Yoga for Everyone [VHS]

Back in the 1980s, aerobics was king. But since then, the popularity of yoga has grown. "Power yoga" and other variations geared more toward exercise than meditation are in vogue in the West, making yoga and aerobics increasingly alike. Now, with the "Yoga Moves" portion of this two-tape set, Molly Fox attempts to erase the distinction completely. The 45-minute program begins and ends with some yoga postures (sun salutations, forward bends and lunges, the downward dog), but the bulk of it consists of six brief (roughly five minutes) sections of low-impact aerobics, replete with hops, skips, and jumps, knee lifts and side steps, and turns and arm movements familiar to anyone who knows Jane Fonda and her aerobic offspring. Fox's choreography is reasonably simple, with lots of repetition; the moves are fun, and a good workout is assured. But is it yoga? Not really. Purists will gravitate more toward "Yoga Sculpts," the other tape included in the Yoga for Everyone package. This vigorous, 35-minute yoga workout includes many of the basic poses--sun salutes (including an interesting variation that involves lowering the elbows to the floor from the downward dog position), triangle, the two primary warrior poses, and so on--in addition to some more unusual asanas, like crow (a challenging balance), boat (for the abdomen), and bridge (a backbend). Most poses are repeated, but the pace is pretty brisk, and while Fox clearly knows her stuff (she's particularly good when it comes to reminding users about how and when to breathe), her instructions regarding positioning and aligning the various poses are less than complete. Experienced yogis will be challenged, but beginners would be better off building up to it with a real, live teacher or at least a more detail- oriented video. --Kelly Welldon

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