Yoga Fusion: Power

This is a particularly odd workout review so I have to give some background. I have some favorite workouts that I initially did on VHS and were eventually released on DVD. But two of my favorites never ended up on DVD. This workout: Yoga Fusion Power, and its sister workout Yoga Fusion Strength & Sculpt. I have had these 2 VHS workouts on my Amazon wishlist forever, waiting for them to one day appear on DVD. As of today, they still haven’t but then I got an idea. I have numerous old VHS tapes with video of my kids when they were babies and toddlers but I no longer owned a VHS player. My kids are all grown up and now my oldest daughter is pregnant. I felt I needed to be able to view and share these videos with my daughter. So I purchased a used VHS player and a digital converter. Why not also use it on my favorite workouts? So I did! Sure, I could plug that VHS player into my workout TV but why bother for only 2 workouts when I stream so many workouts already?

That’s the background. So, I am reviewing a workout that probably isn’t available to a lot of people. The VHS tapes are actually still available brand new on Amazon. So if you are still able to play VHS workouts, then this review may be of interest. Or maybe you are able to digitally convert it like I did. Regardless, this review is primarily for me. Just like all of the workouts on this blog, I will probably want to return to it one day and when I do, I have the breakdown and my thoughts right here.

I have been thinking about these workouts for a long time. When I did PiYo back in 2014, I loved it but I also knew that even though PiYo was being presented as something new, yoga/pilates fusion workouts had been out there long before Chalene Johnson created PiYo. The Yoga Fusion workouts were stuck in my head and I have been wanting to revisit them ever since doing PiYo 7 years ago. Yoga Fusion Power is led by trainer Teigh McDonough. She calls this a hybrid workout that combines yoga, dance, pilates and qigong. I remember when I did this workout twenty years ago I thought it was so unique and awesome. And it was back then. In 2021, it isn’t so unique, but it is still a wonderful feel good workout. This is a mobility, dynamic flexibility and body weight strength workout. It was challenging but doable for me. I remember when I used to do it a zillion years ago, I found it much more challenging. Weird to think that I am in better shape at 50 than I was at 30 but that’s what what working out consistently for 20 years will do. It was a lot of fun to finally be able to return to this workout. I really enjoyed it and I can see returning to it. Many of Chalene’s PiYo workouts are more advanced than this. Michelle Dozois‘s BodyFit 360 workouts are more advanced than this. So this is more intermediate level but still an excellent and solid fusion workout. I was perspiring but not a lot.

Yoga Fusion Power is 44:30 minutes; 1:40 minute intro. There is a modifier doing easier versions of the exercises. Equipment: fitness mat.

1. In a wide plie squat, take deep breaths, arms flow overhead when inhaling and down when exhaling
2. Still in wide plie, arms extended to the sides in a T, shift ribs/arms side to side; stop shifting and alternate turning palms from ceiling to floor; changes to reaching arms side to side while leaning torso to sides
3. Standing with legs wide, arms extended out to sides in a T, do alternating crescent knees; at single arm circles with the knee crescent
4. Still standing with legs wide, figure 8 the arms from sides to in front of you; add rounding the back when arms are crossing and arching the back when they are open to the sides
5. Alternating heel lifts while reaching one arm forward and back (same arm reaches as heel lifting); changes to both heels and arms raising/reaching
6. Hold wide plie squat, arms extended to sides in a T and doing small circles; changes to large circles; keep arms extended isometrically in a T and do alternating heel raises; raise and lower both heels; changes to little hops (still in wide plie squat)
7. Still in wide plie squat, do alternating side bend/reaches; changes to alternating “swim” reaches in front of you; changes to alternating cross reaches
8. Deep runners lunge (hands on floor), tap and raise back knee to floor; hold runners lunge and raise one arm (same side arm as front leg) to ceiling; change sides, reaching the other arm to the ceiling; circle the arm; reach arm toward side wall, in line with your head (deep right angle pose)
9. Pyramid pose with hands on either side of front foot, rock back and forth, heel to toe; hold pyramid pose
10. Wide leg forward fold, both hands on floor, raise and lower heels; changes to raising and lowering toes; walk legs out wider, hands remain on floor while lowering head toward floor then raising head and shoulders with flat back (hands remain on floor the entire time); hold forward fold
11. Stand with legs a little wider than hip width, raise onto toes while arms flow forward, arms flow behind you when heels lower
12. Repeat #8 & 9 on other side of body
13. Repeat #10
14. Twist torso side to side while arms quickly wrap around body as you twist
15. Raise both heels while arms flow up overhead, arms lower as heels lower
16. Start in mountain pose; forward fold, hands on back of calves, bend and straighten legs; chair pose
17. Repeat #16
18. Forward fold; step back into kneeling crescent pose; step back to plank and slowly lower to stomach; cobra pose; down dog pose; return to plank, lower partway to ground then into up dog; down dog; walk feet to hands so you are in forward fold
19. Chair squats (flow in and out of chair pose)
20. Repeat #18 on other side of body
21. Repeat #19
22. Forward fold; crescent pose; warrior 2; right angle pose, circling top arm; hold right angle, top arm reaching overhead; triangle pose; reverse triangle; pyramid pose; still in pyramid, hinged forward at waist, arms extended to sides, flow arms overhead then back out to sides; reverse warrior
23. Repeat #33 on other side of body
24. Repeat #22 & 23 at a slightly faster pace
25. Stand in wide stance with toes turned out, squat and scoop hands down to ground then stand, opening arms overhead (qigong move)
26. Stand with feet together, raise heels and with arms extended to sides in a T, squat down to ground
27. Sit on mat in straddle stretch, extend arms to sides in a T then hinge forward over one leg reaching arms to foot, straighten torso while extending arms in a T then hinge forward placing hands on floor in front of you, straighten torso while extending arms in a T then hinge forward over other leg while reaching for foot; remain hinged forward, lowering torso as close to the floor as you can with arms extended in front of you on floor
28. Sit on mat with knees bent and feet on floor, do a pilates roll down and up
29. Pilates single leg stretch (core exercise)
30. Pilates double leg stretch (core exercise)
31. Repeat #29 but with straight legs
32. Repeat #30
33. Lay on back with legs extended straight to ceiling, open legs wide in a V then scissors straight legs 2x; continue scissoring the legs while lowering legs slowly to approximately 45 degrees then hold while continuing to scissor then return legs to starting position and repeat the series
34. Still on back, legs are raised straight to ceiling, open legs out wide while lowering them (making a circle with legs) when legs are together, raise legs back to ceiling
35. Still on back, straight legs are raised a few inches off the floor, arms are extended along sides with palms facing ceiling, head and shoulders are raised, hold this position isometrically while doing fast breaths
36. Repeat #30
37. Hip bridges, raising arms up overhead until arms are on the floor above head when raising hips then lower arms back to sides when lowering hips; hold with hips raised isometrically and pulse hips upward; keep hips raised isometrically and clasp hands underneath body, hold this pose
38. Still in bridge pose with hips raised isometrically, arms on floor beside body, bring one bent knee into chest then raise the leg to ceiling then extend it straight in line with other leg; keep hips raised and leg extended in line with other leg, pulse hips up to ceiling in this position
39. Happy baby pose
40. Repeat #38 on other leg
41. Repeat #39
42. Lay on side, legs extended straight, heels together, raise and lower straight leg to ceiling; changes to bending knee as you raise it then straightening leg at top of move so straight leg is raised to ceiling then lower straight leg; changes to tapping the foot of the top leg to floor in front of other foot 3x, lifting straight leg to ceiling then tapping it to floor behind other foot 3x (legs remain straight the entire time); changes to raising and lowering top leg
43. Side lying straight leg V ups
44. Repeat #42 & 43 on other side of body
45. Lay on stomach, arms extended beside body with palms facing the ceiling, raise head/chest, arms and legs, hold isometrically while pulsing arms up to ceiling; continue pulsing the arms but lower head and legs, continue alternating between these two versions of the move; stop pulsing arms while keeping head/chest, arms and legs raised isometrically
46. Bow pose
47. Child’s pose
48. Cat/cow; hold cow (back rounded up) and pulse spine up
49. Repeat #47
50. Seated spinal twist
51. Sit cross leg (ankle on knee) and hinge torso forward over crossed legs
52. Repeat #50 & 51 on other side of body
53. Lay on back, keeping legs as straight as possible, hold foot of one leg while raising head and pulling forehead toward knee, other leg is extended straight a few inches off the floor
54. Lying spinal twist
55. Repeat #53 & 54 on other side of body
56. Reclining goddess pose
57. Corpse pose