I've been asked to review a new yoga DVD that Gaiam will be releasing later this month: Trudie Styler's Warrior Yoga. In case that name does not sound familiar, think wife of Sting -- you know, the rock star who "practiced yoga so that he could have tantric sex with his wife for hours on end" and earned a spot in mainstream consciousness (Well, Sting actually waffled on that claim, something about being drunk at the time, or something like that, because the story seems to change over time, but he and his wife do practice yoga; that part is true). Trudie Styler is an actress, producer and environmental advocate in her own right, as well as being a fifty-something mother of four, so I guess she does have a "warrior" quality about her. This DVD seems to be about more than just yoga for (sexual) fitness's sake. In fact, Gaiam's advance work seems to highlight life style choices and environmental sustainability as much as yoga styles.

Styler herself does not claim to be a yoga instructor, more a yoga evangelist. For yogic inspiration, she has recruited James D'Silva, a Pilates-slash-Yoga-slash-dance instructor who was borned in Gao, India and moved to England young. He has become London's version of "trainer to the stars," helping the likes of Madonna and other celebrities. He has a wellness center, Bombay Gymkahana, in London. He has been working with Sting and Styler with their private practice for more than five years.

A portion of the proceeds of this DVD is being donated to a UNICEF Drinking Water Project in Ecuador for rainforest residents whose water supply has been polluted by petroleum exploitation.

Once I've had a chance to view the DVD with care, I'll provide my take on it.

Postscript: As a blast from the past, here is a Yoga Journal article from December 1995: Ganga White interviewed Sting. It's not laid out well, but it's still readable. More recently, White wrote a book, Beyond Belief: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice, and Sting contributed in Foreward. It confirms that Sting and Styler have been involved with yoga for the long haul.

Labels: teachers, videos