I'm fairly ignorant of the revolving door of fitness and exercise gurus that pop up in and out of the American landscape every couple of years, yet I oddly enough I'm aware of Jillian Michaels. She's one of the fitness instructors on the Biggest Loser reality television show, and she helps get obese men and women down to a reasonable, nay even sexy size, with what would appear to be an extremely strict diet and fitness routine that has them burning off the pounds and pant sizes in quick succession. Because of these accomplishments on TV, the natural next step would be to expand the empire into video, book and online products, no?

That brings us to Yoga Meltdown, the latest in an ongoing stream of releases from Michaels which combines muscle burning exercise with Yoga, one of Michaels' personal preferences. For those who are unfamiliar with yoga (like I am), there is a bit of a learning curve in the slang and positions within yoga, but nothing that you can't pick up in moments. The exercises themselves are within the levels of similar exercise videos; two levels depending on preference and comfort, each lasting a little more than 30 minutes apiece. Each level includes two participants with Michaels, each designed to show what to do at the "beginner" and "advanced" levels.

I'd always considered yoga, along with tai chi, to be a more easy going and calm exercise, designed to meditate and enlighten the mind, with the body enjoying the fruits of it. Maybe I'm wrong, and I could be, because I'm not used to forms of...what do you call it? Moving. But Michaels seems to find a balance between the tranquil nature of the art and uses the physical poses as a gateway to incorporating her exercise techniques, and that's not a bad thing if you're looking for it.

For instance, I did a round at both the first and second levels on separate occasions, and definitely felt the proverbial burn afterwards. Michaels' instructions during the exercises are clear and easy to follow, and compared to what I understood about her on the Biggest Loser show, he exhibits some of that extroverted personality on Yoga Meltdown without being the stereotypical upbeat fitness instructor that would normally grate the nerves.

That's likely the biggest reason why Jillian Michaels may be so popular, in that she gently gives you the confidence needed to do these exercises, and you quietly achieve a much bigger result than you'd expect. Goodness knows I didn't understand what the hubbub was over her before, but I do know, and it's a good thing.

Full frame viewing which, in 2010 is a little bit disappointing, considering that both the time and the person involved would dictate a little higher production value. But it looks fine and is without any noticeable picture issues.

Two-channel Dolby stereo, which for an exercise disc is about right. No subwoofer, no rear surround activity (and barely replicating from the front channels), it's unspectacular and sounds okay.

Michaels includes brief looks at two other video releases (30 Day Shred, Banish Fat Metabolism and No More Trouble Zones), in case you like what she brings to the table here.

All in all, while I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Yoga Meltdown, I knew that Michaels would make the work worthwhile, and she does that. If you're a fan you'll definitely like this, but if you're new to yoga itself, get some reading done before you get into the more elaborate stuff.