Yoga Journal’s Yoga for Longevity (2002)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Starring Rod Stryker
Produced by Gaiam, Inc.

Features:

• Interview with Rod Stryker
  
• Stryker bio
  
• Alternative angles
  

Rating: NR

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Rent it.

Yoga for Longevity consists of two options. There is a 65-minute routine with relaxation, breathing, and meditation sequences, and there is also a shorter routine without the breathing and meditation segments. The routines are well-arranged to heighten the relaxation benefits of yoga, while also promoting strength, flexibility, and body awareness.

The instructional quality of Rod Stryker is good enough. His vocal cues are helpful and on time. Viewers new to yoga or to exercise discs and routines in general will be satisfied by the careful way in which the routines are presented. Yoga has the benefit of being slow enough, although exacting, that it is much easier to follow in general than, say, a fast step-aerobics class would be.

A special feature of this disc is the ability to switch angles and focus upon Stryker’s assistant, instead of on him. She is demonstrating the same routine, but modified for yoga beginners. This is a marvelously thoughtful addition to this disc that I wish more exercise discs contained; it not only allows new exercisers to do the routines they want and need to do, but it allows the disc to grow with you, as you eventually switch from Stryker’s assistant to Stryker himself.

There is also a nice interview with Stryker where he has the chance to discuss his own philosophy about the benefits of yoga. While there is little here that is deeply philosophical or revolutionary, it is always nice to see behind the scenes of how these discs come into being and to see these personalities as actual people, not just cardboard cut-outs who are yoga leaders and nothing else. The complimentary biography of Stryker is also nice, and tells the viewer a bit more about who is leading them in this disc—a legitimate luminary in the world of yoga and exercise. Surely this increases consumer confidence in this product, which is always nice when dealing with our health and overall well-being.

The audio quality is solid enough for an exercise disc, with the instructor’s voice clear and loud enough to be useful. The musical accompaniment is the standard yoga New Age instrumental, but it is pretty and inoffensive enough for this disc. The video quality is also decent, with nice backgrounds provided by Hawaii.

In short, Yoga for Longevity is a good choice for anyone looking to add an element of yoga to their personal program. It is not only a marvelous way to increase your body awareness and improve upon your overall strength, it increases the flexibility that age and injury takes away from us daily. There is little here to recommend this disc over any other yoga disc, but the angle option is quite nice, and Stryker is an inoffensive enough instructor, certainly lacking in the pretension and false chipperness that sometimes afflicts exercise leaders. Anyone looking to stay in a yoga vein but add some variety to their program will appreciate this disc for a good, reliable change, or anyone who needs more centering in their life will gain from this disc’s routines and scenery.