Yoga - Mark Blanchard - The Sedona Experience

M

moni_stout

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Has anyone tried out this Yoga DVD Series? There are five DVDs that focus on the following:

The Foundation (85 minutes)
The Core (48 minutes)
The Stretch (? minutes)
The Flow (50 minutes) - focus on cardiovascular
The Culmination (98 minutes) - a bit of everything from above

Has anyone tried these DVDs? I have been practicing Power / Ashtanga / Vinyasa styles yogas for a while and am interested in this series. If anyone has opinions I would love to hear them.

The website is: http://www.progressivepoweryoga.com/

He also has a 3 DVD series called "Progessive Power Yoga" trilogy that has some good reviews on Amazon.

Look forward to hearing from anyone who has tried these.

Thanks,
Monica
 
Hi Monica,

I have previous DVD's from Mark Blanchard. I went on the web site and thanks to you, I'm buying these as well. Know that these are extremely hard to master. Not for the intermediate at all, only advanced.

Hope you will enjoy them, I know I will.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible.

http://www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey
 
Janie,

If you order from their website I found a discount code that works, it is: ADORE

It took $15.99 off of the 5 set package.

Monica
 
I have all of Mark's DVD's and even an older VHS that is even harder than the DVDs. I like him a lot, but I need to find more time to fit them in....most of them are 90 minutes. I would say there are some advanced poses....but anyone can do them...as long as you do what you can and leave your ego at the door (as you should in all yoga). Mark is the person I conversed with that got me doing Power Yoga a lot more actively after being told from a physician that I shouldn't do a lot of poses in yoga (due to a a disc injury). He encouraged me to start slowly and work at it. He told me yoga is very healing. I'm doing a lot more than previously and even poses I was told not to do. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what pushes my injury too far. Anyway......onto the DVDs. (Also, some people have said that Mark's instruction isn't very clear and they dislike him because of that --- I never really thought of it so much when doing his DVDs but after that was mentioned, it brought to my attention that you do have to look at the screen sometimes to figure out what to do....since his verbal cue isn't the greatest, but it didn't bother me).

Regarding the Sedona Series.......it is basically one long segment he shot and then made into the 5 DVDs....all of which I own. He actually could have made it a lot cheaper and made a DVD with premixes, so some people were immediately put off by this (me not one of them). The Sedona series practices range from about 45" (Core) to the Culmination one -- which is a little over 100 minutes (I think). The ones I don't mention are 60" each.

My favorite DVD of his is Progressive Power Yoga Volume 2.....but it's merely based on my personal liking of the pose selection in that DVD and the way I feel after I complete it.....but it's 90 minutes long....so I can't do it as often as I like.

All in all, if you want a good, tough Ashtanga collection, Mark's one of the right people! He's one of my favorite's for tougher practices. First love is Eion Finn!

I'll be interested to see what you think of them once you get them. I know the Flow workout in Sedona is pretty tough and even gets very slightly aerobic in a couple spots, as he keeps doing these switching Warriors ....sort of plyo like.

Monica - What instructors do you currently practice to??
 
>Monica - What instructors do you currently practice to??

Hi Lorajc,

I currently use:

Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti
Yoga Zone: Power Yoga for Stregth and Endurance
Yoga X (P90X Series)
Yogatopia - The Art of Vinyasa Flow - Power
David Swenson - Ashtanga Yoga First Series

My favorite of the above is probably the Yoga Zone DVD. Would like something a little more challenging though.

Thanks for your feedback on Mark Blanchard's DVDs. I am very interested in buying this series because they vary in length and focus.

Monica
 
Thanks to Lorajc,

I stand corrected. It's true that there are so many other posses you could do with any of his DVD's. Just pick and choose as you go. Later you can get stronger and add more posses. Sorry if I pre judged too quickly.

I think with any things you do, you can master it if you are consistent and determined.

Thank you Lorajc for reminding me of this. You are so right!

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible.

http://www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey
 
Janie - I wasn't directing that statement at you .....but just reiterating what I hear from yoga instructors when I practice.

Monica - I'm surprised to see you haven't done any Bryan Kest. He's another good Ashtanga instructor. I just bought a couple of his audio's (CD's) off of his site that are 90 minutes each and they look good. I started out doing yoga with him a long time ago (his first series) and recently developed a new found love and appreciation for him. I love Shiva's Fluid Power and Yoga Shakti. I haven't done a Yoga Zone for ages. I mainly use Shiva, Eion Finn, Rainbeau Mars, and Bryan Kest lately, but my collection includes Baptiste to Schiffman and lots in between.

How often do you ladies practice yoga? Please feel free to join the checkin we started around the end of December. There are only a handful of us checking in right now. We call it - Trying To Fit Yoga In - since we mainly do weights/cardio and fit in yoga when we can. When I'm working (I'm not right now....just lost my job...so I've been practicing yoga daily), I only have time to do yoga on the weekends.....but I'm still trying to make myself be more balanced so that I wouldn't feel guilty taking a day off of weights in the middle of the week to do yoga..........and also trying to figure out how to not be too sore from lifting to be able to do a Mark Blanchard. I find he's a bit too difficult to do after my regular workout on the weekend. When I was doing P90 X, I did extra cardio and yoga on Saturdays and I remember one Sunday after doing Kenpo X, I did a 90 minute Mark Blanchard and it had so many balancing postures in it that it made my legs like jelly!

If you ladies don't care to join the check in, I would still like to hear what you think of the series when you get it. Good luck with your yoga practice......I find it's really helped me become stronger in all aspects of my training....even core strength for some reason.
 
Thank you so much for the invite.

You most likely will see me there. I can do yoga, better than weights, but can't stand on my head yet. Getting close to back bends, but still need a lot more flexibility in that department. I guess it is a never ending challenge for oneself.

Yoga is so extremely important in my life as I age, I think because of the flexibility, balance and core work that you object your body to. I use to do it 3 times a week, now I'm lucky if I get two in a week. Still, it's what I need. I believe it helps tremendously with my Cathe workouts.

See yas later,

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible.

http://www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey
 
Thanks for the invite Lorajc! You will see me there after I finish my P90X rotation. I am on week 8 of 13. I have started subbing some of my favorite yoga dvds for the Yoga X.

I will let you know what I think for sure!

Monica
 
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