Over two hours' worth of mind-body exercise, spread out over seven mix-and-match segments. Styles include Qi Gong, Pilates, Yoga and Makko-Hos (meridian stretching). Jennifer Kries instructs.

Advanced beginning through intermediate exercisers. These routines are gentle, for the most part, but you will get more out of them if you are at least somewhat familiar with a few of the above exercise styles. You will need a sturdy armless chair or stool, a mat, a Yoga block (optional), a pair of light (3 to 5 pound) dumbbells, a stability ball and a Pilates Magic Circle (if you don't have some of the last three items, don't worry — the routines that use them only take up a small part of the DVD, so you will be able to do the other, very beneficial segments anyhow).

This is the second in Jennifer Kries' "Hot Body Cool Mind" workout series, and a slightly more advanced version of what you saw if you have the first one (Hot Body Cool Mind — Level 1). If you don't have the first DVD, it's really not all that important unless you are a true exercise beginner. Kries is pretty thorough with her instruction on this disc. The first two segments, Waking Energy Sitting and Standing are meant to invigorate you with Qi Gong massage and moves, and they are longer versions of the routines in Level 1. Sitting actually runs closer to a half hour than the 21 minutes listed in the program. Because they are fuller segments, you feel much more energized than in the Level 1 routines, so the extra minutes are time well spent. In Level 1's Five Tibetans, you did the Yoga-influenced, anti-aging exercises 7 times each; in Waking Energy's 11-minute segment, you do them 14 times, plus a Pranayama exercise called Goddess Breath. This is actually pretty challenging, since Kries has you working at a very quick pace. If you haven't done the Tibetans before, you may need to work up to 14. The next three routines are the "Pilates toys" segments and run between 10 and 14 minutes apiece. Here's where you use the Magic Circle, dumbbells and stability ball in short but effective toning routines (if you don't have a Pilates Magic Circle, please allow this DVD to inspire you to get one — it's a great body-shaping tool!). Last is a Yin Yoga and Meditation segment that is a little over half an hour. It's basically restorative Yoga and includes shoulder and hip opening poses such as Quarter Dog and Pigeon, but they're also meant as meridian stretches (Makka-Hos) to open up your energy pathways and enhance joint mobility. Any of these segments can be done on their own, or you can choose from several different ready-made combinations, depending on your focus (energizing, calming, toning, etc.). Some of these combinations run for over an hour, so if you're in a hurry you may want to just choose one segment or a combination of your own. As always with Jennifer Kries, the instruction and production quality is excellent, and this DVD is highly recommended.

 

 

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