The Good: Very different feel to the practice of yoga, moderately slow with hip openers sprinkled in. Separate strength and restorative sections, along with a pleasant interview with Rodney Yee. The Bad: Pacing of strength section is odd. Mediocre core workout/ very easy yoga practice with a select few common poses. The Verdict: If you like power yoga, this DVD probably isn't going to hold enough challenge. If you're new to yoga, prefer something easier, or are perhaps rehabbing from an injury - this might be worth a look. Full Review: My preference is "power yoga". If you've used Yee's other offerings (Yoga-full body, yoga-strength, intermediate yoga) or have taken a yoga class - you've probably experienced "power yoga". "Yoga - Core Cross Train" is a very different take on Yoga from Gaiam/ Yee, which I was open to after using (and liking) "Yoga Burn" for a time. However, whereas "Yoga Burn" was a slow, intense workout (the slower the practice-the more intense it became), "Core Cross Train" failed to deliver. It's a very easy yoga practice, but one that you probably wouldn't recognize. The "strength" practice begins by targeting your core... while lying on your back or seated on your behind. At times Yee races through seated poses like: cobblers, staff, seated wide-angle, boat - a convention that becomes rather annoying. After twelve minutes, you finally get into a few downward facing/3-legged dog poses, and some chest openers. Right about the time your heartbeat accelerates above resting, you move back into more sedate positions. When the practice had completed, I was certain that I had mistakenly selected the "restorative" section. I hadn't. The box claims that with this release you can "Chisel, Tone, and Stretch", though I can't see how you'll realistically meet those first two goals with this practice. It's far too easy for intermediates, neither challenging in strength - nor targeting the core deeply enough. I was hoping to receive a stimulating intermediate yoga practice, but this was a disappointing purchase to be sure. One hidden gem in this DVD is the interview with Rodney Yee. He has some very interesting observations about what Yoga is, how to view meditation, why breathing is important, and so forth. His comments, refreshing and open, always seem to help me better experience yoga. While his words couldn't necessarily salvage my experience with this particular title, they were enlightening. I did rate "Core Cross Train" two stars because Yee is a great instructor, and I feel that some may find positive benefit from this practice - if not quite as large of an audience as Gaiam had hoped for.
