DVD Review: YogaWorks Body Slim

YogaWorks has locations in California and New York, and now, my living room. If you've never heard of YogaWorks, let me fill you in. They strive to incorporate various forms of yoga in an eclectic and open atmosphere. They believe yoga is for everyone, so it only makes sense that they'd offer DVDs so those of us who don't live near one of the YogaWorks schools can take part.

YogaWorks Body Slim is designed to "sculpt lean muscle, increase energy and burn fat" through the use of slow burn and cardio intervals. The DVD has two segments -- the workout, which is a straight 50-minute workout, and a special learning guide.

The learning guide is one of the best yoga guides I've ever seen in a DVD. My biggest complaint about most yoga videos is that they presume the user has some basic knowledge, which can be dangerous. Try to recall your first (or first few) yoga classes -- how many times did the instructor correct your form, teaching you to keep your body on one plane and your heels aligned? For me, it was a lot, and the learning guide described all of those things for a wide variety of poses -- Mountain Pose, Downward Facing Dog, Plank and Yoga Push-up, Cobra, Upward Facing Dog, Warrior I, Warrior II, Crescent, Bridge Pose and Seated Forward Bend. The instruction is a must for yoga newbies, but it's detailed enough that it's a good tool for advanced yoginis as well.

Level of Difficulty
Beginner (but don't confuse that with "easy").

Next Day Soreness
Significant.

Who's It For?
Both those who are new to yoga and those who have practiced for years will enjoy the well-cued workouts. And, because of the fast/slow format, you get both the mindful stretching and strength moves and the faster-paced exercises to raise your heart rate.

Likes
All of it -- I honestly liked all of it. As you probably figured out from above, I thought the learning guide was a fabulous addition, but the workout itself is a delight. A difficult, sweaty delight. Because the learning guide is available, the instructor is able to give a few tips here and there without having to go into detail on how to do each asana -- which is a real plus with a video you hope to do over and over again. I particularly enjoyed the interval format -- it made the difficult poses easier to manage because I knew we'd be speeding up or slowing down before long. And, the instructor did a great job of letting me know when we had "just one more" -- I love that.

Dislikes
I'm sorry, but I can't come up with anything. I just loved it.

Bottom Line
I can't believe that, for two weeks in a row, I've reviewed DVDs that I absolutely loved, but there you have it. Now I'm super excited to try out the other two DVDs from YogaWorks. Stay tuned for those reviews in the coming weeks!

Wondering why you should start practicing yoga? Just ask Raquel Welch!