February 20, 2012
I finally got to do YogaX! Of all fitness disciplines, yoga is my first love and remains the closest to my heart, so I was
naturally very interested in the program because of all the reviews I have read about it. Here is my experience with it.
I found the vinyasa sequences perfect: very
challenging, well-paced, and balanced. The mat work needed, well, a little
work. I would have included more hip openers, especially with the amount of
flexor work required by many of the Beachbody programs. For example, at this level of yoga, I was shocked to find no Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose) for the iliopsoas or Agnistambhasana (Fire Log Pose or Double Pigeon Pose), which stretches the outer hips, especially the piriformis, the main culprit of sciatic pain. At least Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) and Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose) made their appearances. With all the vinyasas and plank work, the arm balance of Crane seemed
negligible in benefit, but it was fun. I loved the inclusion of Halasana (Plow Pose), one of my favorites.
I believe an egregious error within the program was the way Tony instructed how to perform Chaturanga. One is never supposed to bend the arms beyond 90 degrees. It is typical of a man to do this, so Tony teaching the class may have something to do with it. Yoga teachers often find that men "muscle" through their chaturangas, treating them as they would push-ups. They are not. Lowering one's shoulders beneath the elbows does two things: it shift the work away from the core, and it misaligns the rest of the body, not to mention rendering the shoulder muscles vulnerable to tears over time. The shoulders should never carry the pose. The pose's work is balanced between the core and the quads, with the heels always stacked over the toes.
His end meditation was nice. I am used to centering and meditating at the beginning, but this was ok. There was far too little time spent in Savasana though. This pose is often considered the most important in yoga because of its consolidating abilities. When skipped, only a fraction of the benefits of the entire workout remain within the body and chi. When done properly, it SEALS every benefit, every stretch, and bead of sweat into the muscles and channels of energy, preparing the person 100% for the next workout. The general rule of thumb for Savasana (Corpse Pose) is 5 minutes for every half hour. That means that, at the minimum, YogaX needs a 15 minute Savasana, which I happily gave myself, knowing that my body would repay me in dividends.
Overall, an Ashtanga-flavored Vinyasa program with some glaring issues but good intentions, and a challenging workout for most people.
I believe an egregious error within the program was the way Tony instructed how to perform Chaturanga. One is never supposed to bend the arms beyond 90 degrees. It is typical of a man to do this, so Tony teaching the class may have something to do with it. Yoga teachers often find that men "muscle" through their chaturangas, treating them as they would push-ups. They are not. Lowering one's shoulders beneath the elbows does two things: it shift the work away from the core, and it misaligns the rest of the body, not to mention rendering the shoulder muscles vulnerable to tears over time. The shoulders should never carry the pose. The pose's work is balanced between the core and the quads, with the heels always stacked over the toes.
His end meditation was nice. I am used to centering and meditating at the beginning, but this was ok. There was far too little time spent in Savasana though. This pose is often considered the most important in yoga because of its consolidating abilities. When skipped, only a fraction of the benefits of the entire workout remain within the body and chi. When done properly, it SEALS every benefit, every stretch, and bead of sweat into the muscles and channels of energy, preparing the person 100% for the next workout. The general rule of thumb for Savasana (Corpse Pose) is 5 minutes for every half hour. That means that, at the minimum, YogaX needs a 15 minute Savasana, which I happily gave myself, knowing that my body would repay me in dividends.
Overall, an Ashtanga-flavored Vinyasa program with some glaring issues but good intentions, and a challenging workout for most people.
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