Sweat Summary: Instructor and founder of Boston-based PranaVayu Yoga David Magone leads you through a powerful yet soothing vinyasa yoga practice that includes an extensive warm-up, twisting poses, and challenging arm balances, as well as guided breathwork and meditation. Magone’s studio has been named as one of the top 25 studios around the world, and it shows in his stellar instruction. Sweat Factor: low-to-medium-sweat Mood: Invigorating What We Liked: Magone’s instruction was thorough and easy-to-follow, and so clear that we could follow along without keeping our eyes glued to the screen. Also, the artistic black-and-white videography makes for a beautiful presentation. What We Didn’t Like: It’s an intermediate practice; while great for many yogis, our tester wasn’t at an intermediate level. A few additional modifications would have been welcomed for challenging poses such as peacock and bird of paradise. Calories Burned: 245* Based on a 135 lb. woman [sidebar]Rating: Sweat it, 4 remotes
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Full Review: The term “PranaVayu” can be loosely translated as “wind of life.” It refers to a fundamental force that energizes the heart, mind, and senses of a human being, Magone explains. The practice is one, long, fantastic vinyasa flow that is both detoxifying and strength-building, followed by cool-down flow and guided relaxation to help facilitate positive mind/body connection and change. (Think of it as a souped-up savanasa.) Magone incorporates the Tibetan approach to meditation in his practice, of which he learned under the guidance of his guru Lama Migmar, a Buddhist Chaplain at Harvard University. One of our favorite postures was kneeling spinal twist (see next page for instruction) for its back, neck, and shoulder tension-releasing properties. Full disclosure: we also really enjoyed his Boston-accent! If you find that you enjoy Magone’s teaching as much as we did we have good news: while this is currently his first (and only DVD), he just finished filming seven new videos, including short 20- to 30-minute sequences and an intro to power yoga, which will be released throughout the rest of the year on myyogaonline.com. More from Prevention.com: 5 Pain-Relieving Yoga Poses The practice is geared towards intermediate level yoginis, but that doesn’t mean newbies can’t benefit as well. Just don’t make the mistake of pushing yourself too far, too fast. Do not force the body into something that feels painful. As Magone reminds viewers in the beginning, “nothing whatsoever remains difficult with regular practice.” Available at pranavayu.com/videos ($10). Match your personality to the perfect yoga class.[pagebreak] Media Platforms Design TeamFavorite Move: Kneeling Spinal Twist 1. Start kneeling, sitting on heels with tops of feet flat on floor, knees hip distance apart. (If sitting on heels hurts, modify by sitting on a yoga block.) 2. Sitting tall and reaching through crown of head, elongate spine upward. Place left hand on right knee and right fingertips on floor behind you. 3. Lengthen through crown of head as you inhale, rotating chest to right as you exhale. Hold for 10 slow breaths. Release and repeat twist on opposite side. Media Platforms Design Team
What To Wear: No shoes, but you’ll need a yoga mat and potentially a yoga block. Editor’s pick: Since David is a Lululemon Ambassador in Boston we lulu-ed out: Power Y Tank ($52) and the Dense Foam Yoga Block ($12), both available at lululemon.com.
Try this cardio workout DVD: Breathless Body Volume 2: The Edge
