Search - Yoga Journal: Seane Corn - Yoga from the Heart on DVD

A challenging vinyasa practice infused with intention and me

Beth Cholette | Upstate NY USA | 11/29/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Yoga from the Heart" is part of Yoga Journal's Great Instructors series, a series of DVDs filmed at the annual Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco. It features Seane Corn, a nationally known vinyasa yoga instructor whose teachings focus on both the physical and the spiritual aspects of the yoga practice. Here she presents a 90-minute vinyasa class which combines demanding vinyasa sequences, detailed alignment instruction, and frequent references to spirituality in the form of God, love for self, and love for others. As she guides her students through the practice, Seane frequently asks the participants to set an intent, constantly bringing an element of meaning to the practice. She sometimes performs the poses herself, sometimes walks around the class providing adjustments (along with an assistant); there is also a "yoga demonstrator" at the head of the class for reference.

This DVD is well-chaptered, and the introduction suggests that each chapter can stand alone as a shorter practice if necessary. The chapters are as listed below; I have added in approximate times as well as brief descriptive information.

Surya Namaskar A (11m)--Seane opens with a dedication and a discussion of the world around us; the sun salutation flow begins in down dog and includes some longer holds of this posture.
Surya Namaskar B (14m)--Seane stresses the importance of building postures "from the ground up"; the last round of each sun salutation segment are performed at your own pace.
Standing Poses (8m)--This segment has a strong shoulder emphasis and includes warrior 1, wide-legged forward bend with eagle arms, and finishes with a side stretch.
Shoulder Openers (4m)--Additional shoulder work with side plank and dolphin variations.
Spine Openers (10m)--This twisting segment includes wide legged standing forward bend with twist, intense side stretch, revolved triangle, and revolved crescent pose.
Hip Openers (9m)--Standing hip work includes warrior 2, side angle, and wide legged standing forward bend.
Back Openers (9m)--Starts with camel (3x) and then moves to the floor for either bridge or wheel (3x).
Final Relaxation (10m)--Poses include reclined twist, dead bug, dead pigeon (aka thread the needle), cobbler's pose (held for some time while Seane talks), and full seated forward bend.
Meditation (10m)--Here the class remains seated while Seane continues to discuss various spiritual-type issues; ends with a short (4m) savasana. Following this, the DVD moves right on to the Guided Medication described below, so you can seamlessly continue if desired.

The Main Menu on the DVD lists a Play All option, an Introduction, Chapters, and Special Features. The Special Features include the following: Introduction to Body Prayer (23m), Guided Meditation (9m), Interview with Seane (10m), and Yoga Journal advertisements. The Body Prayer segment consists of Seane further discussing the mind-body connection, offering a brief demonstration, and then finishing with a musician who provides a singing meditation; the Guided Meditation is similar but with the entire segment being a singing meditation. Finally, in the Interview, Seane talks about how she came to yoga in 1987 at the age of 17 and how her yoga practice gradually came to permeate every aspect of her life.

Overall, this is a challenging vinyasa practice that is probably best suited for experienced yoga students. Seane does show some modifications, and she frequently encourages the participants to modify as appropriate for their own needs. However, the class is quite vigorous, and it demands both strength and stamina. This DVD is likely to appeal to those who enjoy the vinyasa style and who prefer to practice with a deep emphasis on meaning and intention."

State of Grace

YogaGirl | san francisco, ca United States | 11/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the 2nd dvd in the great teachers package that I did this morning. Seane describes this practice as "Body Prayer" . I want to say right off the top if you have never taken a Seane Corn class or used her dvds,(like me), you may be quite surprised by the paradox that is this young lady. She is not just another Southern Calif. yogini with a pretty face, but comes across as a very intelligent, compassionate and passionate person who trully believes that the purpose of yoga is to make us better people so that we can love ourselves and in turn love and serve the world. She also walks the talk as she works with YouthAIDS and has recieved an humanitarian award. I'm not her advocate, I thought I'd just share those thoughts with you because the entire class is centered around the themes of love, service and forgiveness. If the words prayer and God make you run screaming from a yoga class, then this is NOT the tape for you. Seane says that every pose and every breath is a prayer.The dvd has the following:

Special features: Intention setting lecture by Seane about social and personal responsibility. Mediatation with a young woman singing and playing the harmonium. She has an earthy, soulful voice.

The poses are if memory serves me:

*Sun salutes A & B with an intention set for each salute done on your own.
*warriors 1 with arms clasped behind back
*wide legged forward bend with hands clasped, arms in cow face, grabbing big toes, one arm up twisting. (not necessarily in this order)
*side angle
*side plank
*reverse triangle
*crescent lunge prayer twist.
*camel 3x
*upper facing bow 3x
*happy baby
*reclining pigeon
*butterfly pose held for a long time
*seated forward bend
*seated meditation.

In between some of the poses, Seane has you sit or stand in prayer. The other special feature is a closing mantra meditation with the harmonium singer again.

This slow flow vinyasa class is for everyone. It is basic with an emphasis on alignment. The hardest pose is upward facing bow. This is trully a yoga class with lots of spirituality infused throughout. Seane talks (preaches) alot and says God alot which does not bother me at all but may bother some. I felt refreshed after the class and look forward to doing it again. As a caveat, for those of you who practice kundalini yoga as your main sadhana (like me), this type of yoga is a perfect compliment as she emphasizes that we are all interconnected and it is our birth right to be bountiful, beautiful and blissful."

Good sequence and intention

Lorre R. Fleming | Tampa, FL United States | 12/12/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I, like one of the above reviewers, had not experienced a Seane Corn video or class prior to purchasing this one. I was surprised at how different her style is than I'd expected. I found her instruction helpful and the meaning she gives to each movement, each breath, inspiring. However, because I am accustomed to practicing in a very meditative way, I found her style of delivery and tone of voice to be somewhat intense, and therefore, distracting. I suppose I am better suited to a Kripalu-style class and instructor. (I did not, however, have the same reaction to the Baron Baptiste or the Shiva Rae classes in this series. I found their voices and delivery very conducive to my meditative practice, even where poses and sequences got relatively vigorous.) I am sure that my reaction to Ms. Corn's delivery is peculiar to me, and that most people will find her and this video inspiring and helpful."

Great instructional class setting

Susan | NY | 06/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a fan of Seane Corn I may be a bit bias, however, I think this is a great workout with detailed instruction. It is in a class setting and challenging. I would suggest mastering her 2 other DVD's before doing this one."