Search - Yoga Sessions with Romy Phillips, Vol. 2 on DVD

Challenging, well-sequenced yoga DVD for home practice

Sarah Starks | Santa Monica, CA | 05/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD is the best substitute I have found for practicing at home between yoga classes or when I can't make it to class. I have taken Romy's classes for a couple of years, and have built more strength and flexibility with her than with any other teacher. Her classes are sequenced to warm you up properly, to build energy and avoid any strain on your joints or muscles.

The sessions are taught in a "Vinyasa Flow" style. The DVD includes a level 1-2 (intermediate) session, a level 2 (more advanced) session, a "relax & restore" session, and pose descriptions. The level 1-2 poses are performed by Romy and one other person; the level 2 poses are perfomed by three people, who demonstrate beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions of the poses. The audio is in English and in Spanish."

Physical cues only 2 yoga intermediate & advanced sessions

Lena, LMT | Nassau, NY | 12/16/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"DVD menus allow you to choose English or Spanish w/ or w/o music. The bonus also shows you a picture of Romy doing a pose & text about how to do it & the physical benefits. You can also pop it in your computer to print out pose information.

Session 1-2 - Intermediate - 52 min
A simple white walled room with Romy & a muscular guy demonstrating the poses. Romy voice overs mostly only the Sanscrit names, not always the English names of the poses, she tells you when to inhale/exhale which is great, she gives moderate physical cues on how to do the pose only, there is no spirituality at all. She does not tell you the benefits of the pose & her cuing is off, sometimes tells you way before she is doing the pose, sometimes they are already on the next pose she JUST told you to go into. Though she speaks as calm as she can, I still had trouble understanding her, not do to production values which seemed moderate sometimes & high on others, but her voice itself was monotoned. I especially heard her Sanscrit names wrong & even stopped to look it up on the computer so
sure she said the wrong one, but realized on the next pose that is was just poor enunciating. The guy always uses blocks, if I state it, she uses blocks as well.
Sun Salutations - 20 min - starting at nice moderate pace she she starts with cat/cow & light stretching before slowly doing part of sun salutation A & holding downward dog for longer time. She then does full A about 4x speeding up to a power yoga pace. She then does sun salutation B also at a power yoga pace.
Standing Poses - 18 min
Triangle, side angle, warrior 2, twisted prayer/twisted side angle, half moon using wall, standing wide angle fwd bend & then pose w/1 arm over & 1 under, fingers gripping behind back & then pose w/gripping toes, pyramid pose w/blocks, revolved triangle w/blocks, tree, warrior 3 using wall, standing Padangusthasana (holding foot w/hand) w/strap, prep for revolved Padangusthasana (bent knee & turn torso), child's, dolphin, dolphin w/1 leg raised
Seated/reclined Poses - 12 min
very low boat, knees to chest stretch, modified thread the needle, hero pose w/eagle arms, downward dog, locust, child's, bridge, sitting fwd bend, 1 legged sitting fwd bend, easy sitting spinal twist, butterfly, sitting wide legged bend
Relaxation - lying down for barely 1 min
At first she was at a good pace, but her voice seems very stiff & I didn't like that. She seems to see yoga as physical exercise, not any passion which I need to sense. She seems stiff here & there & don't think she's ready enough to be an instructor. She seems to follow the yoga pose order by the book which is good though.

Session 2 - Advanced
Simple white room w/large windows & sunlight streaming in. Three people, Heath showing advance, Tara showing intermediate/advanced & Brian showing beginner/intermediate. Romy will show up rarely helping them to go deeper into poses.
Sun salutation A & B - 12 min
Standing Poses - 25 min
Side plank (Tara does advanced star extended arm version), sun salutation, dancing warrior 4x (Warrior 1, warrior 1, backward warrior, side angle, warrior 2, plank, up & down dog.), sun salutation, king dancer (both sides), (in a flow:) standing wide legged fwd bend, triangle, half moon (and then other side immediately), pyramid w/prayer hands behind back & revolved triangle together both sides, sun salutation, warrior 3, sun salutation, warrior 3, sun salutionat, twisted chair (heath has arms straight wide), standing hand holds foot (both sides), eagle (both), child's, crow, table/half wheel?
Reclined poses/work: ab work (reclined 1 leg up/1 leg hovering over floor & changing sides) reclined spinal twist w/straight legs to side hovering over floor, knees to chest
Standing poses - 2 min
downward dog, pigeon, 3 legged down dog, pigeon, 3 legged down dog
Sitting/reclined poses - 10 min
boat, camel (Heath uses wall to keep legs straight), child's, reclined hand hold raised foot & to each side, knees to chest, sitting spinal twist (both sides, Heath does bound version), sitting wide legged bend (hand holding feet & hands outstretched & then bend to the side w/one hand holding head & other elbow on floor in front & then both hands holding 1 foot & then do all on other side), sitting straight leg fwd bend, knees to chest, reclined spinal twist knees over another to side
Relax - lying down 2 min
The first 10 min her cuing is great, when she tells you the next pose, you see them going into it themselves, but then her cuing gets worse again. She gives only the Sanscrit names most times which as I said, was hard to tell the difference which name she said as I know them somewhat by heart. I did love the flow of the poses, her not using herself & the choice of the 3 students were great & Heath & Tara were very skillful. I'd love this if I could do it w/someone else's voice over.

This dvd is good for intermediates & advanced students who don't want any cuing other then Sanscrit & some English names, only breathing help on sun salutations, basic body posture cues poses that you can pretty much see anyhow, no new age/spiritual info, emphasis on physical aspect of yoga only for strengthening/flexibility & a stiff/bored voice over.

Rest & Restore - 35 min
Romy alone in a room w/sunlight pouring in using a voice over showing various meditative poses using blankets, wall and/or blocks to either sit up cross legged in different ways, laying down sideways, using blankets for a modified child's pose, using blocks under her neck/spine for deeper stretch lying supine, etc. She speaks very fast/hurried sometimes rushes to keep up with a camera angle & you can tell she is reading off a script. Her body fidgets which does not induce calm as well as her voice is stiff."

Great Yoga DVD

Z | Los Angeles, CA | 12/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Volume 2 is also an excellent yoga DVD that is safe, fun, and very easy to follow. Both Volume 1 and 2 are excellent for helping a person improve their strength, flexibility, and balance. As a licensed physical therapist I highly recommend it.
Z Altug, MS, PT


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