Hip Helpers, Shoulder Shape-Up and Core Integration With Jill Miller, Pranamaya, 2008
Yoga Tune-Up is an appropriate title for Jill Miller’s work with asana (posture) and breath, developed as a result of 23 years of her experience with yoga, dance and a number of bodywork modalities. And in this work, it is not hyperbole to say that she is a genius. I noticed it the first time I attended one of her hour-long classes, with a sophisticated sequence that gradually coaxed the body into ever-more challenging backbends, and then, another day, when she led the group through an intricate series of moves to unlock tight shoulders. While Miller teaches regular classes, frequent workshops and even travels to locations such as Omega, there may be times when a student is in need of a quick tune-up with no workshop in site. In these situations, her just-released series of DVDs is better than a trip to the mechanic for the joints and to encourage freedom of movement.
Yoga Link DVD
Each DVD is broken up into segments suitable for discrete practice sessions, or to be linked together. The three titles each contain bonus MP3 audio-only tracks, to load into a portable player for tune-ups on the go, which can be a lifesaver for hotel rooms or even a home practice once you get the visuals down after watching the DVDs. If you’re not familiar with Miller’s routine, the clearly filmed videos are vital. Some of her techniques combine standard yoga moves in unusual ways, such as bridge on a block practiced with leg lifts to strengthen the psoas, one of the primary muscles targeted in Hip Helpers. Fortunately, Miller is an easy-to-follow model, and her voice is clear and wording concise.
In addition to the practice sequences and MP3 audios, bonus tracks include step-by-step instruction in the classic hatha yoga practice of agni sara, translated as washing the digestive fire. While learning this can sometimes seem daunting, Miller is an able and compassionate guide. To accompany each of the DVDs, there is a separate breathing primer track. This instruction goes over what Miller describes as the different abodes of the breath: abdominal, thoracic and clavicular breathing, the various regions in the body where we breathe. She also reviews a number of practices used in yoga to facilitate posture and awareness, including: a complete breath, kapalabhati (breath of fire), rhythmic breath, kumbhaka (retention) and attention.
Make sure to watch her intro, at least once, before you practice for the first time. If you go into automatic-mode with your practice and the poses, you may miss essential instruction. This series is appropriate for current fans of Miller’s work (I admit I’m one), people newly introduced to her Tune Ups, or even beginners to yoga practice who are trying to figure out how to work around that stiffness in their hip or shoulder; her suggestions can transform a body.
By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.