The Power of the Positive

I’m a big fan of Patricia Moreno, and I’d already read her Intensati Method book. Like all book-based workouts, this one is somewhat tough to follow because you’re always looking down and paging through the book to see what’s next in the workout.

So I was super excited to find out that there was an Intensati workout DVD available. I couldn’t wait to get started on this week’s review for Intensati: Intention & Power.

First, the basic specifications: there is one 58-minute long workout on the DVD, with approximately 5 minutes of warmup, 15 minutes of upper body and cardio, 23 minutes of lower body and balance, and finishing up with 15 minutes of stretching and meditation.

It is chaptered, so I would think you could leave out upper body or lower body on alternate days to shorten the workout a bit. You may want to do this; it’s a seriously intense workout.

The hook for the Intensati Method is that you chant positive affirmations in time with the movements. I’m generally in favor of positive affirmations, and although there were a few moments in this workout that felt borderline cultish, it was overall a positive experience.

Instructor Patricia Moreno follows the same sequence for learning each exercise. First, you do the movements slowly, while learning what she calls “the command” – basically a verbal explanation of what you’re doing. For example, saying “up, center, down, center” as you move your arms in those directions. Then you speed up the pace. Finally, you replace the command with the affirmation, e.g. “Every day, in every way, I am, I’m better, I’m better, yes!”

Yes, the affirmations are more than a little hokey. Yes, they bring up images of Stuart Smalley. Yes, you feel a little like you are being indoctrinated into … something. But as corny as the workout is, it’s kind of uplifting, and you really get into it after a while.

Moreno is her usual awesome self; explaining in detail what you should be doing during each exercise, and what is the proper form for each move. I feel like I know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing while we learn the movements.

The problem I have with this workout is the speed of the movements once we’ve learned them. At times, it was almost frantic, moving faster than the limits of my coordination.

I’d like to do the affirmations moving somewhat more slowly, and with more intention, so they’d really soak in. Unfortunately, since the affirmations are timed to the movements, I can’t just be a few beats behind like I usually am during workouts.

Moreno mentions several times throughout the workout that if you need to stop the movements, that’s fine, but keep the affirmations going. Of course, you don’t get nearly as much benefit if you’re not moving at all during the affirmations.

So, I’ve been trying to figure out how I can modify the poses to be less extreme, so I will be able to do them at the right pace for the affirmations. There are not really any modifications given in the fast-paced sections.

The workout wraps up with yoga-based stretching (which is naturally slower-paced, thank goodness!), and a full 5-minute shavasana/meditation.

The meditation section is my favorite part of the whole DVD. For starters, it’s the length of an actual shavasana pose, not the 30-second quickie you get on most yoga DVDs. Second, Moreno’s voice is soothing and inspiring at the same time. I would absolutely buy meditation DVDs from her (this is a not-so-subtle hint. Are you listening, Ms. Moreno? Please produce some meditation DVDs!).

The Intensati: Intention & Power DVD is pretty new age – it’s definitely not going to be for everyone. It’s certainly not for the slow-moving. But if you can keep up with the pace, it’s some positively powerful stuff.