Not for beginners.
I purchased Ana Forrest Strength & Spirit based on the Amazon.com reviews and its 5 star rating. I have done yoga for many years. In my opinion, this is not a class for beginners or anyone with injuries. I urge people to view a yoga tape or dvd before purchasing it. Many yoga tapes and dvds are available from public libraries. I recommend Susan Winter Ward's Yoga for the Young at Heart as a very good 45 minute yoga class for the beginner or senior wanting to stay flexible.

A unique yoga class with amazingly detailed instruction
Strength and Spirit is a wonderfully unique yoga video which provides the kind of detailed instruction that you'd find in an actual live yoga class. Led by Ana Forrest, it features a class of six students of all ages and abilities; Ana alternates between displaying the movements with amazing grace and flexibility and moving amongst her students offering form guidelines and corrections. At the start of the class, she encourages the students to identify an area of focus in their bodies, and throughout the practice, she places a strong emphasize on breathing, reminding students to breathe into their focus areas in particular.

The practice starts in a seated position with uddiyana, the abdominal lock; Ana follows this with a seated forward bend and twist. Then it's on to hands and knees for dophin prelude and dolphin to open up the shoulders. Back in a seated position, you will do a side bend with a neck release and then lie flat on the mat for abs work. This is the most challenging segment of the practice, as Ana has you move very slowly while taking looong, deep breaths, first doing a bicycle movement and then pelvic raises with a second mat rolled up between your legs (I use my Pilates circle for this move).

The second half of the practice centers around standing poses interspersed with gentle backbending movements. The first standing series includes down dog, warrior 1, easy twisting warrior, lunge, and lunge twist (similar to prayer twist, but with a change in arms position). The floor work which follows is an easy half boat pose, and then it's back to down dog. The next standing series consists of a lunge with forearms to the floor, first with the back knee down and then lifting the knee; you then return to the floor for full boat. Coming back into down dog, you move into warrior 2 for some particularly nice shoulder work, first combining a shoulder roll/pinch with breathing and then opening the shoulders further using eagle arms. The final back work is cobra pose performed twice.

After a last down dog, you move into pyramid and then pigeon with a forward bend. Following this, you return to a seated position for one final neck stretch before going back to the floor for savasana. Although the relaxation portion lasts only about 3 minutes, Ana encourages you to remain in savasana for as much time as you have; without an extended savasana, the entire practice clocks in at just under 55 minutes. I've found that every time I do this video, I learn new things from Ana, as she provides an amazing amount of detail. The pace of the whole practice is quite leisurely, yet the time goes by surprisingly quickly, and I am always left feeling relaxed and refreshed. I would recommend this video to all levels of yoga practitioners, although those brand new to yoga will probably want to learn the poses elsewhere. Overall, this is a very enjoyable practice with a skilled and competent instructor.

Self exploration and freedom
I studied yoga at home on my own through magazines ( Cyndi Lee articles always motivated me to study yoga at home ).I looked at a lot of yoga videos , but I could not decide which one to buy . I read an article about Lilakoi Moon. She studied with Ana Forrest. I checked out Ana Forrest website. I was impressed. I bought her video in April. In one month,my spirit noticed a profound and positive change. I kept a journal about my progress. I am more in touch with my body , spirit and emotions.I am always discovering new and exciting things about myself and it has deepen my relationships with my loved ones. I look forward to studying with Ana and Jonathan next year. I hope this review is helpful.I wish the best to all who buy this video. Walk with courage down your sacred personal path.

Yoga Journal Testimonial
Seattle-based Ana Forrest has nearly 30 years of teaching experience. She begins her sequence in a cross-legged sitting position, asking her models and her unseen audience to scan their bodies for areas of injury or physical or emotional restriction. These areas then become focal points for the work in the poses. The 55-minute sequence includes a belly lock exercise (Uddiyana Bandha), a sitting twist, a modified Downward-Facing Dog, a seated side bend, two belly strengthening exercises, and Bridge pose, a pair of Warrior standing poses and related lunges, a pair of simple backbends, andother Warrior pose with shoulder work, a split-leg forward bend (here called Pyramid), a bent-knee hip opener, a neck release, and relaxation.
Forrest is a highly accomplished teacher and an amazing model, periodically demonstrating the poses with inspiring grace and beauty. She provides detailed instructions for both beginning and intermediate students, with a lot of emphasis on proper breathing and continual self-awareness, which is anchored in the student's chosen problem area. This is a moderately challenging session that rolls along at a sprightly pace, appropriate for all levels except for the most inexperienced beginners.

a testimonial from Kim Grewal
i have to thank you again for the Ana Forrest yoga tape (Strength and Spirit). For 2 years my back and neck
have been in spasm and I have not been able to do the appropriate stretches to
make them stop hurting. 2 years. I did the yoga tape once and my neck and
back felt better.