Re: Library Run and PiYo 1

[Guest guest]

Finally got a chance to read through this and WOW! This class/dvd sounds fantastic! I would love to have you as the instructor too, that would be fun! The music sounds absolutely wonderful too, I really like most of those artists but I also don't mind the more traditional Eastern music at all. How fun, enjoy it all !!

Library Run and PiYo 1

This evening after work I ran my 2 mile Library Run while it was still light outside. As usual, it was exhiliarating! I am getting addicted to running! I'm still running around a 10 minute mile and am content with that.

Next, I put in my new PiyO Lesson 1 dvd. Because I hope to teach PiYo someday, I didn't get a traditional workout from it this time around; I would do the pose, but then pause the dvd to take notes. Notes come with the dvd and cd, but when you're teaching I find you really need to write the notes yourself so that they make sense to you. They also say that writing it down yourself helps you remember it, and it helps to read it in your own handwriting too.

PiYo is an outstanding mind/body format. Chalene combines both yoga and pilates into an hour long flowing sequence. You as the instructor are of course at liberty to keep the poses held longer and in a more static fashion, but I found myself getting into the rhythm of the flow, as it seemed to participate more with the music somehow.

The music that comes with PiYo 1 is very nice! It has a nice variety, some examples are: Winston, Loreena McKennitt, Enigma, Enya, Adeamos (sp?), Yanni, classical piano pieces, modern Native American music, and my favorite, the theme from the movie “The Piano”. At first I thought, “I'll never use this music, I'll use my own more traditional Eastern sounding new age cd's” but as I did the practice with the dvd tonite, I found the music complementing the moves very nicely.

I also think that this kind of music will appeal to the gym crowd, since it has a more athletic attendance sometimes, as opposed to a yoga studio where people are more open to the spiritual side to mind/body classes.

Chalene cues physiology, since this dvd is intended for instructors. However, this is a good dvd for a beginner for that very reason! You will always know just where the hand placement is, the angle your foot should be turned out, etc. My favorite cue she uses is during cat and cow: “Imagine that your spine is a string of pearls and that you are separating each bead”. Nice!Unlike Turbo Kick, you don't need to be an instructor to buy these (unless something has changed that I'm unaware of) and there are some PiYo specials going on right now, two of the lessons are only $9.95 instead of $45!

http://www.turbowear.com/store/home.php?cat=26

Amy Nestor is to Chalene's left, who often shows the advanced poses. Amy is also co-creator of PiYo! Chalene is somewhere in the middle, and -Ortiz (who certified me in Turbo Kick!) shows the more beginner options. It is taught via a voiceover.

I plan on doing PiYo 1 to the cd twice a week to get good at it and so I can practice cueing for teaching. I'm so excited! I don't necessarily even need a class of my own to start out, but just subbing it would be very rewarding, I think!

For those of you in the exercise videos group, you can think of PiYo as you would the Shiva Rae cd's that come with a booklet of the poses, only this is better because you get a cd AND a dvd!

Lesson 1 is broken down like this:

Warmup:Mountain PoseMoving Chair (you don't hold it still that long, it's early and you're trying to pump blood into the larger muscle groups)Standing single arm side bendSpinal twist in a forward foldPlank (held for ! quite aw hile here)Moving cat and cowChilds' poseDowndog, and back to plank

Heat Building:Plank, to chatarunga, to downdog X3Plank with hip extensions, 4-8 times alternating kneesVinyasaWarrior 1, bending and straighteningWarrior 2, bending and straighteningback to Warrior 1then PyramidPlank, 2 tricep pushupsRagdoll up,3 Pilates pushups~repeat all of the above a second time

Balance:Tree pose with arm circles for a balance challenge

Strength:Forward fold, to plank, to extended childs' poseBali sealto side bend in half moonto thread the needleto mermaidto pilates side lying positionthen Grand Rond de Jambe (leg circles)back to mermaidback to side plankback to sitting up on your kneesknee out for low lungeup to a high lungeto Warrior 1to Warrior 2to Right angleback to Warrior 2to Triangleback to Warrior 2back to Warrior 1to Pyramidback to Plank, Vinyasa, holding down dog for 5 breaths~repeat it all on the other side

Back Strengtheners:Modified Swan Dive and DolphinExtended Chiclds' PoseStaff PoseTabletopto Reverse Plank

Joint Openers:Sitting angular (legs out in a V)Side bend in sitting angularreturn to staff posepoint the toes, and fold forward

Abdominals:Pilates rollupModified teaser (same thing w/one leg up, foot turned out slightly)Rolling like a ballOpen leg balance (one at a time, then hold both open)Single leg stretch (alternate pushing the knee)to Criss Cross (bicycle)Lay down and make circles with your knees to massage the lower backCorpse Pose