INSIGHT YOGA with Sarah Powers
Reviewed by Richard Rosen, Yoga JournalA yoga video's instructional material is typically based on a certain system—Iyengar, Ashtanga vinyasa, or one of our many homegrown varieties—a reliance that is both a strength and a weakness. A system gives the material a coherent framework and a stated goal; it helps us understand what we're doing and why we're doing it. On the other hand, any system is inherently limited, and does some things better than others. That's why there are so many yoga systems.
In this DVD, we have a smart solution to this dilemma from Northern California teacher Sarah Powers, whose work interweaves yoga and Buddhism. Recognizing the limits of any one system, she presents two systems that complement each other. The active practice is called Yang (or vinyasa) Yoga, which is represented here by a pair of relatively energetic "flow" sessions lasting 40 and 55 minutes. The passive practice, in which each pose is held for about 5 minutes, is called Yin Yoga, and it is represented here in a pair of sequences lasting 45 and 55 minutes.
Powers is an excellent vinyasa teacher, but where she really shines is in the two Yin practices. What she offers is a broad education that links the poses to traditional Buddhism, Western anatomy and physiology, and Chinese medicine. Her explanations of how the shapes of the poses activate certain organs and subtle energy channels are especially illuminating. Holding a yoga pose for five minutes can be a challenge, but Powers's soothing voice and powerful integrative vision turn the stay into a transformative experience.
The package also includes a 10-minute Savasana (Corpse Pose), a 30-minute Buddhist-influenced meditation, a 40-minute sequence of Sun Salutations, and a one-hour vinyasa sequence. Insight Yoga is one of the most complete yoga training DVDs you'll find anywhere.