BRYAN KEST'S POWER YOGA (FF) (DVD)

I can understand how participants in Bryan Kest's Power Yoga might find their feelings about him polarized by his Rock Star good looks, intensity and hippie-empathy. But he is offering instruction in Power-Yoga and one would think that his charismatic qualities would imminently qualify him to be one of the Pied Piper's of Power-Yoga along with stars such as Baron Baptiste whom I have a sense may have been a major source of inspiration for Bryan in his quest to bring the benefits of Yoga to all of us.HIS VOICEOne reviewer mentions that Bryan has a Jersey-Boy voice, but for me it comes across as if Bryan has a slight speech impediment, one he has invested a great deal of time and effort in overcoming. On occasion it is noticeable, but for the most part he speaks very well with an earnest concern for those of us who wish to practice along with his personal students. Bryan always takes a moment to introduce each of the sessions emphasizing the basic tenants of Yoga practice, which is a thoughtful touch since the students in his classes are capable of doing the poses in their most extreme extensions.THE AMBIENCEThe instruction has been so artfully crafted that when I come home tired and stressed after a very long day I will watch Bryan's students go through the poses and after a little while I find myself transformed to the point where I join in and start exercising with the class.The three sessions have been filmed inside what appears to be a converted nineteenth century warehouse. The slightly irregular bricks that make up the walls seem to be individually unique in their shapes and color variations and are separated from each other by a layer of thick white cement while rough-hewn beams are embedded in the walls breaking up the space in what at one time must have served a purpose. Banks of pebbled, frost-etched windows provide a sense of light and space. The wooden floor has sections where it is evident that large tables or machinery of what possibly may have been a long ago factory have been removed. And a huge Romanesque pipe crudely soldered abuts one section of a wall. Bryan has provided a visually pleasing and soothing space in which to practice his version of yoga.The students are extremely attractive, stylishly attired in a range of clothing that perhaps mirrors their interests: gymnast, dancer, athlete and actor. Based on their physical appearance the DVD is an excellent source for artists who are interested in studying human anatomy. The student's paper-thin skin and finely detailed muscularity provide excellent sources for the artist, and since it is a DVD it can be viewed on a computer where frames can be frozen in order to capture a particular pose. In fact Bryan Kest has that really nice diamond shape in his back just below the latissimus dorsi and the external oblique. I encourage artists to purchase the DVD as an anatomy reference.In Session 3 Sweat an extraordinary effort has been made to present an artistic film experience. The scene has been shot with a sepia filter and the "cut to" of Bryan holding a pose has him in an Andy Warhol genre-blue spotlight while the rest of the scene has been left with its natural lighting; very nice.THE SESSIONSEnergize, Tone and Sweat mainly focus on the sun salutations,the on the floor pigeon which in this instruction is referred to as runner stretch, and standing twisting poses. Bryan does hold the positions for extended times providing the student the opportunity to develop greater strength, balance and flexibility. After any one of the sessions I always have that sense of equanimity Bryan mentions, which to me is proof that Bryan's series of instructions exercises a person's body and spirit on all levels from the muscular to the neurological.FOR $14.98 BRYAN KEST HAS PROVIDED AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT CAN BE ENJOYED AS MANY TIMES AS THE STUDENT WISHES TO PARTICIPATE

After periods of not being able to workout either because of illness or a busy life. I do find my body feeling the pain but after getting used to sedentary lifestyle, usually our body resists the attempts or desire to change and become active again. Not so with Bryan Kest's Yoga.I find my mind focusing on this workout and craving it, just as some it does sometimes with junk food. I have been doing this workout for so many years now, that I have it memorized and will have words from the workout replay in my head. I have never gotten to a point that I do the workout more than once a week and generally it is not even close to once a week. But I do wish I could keep the momentum and motivation and make time to do it once a week. Post workout I feel refreshed, destressed and enlivened. I do find that relaxing the tension in my muscles is a great stress relief. I have done the AM/PM Yoga and find that it just doesn't hold the poses long enough or something because I don't ever feel the same difference in my body that I do with Power Yoga.My only complaint is the length of the workout. I do wish that the workout were shorter, the length makes it difficult to complete regularly. There could be a much shorter version that cut out a few of the Cobra to downward dog cycles. So if your schedule is tight just fast forward through some of that. Also for ease purposes it would have been nice if they had inserted stops so that you could easily skip a pose. There are no stops so you just have to slow motion fast forward. If you skip you end up on the next program instead of the next pose. Also if it is just too long I sometimes just do it as long as I can and just stop when I need to, you do not have to finish to get some benefit. I don't get the full benefit because the variety that comes from the full workout gives me a full body experience, but something is always better than nothing.I read one review that claimed this is not for beginners, the program comes with 3 different workouts and even the first can be challenging, but all poses can be adapted to you and your own flexibility. As Bryan often reminds us that we must "be where we're at . . . be where it feel's comfortable . . . where you are feeling something but not too much." So in this workout most of the participants are very flexible, but that does not mean you have to be where they are, your pose can be modified to your own skill level. I just completed a beginner level workout with some difficulty and some poses I can not achieve, but there is less than a handful that I cannot modify to my level which has been sedentary for four months now. I know from previous experience by the fourth time I do the workout even only doing it once a week I will be able to complete those poses I struggled with (except for one that bothers my knees). There is a pose where you wrap one hand under your bent leg and grab your other hand that is stretched behind your back that get's my knees hurting every time so I just skip that pose. You have to listen to your body and my body tells me it loves Power Yoga!

This is EXERCISE, that is in the FORM of Yoga, but it isn't Yoga...Yoga's purpose is to still the disturbances in one's sentience,so subtler & subtler essences can be perceived/engaged,eventually waking "The Kingdom of GOD, Within", aka one's Soul...& this is more magnificent-animal-wellbeing training.IF you want magnificent-animal-wellbeing,go with this...If you want the real-thing, theshed-distortions-from-one's-essence-&-Spirit YOGA,then you want  Richard Freeman's  DVDsas well as  Dr. Frawley's "Yoga for YOUR Type" ( because a Vata-metabolism yoga calms one & grounds one in Eternity,whereas a Kapha-metabolism, that most people are in nowadays, needs /get-energetic/ yoga )I appreciate the work that went into making this,I appreciate that it is what many want,but for YOGA, that-is "To Yoke Body & Life to Indestructible-SPIRIT", this isn't it...Namaste! Richard Freeman'sDr. Frawley's "Yoga for YOUR Type"

As someone who has been practicing yoga for about 10 years and who owns about 20 yoga DVDs, I have to say that this is one of my very favourites. Bryan walks you through the moves carefully, reminding you of the importance of good form and of not trying to do more than you are really capable of. I'm not a particularly flexible person to begin with, and so I may never be able to do Level 3 of this video without some degree of modification. But yoga has helped me tremendously with flexibility, balance and mental well-being, and this is one of those videos that reminds you of just how good it is for you. Highly recommended.

If you want a workout routine for alternate days that will strengthen your arms and core, this will help. Would I recommend it for daily use? No. While you'll be sweating by the end of it, the biggest challenge of this program comes from the same few moves repetitively performed. Every workout on the tape relies on repetition of these movements. I need a mental challenge when working out, changing things up regularly, and this DVD just doesn't deliver.

Some of this DVD's production values didn't age all that well: Bryan Kest's long curly hair, white stretch pants pooping out of his pale blue jeans... skin tight leotards... but if you can get past that, you will experience one of the best yoga workouts out there!!Bryan Kest's Power Yoga is VERY challenging, teaches you proper posture + breathing techniques, and -- most importantly -- Bryan Kest really does know what he's talking about. This is, easily, the most challenging + rewarding yoga workout I have ever done!

Bryan Kest is an amazing individual. I did yoga with him in 2014, and felt inspired. I went to India and did yoga with a real swami, whose techniques were similar to Bryan's. The point is, Bryan is the real deal. Challenge yourself; you'll appreciate the benefits if you stick with it.