Rodney Yee's Yoga for Energy & Stress Relief

This exercise program takes an unusual tack for yoga videos, concentrating on restorative moves that narrator and presenter Rodney Yee describes as “special poses that support our circulation, our breath, and our digestion.” During three sequences, Yee works on a dais set in a birch grove, where the breeze moves through the grass and ruffles his ponytail, emphasizing—as does the absence of music—the stillness of the routines. “It's essential for us to learn how to rest,” Yee explains. Most of the poses (many of which are unconventional) are performed sitting or lying down, although a few still challenge flexibility or balance. The narration is calm, almost dreamlike, as when Yee—lying on his right side, legs drawn up—advises followers to “drape your inner organs to the earth. Feel the water of your belly, the earth of your legs, the fire of your solar plexus, the air of your breath, the spaciousness of your mind.” The second and third segments build on the preceding routine, each quieter and more contemplative than the one before (in fact, there are long periods with no sound at all). DVD extras include a routine with more standard yoga poses (and music in the background). Offering something a bit out of the ordinary, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner)