REVIEW: The Basic Poses package for iYoga Premium
As a yoga teacher and trainer, I can fully appreciate the amount of work it must have taken to create this beautiful app. The images are anatomically gorgeous and move in a very lifelike way, which can make it relatable for students. However, I found the repertoire to be far more anatomically-inclined than asana-inclined.
This would make a good post-yoga teacher training reference for students who would like to refresh their memory regarding which parts of the body are affected and how.
The multiple views and visuals of muscles contracting, stretching or both are great references. I also really enjoyed the different categories, body regions & levels options (even though I only review the basic).
However, there are a few instances in the limited view of basic yoga poses that I find irritating, only because I am a self-proclaimed anatomy nerd. The most obvious would be variation and modifications of poses. Not all of our bodies fit into this ideal model, and if this were to act as a teaching tool, it would be missing the most important component of human variation.
However, for an anatomical reference, there is much ‘convenient truth’ to what is presented and is by and large a clear representation of muscular structure. Secondly, in one of the most externally rotated poses of the hip, “One Leg Pigeon Prep” there is little to no (visible) mention of the pose’s affect on the outer hip & thigh. You practically have to strain your eyes to see the 1 small ‘stretch’ of the inner gluteal muscles to feel any of its relevance. This makes me wonder what else could be missing from the intermediate and advanced pose sections of the app.
Lastly, the verbal instruction in the preset sequences is concise but limited. There is little to no verbiage about safe transitioning (another reason why I feel this is a better anatomy reference than teaching). There the ‘sidebar’ of written instructions is great to include common problems or contraindications but nothing about how to correct the same.
Overall, I would recommend this yoga app to new students or student post-training with the caveat that it is not capable of meeting variation and/or certain important details. It is certainly far more comprehensive than anything I have come across thus far.
About the Author
Elle is an E-RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance, has 200hrs of Yin Yoga & Anatomy training with Paul Grilley, and 600+ additional hours in continued education with many master teachers. Elle strongly believes in on-going professional study and, most importantly, seeking the little lessons in every day life. Elle is also an Ambassador for Lululemon’s flagship store on West 4th in Vancouver. She also is the Department Head for Yin Yoga Teacher Training for YYoga. You can find her schedule at Elle Basten – YYoga
