifted pike (using 2 blocks), sphinx, cobra, and kneeling rock star. Elise seems to approach yoga from more of a fitness perspective. I thought this was a more challenging routine and not for beginners.

MUSCLE RECOVERY with Ted (29:14)

Ted teaches here with Bri in the background showing modifications. He opens with a neck stretch and then moves into sun salutations, completely 2 rounds of A and 2 rounds of B. Next, he flows through low lunge with a backbend, lizard lunge with a twist, and vinyasa transitions. Poses on the back include Figure 4, 1-leg twist, and a short (1 min) shavasana. Although Ted also approaches yoga from a fitness perspective and I wasn't crazy about his practices from the main set, I did like this routine and did think it was suited to post-workout.

RADIATE AND SHINE with Faith (29:54 min)

I don't always click with Faith--she sometimes feels overly scripted to me--but I really liked this routine! Faith states that the intention is to open the heart as well as to expand the shoulders and chest. She starts with eagle arms and moves into 2 rounds of sun salutations. She transitions with a vinyasa to warrior 1, adding cactus arms and then moving through humble warrior, warrior 2, and reverse warrior. Another vinyasa transitions to face-down for locust and child's pose. Returning to standing, Faith instructs goddess pose with eagle arms and a fun sway; she then does a second goddess pose with a lateral stretch. The last standing pose is chair with opposite reaching arms. Seated poses include a lateral stretch while stretching shoulders and the reverse tabletop. Faith finishes with a double knee twist and a lying shoulder stretch (arms bent overhead). The only thing this practice is missing is a real shavasana--Faith pauses to rest for only a few seconds before finishing the practice seated.

YOGA FOR LOWER BACK PAIN with Vytas (11:15 min)

I really like Vytas as an instructor, as he come across as very warm and genuine. I wish he had done a longer practice here. This was a nice enough little routine, although nothing special. Vytas starts lying and performs hamstring stretches using a strap. He then comes to hands and knees for balancing table (aka bird-dog) and low lunge. Transitioning through down dog, he moves into square pose and then finishes with cross legged seated forward fold.