Ali MacGraw: Yoga Mind & Body
Ali MacGraw, best known for her role in 1970’s Love Story, produced and starred in this yoga video back in 1994. It is now on DVD and still popular (if online user reviews are any indication). This is one of the first yoga videos I ever owned, and I still have the original VHS version.
After many years of leaving this video on the shelf, I recently dusted it off to see why I hadn’t used it that much. In my 20s, I was recovering from being on disability with chronic fatigue syndrome. I think this video was just too hard for me back then. It’s not the toughest workout ever, but this is definitely not a good video for beginners.
Erich Schiffman actually teaches the yoga on this video. As a teacher, he’s fine, but I’m a bit bothered by how out of shape he appears in this. Ali MacGraw, on the other hand, is in terrific shape and must have been in her mid-50s when this was filmed. I wish I could have her flexibility at my age!
The routine itself is OK. It starts off with a brief introduction to yoga and ujjayi breathing. Then, an extremely tedious and slow introduction to cat/cow begins. It’s funny how careful they are with that portion, when they seem to speed through the tougher parts.
There is a very strenuous standing pose series followed by lots of back work with fun stuff like boat pose. (I hate boat pose!) So for all of the 40-some minutes on this video, there’s probably 20 good minutes worth of workout.
Many who like this video rave about the setting (a white desert background). Personally, I could care less what the cinematography looks like in a yoga video, since I’m too busy doing the poses to be gawking at the TV. I only want the video there to check to make sure I’m doing the pose properly. So if you love fancy backdrops for your yoga videos, you’ll enjoy this, otherwise, I don’t find that it adds much to the actual workout.
The soundtrack is likewise superfluous and fancy for no good reason, other than to say “look how cool we are.” It’s a modern mix of worldbeat that sometimes gets too heavy on the drums in the wrong places. The most ridiculous part of the soundtrack is how an electronic heartbeat plays each time you rest in “embryo” (or child’s pose).
Overall, I’m not blown away by this, though I know that other people love it. Considering how much space a video tape takes, I’m not yet sure if I’ll keep my VHS copy or give it to Goodwill yet. For me, it’s a B-.
I had this one for a long time too and used it several times but was never crazy about it. I recently sold it on Amazon. It just wasn’t right for me.
I actually love this one and since you’re wondering why people do I’ll tell ya.
While I agree that it’s not for a beginner or someone recovering from chronic fatigue that works for me. What sets it apart from every other yoga video I’ve had is that it encompasses many more aspects of yoga than just the hatha aspect. I think that’s why I felt “irked” on Erich Schiffmann’s behalf when you commented on his shape. His body is a real shape - he usually looks like that, not super ripped - and when you see him practice you realize that is his natural and very fit build. He is not looking for recognition as the most ripped guy in yoga; his practice (again) encompasses more than the external stuff that makes up very little of the path). If you look at Mr. Iyengar in the original “Light on Yoga” he’s no Rodney Yee or David Swenson but we don’t critique his physique (at least I’ve not heard it). That’s one of the things I least appreciate about yoga in North America (and again why I like this video) is that it’s become the domain of the super sleek and sexy build which is not the end goal of yoga.
The other thing you commented on was the visuals. I agree they aren’t super important but they are soothing when you do look at the vid - where a gym or something wouldn’t be
Stepping off my soapbox now.