Wai Lana Yoga: Goodbye Inertia

How can such an innocuous sounding pose as "Sleeping Frog" present such a challenge? Here's what you do: 1) get on your hands and knees, 2) lie flat, like a sleeping frog, and 3) listen to your groin scream. That's all there is to it. You can add new age music, beautiful natural settings, and an adorable instructor like Wai Lana and the basic premise remains the same: Yoga is not for wimps. We watched the appropriately titled Goodbye Inertia, one of three volumes in Wai Lana's new "Hello Fitness" series (see also Wai Lana Yoga: Beginner's Workout in VL-9/96). Reminding viewers that the brainwork of yoga is just as important as the bodywork ("monkeys are more agile and flexible than even the best hatha yogis; but their consciousness..."), Wai Lana takes viewers through a variety of stretches and poses designed to "wake up your spine...tone kidney, liver and pancreas...slim waist line" and "improve health of reproductive organs." This last benefit must refer to the "Sleeping Frog" pose, which will unquestionably stir the proverbial loins (possibly to revolt). A popular TV instructor with a whole line of videos and yoga music CD's (all advertised during the final five minutes), Wai Lana has two additional titles in her "Hello Fitness" series: Invigorating and Wake Up Body. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)