It's hard to say how Shiva Rea would react to being called "the Madonna of yoga," a phrase that appears on the cover of Creative Core Abs. But one thing is certain: the popular, California-based yogi's several DVD programs are uniformly first-rate, and this one is no exception. Roughly defined as the area between the upper thighs and lower ribcage, with particular focus on the abdominals and lower back, the core is "more than our physical center," says Rea; it is "our inner fire," the seat of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual selves (not to mention the center of a great many yoga poses). Mindful that core exercises are for many of us "a duty, not a pleasure," Rea has designed three different programs (ranging from seven to seventeen minutes) that aim to offer a more creative, innovative approach to the work. The "Water Core" segment includes various seated movements, many involving the arms as well; there are also sequences done on the back, somewhat akin to the bridge pose, as well as the "water wheel," which combines lifting the hips while alternately extending the legs. The "Spontaneous Core" section incorporates some of the previous movements with several new ones, while the "Fire Core," the longest of the three, blends very challenging poses such as chaturanga and the forearm plank with familiar standing asanas like the Warrior II. As usual, the musical accompaniment is effective but not intrusive, while the setting (New Mexico's White Sands National Park) and the HD cinematography by Sion Michel (a camera operator for Memoirs of a Geisha) are stunning. None of that may matter much while you're flat on your back, struggling to understand what it means to treat a pose as if you're "skateboarding on the empty bowl of your pelvis," but Creative Core Abs is likely to yield satisfying results for those who stick with it. --Sam Graham