Yoga is one of the best forms of physical fitness activity that offers many benefits to individuals who practice it regularly. It helps improve an individual’s strength and flexibility, helps reduce stress, allows relaxation, and improves one’s mental health.
Power yoga provides advanced yogis with a more challenging workout that targets major muscle groups and helps people develop strength and stability. However, many people interested in practicing power yoga may have specific time constraints or schedule conflicts that keep them from attending in-person practice.
Luckily, yoga is widely available in the form of digital learning platforms and can be accessed through online streaming services and traditional DVDs. Although the use of DVDs for yoga was widespread throughout the early 2000s, online streaming services have become increasingly popular and enable people from all across the world to participate in yoga at any time, anywhere.
The following are some of the primary reasons why people have started to use online services and streaming for intermediate yoga over the traditional use of DVDs:
- Online services are more cost-effective in the long term when compared to a single purchase.
- Online services provide greater flexibility and more options for the types of classes available and their duration and difficulty.
- DVDs risk wear and tear, unlike online services.
- Some online services provide live streaming, which provides a more authentic experience.
- Many online services provide a community-based approach to yoga through the use of group challenges and communication boards.
- Streaming and online services provide access anytime, anywhere, unlike DVDs which rely upon system requirements.
- Most online services provide a multi-faceted learning approach to yoga by accessing articles, blogs, courses, and more.
In this article, we’ll review the 5 best power yoga DVDs, including online services and traditional DVDs. We’ll also discuss some of the most popular poses within power yoga and describe how beginners can partake in power yoga.
What is Power Yoga?
Power yoga is composed of a fast-paced flow of poses that improve flexibility and help strengthen muscles and develop power. This style of yoga is based on Vinyasa, and it was originally a modified Ashtanga yoga practice designed to help athletes improve within their sport.
Most power yoga classes include lots of movement with little rest, loud music with high energy levels, and a heated room (32 degrees Celsius or 90 degrees Fahrenheit).
Benefits of Power Yoga
Some of the significant benefits of power yoga include the following:
- Increased flexibility – Power yoga improves a person’s flexibility, and it can also help with agility and increase reflexes and movement.
- Greater strength – Practicing power yoga regularly will help improve one’s core strength and build stronger muscles.
- Improvements in mental health -Power yoga is a meditation combined with movement. It utilizes deep breathing exercises that can result in a relaxed body and reduced stress and anxiety. Meditation and yoga will help an individual deal with anxiety attacks, depression and will help reduce mental stress.
Power Yoga Poses
Some of the most popular power yoga poses include:
- Airplane Lunge
- Sugar Cane
- Tip-Toe Pulse
- Lifted Crescent Lunge
- Revolved Reverse Warrior
- Headstand Pike Up
- Bow Pose
- Half Moon Pose
Power Yoga For Beginners
Although most power yoga classes are targeted at more advanced yogis, beginners shouldn’t shy away from the practice. Many poses found within power yoga can be easily modified through bolsters, ropes, and other props to assist with stability and control.
Additionally, many instructors will identify ways to simplify certain poses to master them in due time gradually.
Comparison of the 5 Best Power Yoga DVDs
Best Power Yoga DVD: Yoga International
Yoga International is an incredibly diverse yoga website that offers live-stream and pre-recorded yoga classes for yogis of all levels. It provides a community-based, multi-faceted digital learning platform where yogis and practitioners can further their practice and gain a more profound knowledge of yoga, meditation, holistic health, and mindful living.
Yoga International currently serves over 300,000 members per day and offers a free 30 day trial for new members. Membership options are available for $19.99/month or $119.88/year.
Members of Yoga International will enjoy access to:
- 500+ experts in yoga therapy, meditation, persona transformation, and more.
- Video classes, digital workshops, in-depth articles covering a wide variety of yoga topics
- 1000+ classes of various lengths, styles, and levels of difficulty
- Monthly themed challenges and multi-day training sessions are available.
- Live stream classes and offline classes
- Yoga International app that’s accessible through the phone, tablet, TV
Class options are available for all levels of yoga practice, and there are also specialized classes available for Hatha, Vinyasa, and other major forms of yoga. Some of its best power yoga courses include the Yoga for Athletes Challenge and 6-Day Isometric Strength Program.
Yoga International has received ratings of 4.7 and 4.0 on the Apple app store and Trustpilot, respectively, from among thousands of ratings and is held in high regard by the yoga community.
Pros:
- 1900+ classes and 500+ expert teachers
- Live-stream classes and offline classes are available
- Accessible anywhere, anytime through the Yoga International app
Cons:
- Some customers have reported issues with customer service and billing
- Some customers have noticed issues with audio or lagging on the app
- Customers have mentioned that Yoga International has a small selection for its 60-min classes
Power Yoga For Every Body
This power yoga DVD is more than 10 years old but remains an effective physical fitness activity. It contains 6 hours of intense workout and can be split into different routines so you can choose which one you prefer depending on your personal preference or mood. It consists of morning and evening routines, and it can help improve one’s flexibility, reduce stress and encourage relaxation. It also helps build inner core strength, balance, and stability. Barbara Benagh and Jason Gordon are the instructors for these yoga routines, and it is comprehensive and can work for different levels of yoga practitioners.
The Hollywood Trainer – Power Yoga
Jeanette Jenkins released this power yoga DVD in 2010. She is a known Hollywood trainer. This DVD is for individuals who want intense and challenging power yoga DVDs. It comprises 84 minutes of workout routine that can be pretty intense to those new to the yoga scene. It includes holding poses for a specific amount of time and bicycle crunches in one chapter. This DVD includes different chapters such as Warmup, and Vinyasa flows, power flows, Floorwork, and relaxation. Jeanette offers modifications for individuals new to yoga, and anyone can benefit from using the DVD as a guide. Power yoga classes can be pretty expensive, so this one is highly recommendable if you prefer hardcore and intense power yoga workout.
The Firm: Power Yoga
This power yoga DVD has a total of a 35-minute training video. It is perfect for individuals who have limited time and are always busy doing a daily workout routine. Kristen Strohecker is the instructor for this video, and she leads the participants with low-impact full-body exercise workouts, which help stretch and improve the muscles of the body. This video is perfect for beginners, and they can work on their flexibility and improve their strength.
Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga Collection
This power yoga DVD is one of the most popular power yoga series of Rodney Yee and is presented by Gaiam, one of the huge names in the yoga scene. It is a 3 video package that consists of Yoga burn, Power yoga, and Yoga conditioning for athletes. If you want to learn power yoga, you can get this DVD and enjoy the other videos. Rodney Yee is a well-known yoga instructor, and he has also appeared in 30 different yoga videos. This DVD consists of different routines that can be used by beginners or yoga enthusiasts that have been practicing yoga throughout the years.
Conclusion
Power yoga is one of the best ways to burn calories, control weight, improve flexibility, balance, and increase body strength. It also helps deal with stress and improves an individual’s mental health. Using power yoga DVDs can help you attain all of them and can help you save money, especially if you have a limited budget because yoga classes can be pretty expensive.
Give one of the above programs a try and enjoy all the benefits it can offer you!
References
Parasuraman, S., Wen, L. E., Zhen, K. M., Hean, C. K., & Sam, A. T. (2016). Exploring the pharmacological and pharmacotherapeutic effects of yoga. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biomedical Reports, 2(1).