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Post by Karla on Dec 22, 2023 23:58:48 GMT
Kundalini Workout for Your Week - DVD 1, Monday
Natalie Wells
Year Released: 2016
NOTE: I received a copy of this DVD to review for the web site Metapsychology Online Reviews; please see that site for a more detailed version of my review.
This DVD is the first in what will eventually be a five-set series by Kundalini yoga instructor Natalie Wells. In her introduction, Wells explains that Monday is a time to reflect and to connect with intuition, and so she has chosen kriyas to work on the pituitary gland. She instructs via voiceover, and she is featured alone in several different tranquil outdoor settings. The DVD is well-chaptered, with the Main Menu offers the following options: Play All -- Introduction -- Breath of Fire -- Tune In -- Warm Up -- Kriya -- Meditation -- Relaxation -- Tune Out -- Credits -- Music Options. I have briefly broken down each practice segment and provided times below.
BREATH OF FIRE (2:32 mins.)
This brief tutorial on the Breath of Fire (BOF), a common style of breathing in Kundalini, appears to be the same throughout the DVDs in this series.
TUNE IN (1:38 mins.)
Here Wells begins with the traditional Kundalini opening of chanting "ong namo guru dev namo." This section also appears to be the same footage throughout the series.
WARM UP (10:09 mins.)
Warm-up exercises include front/back rocks, cat/cow, bent leg raises in an all-fours position, frog, and double leg seated forward bend.
KRIYA (29:44 mins.)
Wells begins with a reclined pigeon variation, adding BOF. She moves into a standing forward bend series and flows which include all fours, down dog, cobra, baby (child's) pose, and triangle pose. She finishes with a version of seated on heels, arms up, moving to forehead on the ground (aka rabbit pose).
MEDITATION (Smiling Buddha Kriya; 12:18 mins.)
The idea for this kriya is holding the index and middle fingers in the air while you chant "sa-ta-na-ma" ("I am truth") repeatedly to yourself in your head. I liked the idea of this, but I found that the rhythm of the music played during this segment—which was totally off-beat with chanting sa-ta-na-ma—made this near-impossible, so I gave up.
RELAXATION (5:33 mins.)
For the relaxation (same on each DVD), Wells leads a body scan in fostering a full-body release.
TUNE OUT (1:43 mins.)
Each tune out segment for this series is the same: Wells concludes with a few final chants of "sat nam" to seal the practice.
Overall, I enjoyed this routine. With the exception of what is offered by the husband and wife team of Ravi Singh and Ana Brett, there is not much in the way of Kundalini yoga on video, and I found this to be a nice change of pace. The exercises were active and engaging, yet not so strenuous as to be beyond reach. My only real criticism, as noted above, was the distracting music used during the meditation section. Otherwise, I would recommend this DVD, even for those new to Kundalini yoga.
Beth C (aka toaster)
03/15/2016
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Post by Karla on Dec 22, 2023 23:59:33 GMT
Kundalini Workout for Your Week - DVD 2. Tuesday
Natalie Wells
Year Released: 2016
NOTE: I received a free copy of this DVD to review for the web site Metapsychology Online Reviews; please see that site for a more detailed review.
This DVD is the second a series of Kundalini yoga videos for each weekday; I have also reviewed the first DVD, KUNDALINI YOGA for Your Week - MONDAY. Instructor Natalie Wells introduces this practice by saying that Tuesday is associated with Mars. To build courage and self-confidence, the exercises that make up this routine are designed to stimulate the third chakra, or the solar plexus, so this is a core-focused routine.
Wells instructs via voiceover. She is featured alone in several different tranquil outdoor settings. The DVD is well-chaptered, with the Main Menu offers the following options: Play All -- Introduction -- Breath of Fire -- Tune In -- Warm Up -- Kriya -- Meditation -- Relaxation -- Tune Out -- Credits -- Music Options. I have briefly broken down each practice segment and provided times below.
BREATH OF FIRE (2:32 mins.)
This brief tutorial on the Breath of Fire (BOF), a common style of breathing in Kundalini, appears to be the same throughout the DVDs in this series.
TUNE IN (1:38 mins.)
Here Wells begins with the traditional Kundalini opening of chanting "ong namo guru dev namo." This section also appears to be the same footage throughout the series.
WARM UP (11:08 mins.)
Warm-up exercises begin focusing on the spine and include spinal circles, spinal twists, and an incline spinal crunch. Also, from a lying position, reverse plank, reclined alternating leg press, and lifting legs and head with BOF.
KRIYA (25:21 mins.)
Each exercise in this section went on for some length of time. The first was reclined alternating leg raises. This was followed by raising both legs, keeping the knees straight; I found that this placed a significant strain on my lower back, but no modifications were offered (I modified myself by keeping my legs higher, knees slightly bent). After resting with the knees in briefly, Wells moves the legs to 60-degrees, arms out to the side. Next, she keeps one knee into the chest while lifting the opposite leg up and down rapidly; she does this on both side, then repeats. For the final exercise in this segment, Wells comes to standing, reaching up to the sky, and then bending over into a forward bend, eventually speeding up this movement.
MEDITATION (Sitali Pranayama; 3:56 mins.)
Pranayama is breathwork; in this segment, Wells instructs a breath exercise known as sitali, or breathing over a curled tongue.
RELAXATION (5:33 mins.)
For the relaxation (same on each DVD), Wells leads a body scan in fostering a full-body release.
TUNE OUT (1:43 mins.)
Each tune out segment on for this series is the same: Wells concludes with a few final chants of "sat nam" to seal the practice.
I found that I enjoyed PARTS of this routine. I liked the warm-up exercises, and I found some of the work in the main kriya to be pleasantly stimulating. However, as noted above, I also thought some of the exercises placed an undue strain on my low back. I am an experienced exerciser (including having practiced Kundalini before) who was able to modify, but I would be concerned if this routine were to be attempted by beginners, those with injuries, or other vulnerable populations. Therefore, I would recommend this DVD for experienced exercisers only--ideally, those with some prior Kundalini yoga exposure.
Beth C (aka toaster)
03/15/2016
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:00:23 GMT
Kundalini Yoga with Dr. Gabrielle Pelicci
Gabrielle Pelicci
Year Released: 2009
NOTE: I received a free review copy of this DVD from the web site metapsychology.net.
The DVD case describes this as a rigorous, one-hour total body workout which helps produce emotional balance, mental clarity, and stress relief. It is broken up into four 15 minute segments: Part 1, the Warm-Up, is intended to stretch and lengthen the back, neck, legs, and torso; Part 2, Energize, is to work the legs, hips, thighs, and butt; Strengthen, Part 3, is said to define the abs, arms, shoulders, and back; and finally, Part 4 is the Meditation/Relaxation component.
The program is led by Dr. Gabrielle Pelicci, Ph.D. The only information about Pelicci’s credentials included with the DVD itself noted that she was one of LA’s “premier” yoga instructors. Upon visiting her web site, enerje.com, I learned that “Dr. Gabrielle” earned her doctorate degree in humanities, is also licensed as a massage therapist, and offers “transformational” counseling sessions both face-to-face and by phone. During this workout, Pelicci teaches via live instruction in a bright studio; she does not provide mirrored cueing. As she performs the exercises, the camera flashes to scenes of her in several other settings, including an alternate studio, a daytime/dusk beach, and a city scene (other exercise videos which have used a similar approach include Cindy Crawford’s A New Dimension and Karen Voight’s Streamline Fitness).
In her brief introduction, Pelicci suggests that the exercises are appropriate for beginners, who can simply practice for a shorter amount of time, yet also challenging for more experienced Kundalini practitioners. The Warm-Up (17 minutes) begins in a seated position with the traditional Kundalini yoga chant of Ong Namu Guru Dev Namu repeated three times. Following this, Pelicci introduces the Breath of Fire (BOF), performed holding the arms at a 60-degree angle. Next follows of series of seated poses, mostly moving the body back and forth over the legs in various directions. The second half of the warm-up section focuses more on the upper body with shoulder shrugs, neck rolls, and a spinal twist, concluding with the stomach grind. Part 2 begins on hands and knees for cat/cow; this moves into knee to nose on each side. Pelicci then comes to standing, moving slowly and methodically through squats, arm circles, toe touches, side reaches, torso twists, reach up/forward bend, and finally, what she calls “dancing”simply kicking the feet out in front of you rapidly for about half a minute. This segment is about 14 minutes total.
Whereas the first two sections of the workout are fairly basicPelicci generally moves at a pace that’s easy to follow, and most of the exercises are appropriate for all levelsPart 3 raises the difficulty level quite a bit. Pelicci starts in immediately with some very challenging core work, holding the arms and legs raised while performing BOF. She continues with core work which is quite reminiscent of Pilates, including single and double leg lifts, bicycle, reverse plank lift, and a held plank. This segment finishes with a few more traditional hatha yoga postures, down dog, cobra, and child’s pose, coming in at just under 14 minutes. In the final 14-minute section, Pelicci sets you up for meditation, introducing the phrase “Sat Nam” but providing little other verbal instruction for the 6.5 minute seated session (and unfortunately, the music played during this segment includes drums that are quite jarring rather than relaxing). This is followed by a 5-minute lying relaxation, and then Pelicci concludes the practice with a reclined twist and a brief prayer to finish.
Kundalini is still a relatively new school of yoga to enter the DVD market, although the very popular videos of husband/wife team Ravi Singh and Ana Brett have made this discipline more well-known. In some ways, this DVD offers consumers a nice alternative option, especially with its fairly down-to-earth instructor and short mix-and-match segments. The main drawback of this practice, however, is that although the first, second, and last segment are all extremely accessible to beginners, the difficulty level of Part 3 is completely out of sync with the rest of the video, which I fear might be discouraging to some. Therefore, I would caution anyone interested in trying this DVD and recommend viewing the clips available on Pelicci’s website, enerje.com, or on amazon.com.
Beth C (aka toaster)
05/19/2009
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:01:09 GMT
Kundalini Yoga to Detox & De-stress Maya Fiennes Year Released: 2007 I have done lots of Hatha and Ashtanga, but this was my first experience with Kundalini and I love it. Kundalini is very different than the yoga you are most likely used to. The poses are different and they tend to be dynamic rather than static. There was more chanting, which may be common in traditional yoga but tends to be rare in the Western variety. There is some talk from Maya about the Aquarian Age coming in 2012 (I guess it passed us by. That sucks.) I can unpredictably go either way on new agey type stuff, but I find Maya's patter quite endearing at best and harmless at worst. There is one asana you do for two minutes and I have no idea what happens, but I go through a phase where my arms start to get tired and then all of a sudden I feel a wave of giddiness and start laughing. It happens nearly every time-it's so strange, but I dig it. Maya wears all white and is in a white studio. Since Ravi and Ana workouts are the same, I'm guessing this is a Kundalini "thing." The moves aren't real complicated, so you can still make out what she's doing well enough despite that. The music, which Maya composed, really adds to the workout. I really like this workout, and wish I wasn't such a cardio/resistance freak so I would do it more often. Definitely don't be put off by this and give it a try. It's a unique, relaxing, joy-filled experience. It's not a very strenuous workout either; there's more emphasis on the mind/spirit side despite the physicality. However, do approach with caution if you have back issues. There is lots of spinal movement (a key supposedly to stimulating your kundalini energy.) Instructor Comments: Maya is a fabulous instructor, one of my favorites. Her demeanor is calm and encouraging, her voice soothing. She is Macedonian, and has a cute accent. I had no trouble understanding her. I really like and appreciate the thoughtful touches she brings, such as when she tells the viewer to take a moment to stretch out their legs if they need to, she does it. The Savasana at the end is also Maya doing Savasana, not the workout suddenly cutting off to loud credits music or a title card accompanied by generic yoga music that says "Relaxation" (I have DVD's that do both of these things.) I have several of her workouts, but this one is my favorite. vanessakm 02/14/2014 I have done this DVD a few times now and quite like it. I am not used to this style of yoga, it is certainly different from the usual Hatha or Ashtanga styles. I’d say this feels more dynamic, each exercise is a series of repeated movements rather than static postures. However, there are also moments of stillness throughout to absorb the practice. I don’t usually gravitate to the new agey “woo woo” stuff, but still find this to be very enjoyable, and not too much past my “woo woo” threshold  One thing that makes this particular DVD unique is that so much of it is done sitting cross legged (or in “easy pose” as Maya calls it). You occasionally stretch out into different postures, but, I don’t think you stand up at all during the practice. This could be a good thing or a bad thing I guess depending on what you are looking for. The lack of standing makes it feel very restorative, but you still get a workout. Another feature of the DVD is that all the music used is her own (she is a concert pianist and composer too!) and is very pleasant. Kind of tribal / world music / ambient, with some songs and chants over the music. The first time I saw one of Maya’s programmes (on the Body in Balance channel) I could actually tell it was her voice in the music as well as in the voiceover, her voice is gentle, uplifting and distinctive with a lovely accent (Macedonian). Now some details of the actual workout: Maya is alone in a white studio with a white sheepskin rug, she is also wearing all white. She instructs via voiceover and each section features a different piece of her own music (as mentioned above), each piece of music has a tempo and vibe to match the exercise. She starts with a tuning in mantra, which she repeats 3 times. You are supposed to join in but I don’t as I do my workouts early in the morning and don’t want to wake anyone! I’m content just to listen to her. There is then a seated warm up consisting of spinal flexing (“camel ride”), spinal circles, an exercise where you twist your upper body from left to right repeatedly with hands on shoulders (co-ordinated with breathing), and then with arms raised, neck rolls, and some leg stretches. The music in this section is slow and features Maya singing “Om Shanti namo” or something like that (I’m not familiar with mantras). Moving on to the main practice, there is an exercises which Maya calls a meditation to strengthen the kidneys and adrenals, you are sitting and move your arms in (hands in a lotus mudra at the heart) and out (with hands flexed) repeatedly until your arms get tired, or longer! She says lots of uplifting stuff throughout and the upbeat music in this section keeps you motivated. After that there are two exercises involving breath of fire (rapid breathing). I have to admit I don’t like these because they make me feel dizzy so usually fast forward or just sit still for a while until the next exercises. There then follows some dynamic exercises, which include a kind of “yoga rowing” some “cat cow” variations (I think that’s what you call it!) and leg lifts, before doing a “kriya” in which you repeat the word “Har” (which sounds more like “Hara” the way she says it) with one arm outstretched, then the other arm. The programme closes with some lovely relaxation in corpse pose, some more gentle stretching while lying and then coming back to sitting (I don’t think there is a sitting meditation as such, but there are moments of sitting meditation throughout the whole programme). Maya then “tunes out” with a chant of “Sat Nam” 3 times. Her voice seems to reverberate throughout my whole living room at this point in the DVD The whole programme is about an hour long, but time seems to fly by, it feels like much less to me. It leaves me feeling energised and calm for the rest of the day. I’m not sure how often I’ll fit this DVD into my practice (I have a bajillion fitness and yoga DVDs, I’m kind of an addict!), but will definitely aim for at least once a week. I usually do more restorative workouts on a Sunday morning, so this will probably become a Sunday favourite. I’d highly recommend this if you are looking for something relaxing, yet energising which will clear your mind and provide a nice restorative practice. To me if feels like a moving, musical meditation Instructor Comments: I think Maya Fiennes is a joy to watch and listen too (both in the voice-over and in her music). She is positive, calm and peaceful and instructs clearly. She seems to have a good balance of strength and flexibility. I think many yoga types have excellent flexibility but possibly neglect the importance of strength and can look a bit fragile. BalletCat 06/15/2012 |
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:02:08 GMT
Transformation thru Kundalini Yoga April Bernardi Year Released: 2007 Production: Very pretty with hardwood floors, potted plants and tan curtains. The workout is set up with the following chapters: *Introduction *Surya Namaskar Sun Salutations *40 Minute Complete Practice *20 Minute Strengthening Practice Surya Namaskar Sun Salutations: Here, April goes into detailed instruction for the sun salutations she'll be using. She instructs while Stacy demonstrates the moves. This is just instructional and has no music. (you can skip this segment as needed) 40 Minute Complete Practice: April begins with an opening mantra. Next, to warm you up, April runs through the sun salutations. (these have some long holds, up to 5 breaths, allowing for a deeper stretch) After performing the sun salutations several times, April lies on her back and begins moving legs in and out vigorously. Then sitting with legs wide, you'll stretch to one leg and flow up and down over the leg with the breath. Then you'll perform this to alternate sides. Next you'll perform deep abdominal breathing. Then in easy pose you'll lift the knees and extend one arm behind you. (you'll keep repeating with each arm and alternating breathing) Remaining in easy pose you'll rotate side to side over each knee. Next flex spine forward then slouch back at a steady rhythmic pace. Side to side rotations with arms up at 90 degrees follows. Flapping your arms up and down as they are held out to the sides is next. (then move the arms to the front and do the same movement) Large arm circles with chant is next. April then stands up and begins squatting up and down, again with chant. You'll finish with a relaxing corpse pose. 20 Minute Strengthening Practice: This set includes sun salutations to warm the body and active core work. (you'll constantly be moving the legs in multiple variations to hit all areas of the abdominals & tone your legs) You'll conclude with corpse. Instructor Comments: www.goldenyogini.comYou can see beautiful clips of both of April's new workouts over at www.fitnessorganica.comDeniseR 02/20/2007 |
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:03:13 GMT
Kundalini Yoga The Awakening
Donna Amrita Davidge
Year Released: 2004
The Awakening is a nice, challenging kundalini session. Challenging but not as tough as, say, Mantra Girl Advanced, Gurmukh or Ravi Singh and Ana Brett's Warrior Workout.
Although the instruction is good, I would not recommend this for anyone with no experience with traditional yoga poses or kundalini yoga. There is a breath primer at the beginning of the video.
The session begins with a few rounds of traditional, quick moving sun salutations. Then Donna goes into the "set" as she calls it, which includes stomach grinding, spine flexing, and twisting. Donna works sequentially up the spine. She does flexing for the lower spine, then changes positions and continues flexing more for the mid and upper back. She then does a few exercises for the shoulders - lifting them up and down (first separately and then together), then twisting from side to side with the hands on the shoulders and then lifting the elbows up and down with the hands on the shoulders. She then moves to the throat/neck area and has you turn your head from side to side. She didn't do head rolls, which are one of my faves, so I did them on my own at a spot I thought was appropriate.
She does plenty of breath of fire (in stretch pose, tuck pose and a couple of other poses). There are nice stretching type poses, like sitting in wide angle and alternating between lowering your head to your left leg and then your right and then in the center. Frog pose is also done. Toward the end Donna does a nice pose where you're on your knees kind of in baby/child's pose and then you roll up to the crown of your head, interlace your fingers behind your back and lift your arms up. The advanced version is kind of a tripod headstand with your knees resting on the backs of your upper arms.
There are no meditations or kriyas in between the exercises at all. One thing I particularly enjoyed was after shavasana, she "brings you back" nicely. You hug your knees to the chest, rub your palms and soles of the feet together, rotate the ankles and wrists, do two quick lying twists (which I thought was a great touch and she said it was to realign your spine) and then has you roll up and down a few times. She ends with 3 min. of left nostril breathing which is to calm and relax you.
The music is pretty blah and Donna is pretty mellow, but then I'm spoiled by R&A's and Mantra Girl's awesome music!
The majority of the session is done in pretty, soothing outdoor settings.
It seems Donna does exercises longer than I've noticed other instructors do on videos, with the exception of frog pose. Donna was mercifully brief with that one!
Another aspect I liked was that there is no audible breathing sounds like there are on other kundalini videos. I find that I can generally keep up with the pace of most instructors, but at the times I want to go out a different pace I am sometimes distracted by the audible breathing on the DVD. What's nice about not having the breathing sounds is that with your eyes closed, you can proceed at whatever pace you want. In The Awakening, Donna does most things at a pretty brisk pace, but she says repeatedly to go at whatever pace you find comfortable. So, you can close your eyes and go however fast or slow you wish, and if you really want to know what Donna is doing, you can open your eyes and take a peek!
All in all a good solid session. Vigorous but not too taxing. I felt wonderful afterwards. If you're into kundalini, this one is worth a try. If you're new to kundalini and want to give it a try, I'd suggest maybe starting with a Ravi & Ana video (such as AM/PM or Beginners & Beyond) as they seem to be a little more accessible for the beginner.
Instructor Comments:
Donna is very mellow and talks throughout the session, but she gives good instruction and information. She explains the exercises and their benefits well.
ssgilby
10/25/2006
I have owned this DVD for about 3 months and I have to say it is one of the best kundalini yoga DVD's that I own and I must have almost everything by Ravi & Ana. This DVD most resembles an actual kundalini yoga class. It begins with 3 ong namo gurudev namo chants and ends with the "long time sun" song.
The DVD uses the "awaken to your 10 bodies" kriya. It consists of of 12-14 poses that she goes thru without breaks in between like Ravi Singh does. This set is so great for your upper back and shoulders. First thing in the morning and after work my shoulders are killing me and this relieves the tension. In the beginning of the class she does sun saluations to warm up the body. At the end of the class there is a 3 minute breathing meditation. Get this DVD! It is always good to have a variety of kundalini yoga teachers in your library. You can get the DVD at yogatech.com. She also has a old video called "the challenge" which is pretty good. Google her name to find her website to get the video. Donna is also coming out with a new DVD which she said is a fun and challenging spinal flexibility set. I can hardly wait!
Instructor Comments:
Donna has a wonderful voice and giving spirit. I would love to take a live class from her.
NYYogagirl
07/09/2005
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:04:19 GMT
Kundalini Yoga With Gurmukh
Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
Year Released: 2004
This is a wonderful video! Beautiful outdoor, woodsy setting with Gurmukh on a platform and the class participants on colorful blankets on the ground. The total session runs about 50 minutes and is divided into four sections.
Awake energizes the body and prepares it for the work. Exercises include seated grinding in a circle, spinal flexing, seated twisting, opposite hand to foot while lying on back, seated with hands sweeping up overhead and then down and breath of fire with arms extended out and up.
The Energize section gets the breath flowing the blood pumping! Exercises are done standing and include standing twisting, side bending, bending up and down with hands at chest level, straight leg kicking crossing the midline, "squats" (for lack of a better term) on toes (which is very difficult) and arms at side moving up 15 degrees and down 15 degrees.
The Strengthen section continues with some aerobic type exercises: grabbing (kind of like Taekwondo punches), punching with legs moving back and forth (kind of like a scissor motion), arms extended above head with hands flapping (for the nervous system), standing backbend with slow, deep breathing, standing forward bend with stomach pumping, and then arms extended at sides moving back (into like a backbend) and then forward so torso and extended arms are parallel with floor.
The Relaxation section consists of a Sa Ta Na Ma seated meditation (sa ta na ma is repeated four times with the breath held out) followed by savasana with the gong.
I found this tape to be totally exhilirating and wonderful. I love twisting and dynamic movements and Gurmukh's session is full of them. It will definitely raise your energy and spirits high! Gurmukh encourages you to go faster and faster, but of course, you can work at your own pace.
Unlike Ravi & Ana's sessions, there are very few traditional yoga poses and the exercises aren't broken up with meditations or breathing exercises (other than the ones done in conjunction with the exercises).
I didn't find Gurmukh to be any farther "out there" than Ravi & Ana. Yes, there is talk of "raising the kundalini," "opening the heart," "calming the nervous system," "balancing the right and left sides of the brain," but really nothing I felt to be really weird. If you've done any kundalini at all, nothing will seem strange here. Even if you haven't done a lot of kundalini, I don't think Gurmukh is too "woo woo," but I guess it depends on how much you open your mind to it. Some people may be turned off.
The only word of caution I would have is to those with back or neck issues. Be sure to take it slow and modify or omit any exercises that cause pain or discomfort. I think with common sense, this session is do-able and has something for everyone.
It is a wonderful, wonderful session that leaves me feeling refreshed, revitalized, alive and open! I only wish Gurmukh would give us more of her wonderful kundalini yoga on more DVDs! Thank you, Gurmukh!
Instructor Comments:
Gurmukh is a Sikh, and a lovely youthful-looking woman with a soft voice. She is encouraging throughout the session, urging you on. She explains the purpose of each exercise.
ssg
09/16/2006
Another elegant and visually appealing Living Arts production, this tape features a style of yoga that is something of a departure from the Iyengar based hatha yoga we are used to seeing presented by instructors such as Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden. Like most Living Arts productions, it's beautiful to look at and has really cool music.
The tape is led by Gurmukh, a very youthful looking 50-something yogini who practices Kundalini yoga, which she says is the oldest form of yoga and is associated with the Sikh faith. It's my understanding that Sikh is a relatively young religion, compared to the how old yoga is, so I'm not quite sure where and how this merger takes place, but that doesn't really matter. Gurmukh emphasizes that this yoga is valuable to anyone of any faith.
Of all the yoga tapes I've tried (mostly Living Arts, Yoga Zone, Bryan Kest) this is the one that most emphasizes the energy generating and heart opening aspects of yoga, so if that just sounds way weird, this video probably has too high a "woo-woo" factor for you. There's a lot of talk about opening your heart, transforming your life, and awakening the kundalini, visualized as energy coiled at the base of your spine, and letting that energy move up the spine and through your body. I don't, however, think the average user of this video will really awaken anything other than a decent sweat and an overall feeling of well-being, which is probably a good thing, from my understanding of kundalini energy. There are many who feel that working with this kind of energy can be dangerous if practiced without a teacher, and I am inclined to agree. However, I don't think that this video will "go there", so to speak, and will probably be as safe as any other yoga video for most people to use.
The Workout
Gurmukh and her students are in a beautiful clearing in what looks to be a tropical forest. She is on a sort of bamboo stage with a gong, and her four students are on the ground on colorful woven rugs with palm leaves strewn around them. They all look young, attractive and hip - at least I assume they are hip. As an indication of my un-hipness, I couldn't tell which of the young women was supposed to look like Sarah McLachlan. At the end of the video I noticed the men each only had one name, so I assume that they are very hip also.
Anyway, she starts off with the first of four segments - Awakening. There are no static postures, or even vinyasa (flow of postures). Instead there is lots of rotating, twisting, back-and-forth movements done while seated, and exhaling on one move then inhaling on the next. You're also supposed to chant "sat" on the inhale and "nam" on the exhale, which you will promptly forget to do the minute she stops reminding you to. Gurmukh tells you to keep your eyes closed and rolled up towards your third eye - obviously, you have to open them once and again to figure out what you're supposed to be doing - but once you know, that's where your attention is supposed to be focused. She keeps urging you to go faster, and feel like you are creating your own ride on a carnival. If you go fast enough, you could feel like you're flying - or like you're going to be toss your corn dogs. You might want to ignore Gurmukh at this point and really listen to your body and go at your own pace.
The next segments, Energy and Strengthening, are done standing. She says it's okay to open your eyes for balance, but still keep your eyes rolled up towards your third eye. At this point I was really losing the whole third eye thing as most of my attention kept being drawn to the hamster living on top of our wall unit. The Energy section is more twisting and back and forth type movements, similar to the first section only done standing. There is also some kicking, as well some grabbing movements that a yoga teacher of mine called "prana pulling". Sort of a punch in reverse.
The Strengthening section brings in a more cardio aspect, with some punching and jumping. I found it a little annoying to suddenly have to do a bouncy, impact type activity in bare feet and bra with support suitable only for yoga. Mercifully, it does not last long. There's a bit more movement here with arms above the head, shaking your hands to remove tension from the arms - you will have to be careful not to transfer tension to your neck and shoulders in these sequences.
The Relax segment involves some chanting and seated meditation, followed by the corpse pose which most anyone who has done yoga will be familiar with, However at this point my DD woke from her nap so I spent that section nursing her on the couch while Gurmukh banged her gong. It was still pretty relaxing.
This is a video I want to like and enjoy, and am a little surprised that I don't, very much. It has a lot of elements that appeal to me - movement, energy, some chanting and meditation, yet I find I don't really find it as fun as I think it ought to be. I did feel good after doing this video, but during a lot of the movements I'd get bored and think okay! I'm ready for the next one! In contrast, I don't feel this way during other types of yoga, while holding poses for a long time. So I don't think I'm particularly easily bored most of the time. It might be that there are too many different aspects crammed into it - breathing, meditation, flexibility, cardio, etc etc so on the whole it feels a little unfocused to me.
Nevertheless, I'm going to hang on to this one for a while longer, and revisit it at least one more time. Maybe I was just not in the right mood the last time I did it.
Sophie
05/24/2001
In the intro, Gurmukh explains that she is a Sikh (which is why she wears the turban) and has been practicing this faith *and* teaching yoga for 30 years. Despite her youthful appearance and the voice of a breathy 20 years old, she's 58 years old! They show clips of her teaching various classes and in one she has a gong with the Paiste cymbals company logo--it made me think of my heavy metal youth and the "Paiste is rude" ads in Circus magazine.
Visuals: The 4 twentysomething exercisers are outdoors on blankets with Gurmukh on a shaded platform in front of them. Gorgeous scenery. They're all wearing loose pants of different colors/fabrics and tank tops or t-shirts. One of the exercisers looks like Sarah McLachlan. Gurmukh is in a long cream or white overdress over leggings or a unitard. She has on an embroidered white scarf and a white turban.
The workout itself is divided into 4 parts--Awaken, Energize, Strengthen and Relax. You begin seated and you circle your body around while keeping your butt on the ground, and then spend a lot of time stretching and contracting your spine (kind of a seated version of cat and cow) in time with your breathing. This is not the slow cat and cow--kundalini yoga moves at a rather rapid pace! At first everyone seemed to be going faster than me and Gurmukh kept saying "faster!" and then I'd look at the screen and realize I was now going faster than the folks in the video. It reminded me a lot of children's movement classes. Lots of fast rocking, twisting, and bending moves, all done in time to the breathing.
You move on to standing poses in the Energize and Strengthen sections . At one point you're actually jumping around and punching the air--kind of a taebo-ish thing. It definitely has a cardio aspect. You really don't do any of the poses one usually associates with yoga, except for the corpse pose at the end. I would caution anyone who gets this tape to really follow their own pace and not try to match that of the exercisers--they do some things very fast and I could see a potential for injury with some of the movements. Gurmukh doesn't spend much time talking about form, in fact, at several points she says "Forget about form! Just do what feels right" (or words to that effect.)
The video is beautiful to see--the class participants are all attractive and twentysomething (one looks like Sarah McLachlan). The video is filmed outdoors with carpets on the grass. Of course, you don't see this much because you're supposed to do the entire workout with your eyes closed and rolled up in your head to look at the "third eye." People with low tolerance for this sort of thing may want to steer clear. It's not oppressive, though. I've been taking yoga for several years now and being instructed to "open your heart center" and to inwardly chant "saht" on the inhale and "nam" on the exhale don't bother me.
Renee D
05/13/2001
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:05:00 GMT
Let Us Walk Tall with Kundalini Yoga Nirvair Singh Khalsa Year Released: 2004 (This is my first review!) I'm very interested in kundalini yoga; in fact, I'll be starting kundalini yoga teacher training come September. I'm also interested in more obscure kundalini practices on video--things outside the Ravi/Ana hegemony. I stumbled across this DVD on one of my kundalini yoga sites and decided to give it a try. (You can find it on Amazon--just search by title.) I'm really glad I did; it is a wonderful, gentle practice that is suitable for anyone. Just so everyone is clear--this is NOT Ravi and Ana. It is a slow, meditative practice. Poses are held for at least a minute, usually more. You will not get a "workout" from this practice, so if that is what you want from a yoga tape, skip this. The production values are fine as far as I am concerned, but this is no 'Yoga Shakti'. Also, Nirvair is Nirvair is a true Sikh kundalini yoga teacher who was trained by Yogi Bhajan himself in the very early 1970s. Nirvair's daughter has been doing kundalini yoga her whole life. In other words, these two have impeccable kundalini yoga cred. The music: It's from a CD called "Shanti" by Snatam Kaur. Snatam is the biggest star in the American Sikh chant and kirtan universe. Her voice is lovely. You can hear clips from every track on the CD (including full-length clips of two cuts) by going to www.spiritvoyage.com, and searching for "Shanti." You will notice that during the actual kundalini practice, the music is mixed a bit low, to allow Nirvair to cue over it. During the meditation and relaxation, where there is no voice-over, the music comes to the fore. The set: it takes place in Nirvair's yoga studio in Alaska. During the meditation, there is footage of the Alaska wilderness. The practice: This series of poses was put together by Yogi Bhajan for the purpose of stretching your back and your hips. The DVD container says it is 77 minutes long. For those of you who are into chaptering, this DVD has only two--the exercises and the meditation. This is because kundalini yoga is NOT designed to be mix and match; one is supposed to do all the postures in the prescribed order. It is much like Ashtanga yoga in that regard (although only in that regard!) I have done this practice many times; tonight when I did it, I wrote out the poses. Here they are: A brief intro by Nirvair Tune-in ("Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo" repeated 3 times). Pelvic grinds Extended leg stretch (extend leg out straight, bend other leg at knee and put foot high on inner thigh of extended leg, stretch over extended leg. Repeat on other side) Spinal flex (sit cross-legged, hold above your ankles, arch your spine forward and backward) Wide leg stretch (stretch over leg, hold; repeat on other side) Wide leg stretch, leaning back on your hands, pelvis forward, shoulders back Wide leg stretch to center Legs straight out, feet apart 12 to 18 inches, flop feet slowly in and out Pelvic raises (this is bridge pose) Hip/leg thrust (lay on back, bend knees outward with your feet touching, thrust left leg out at 45 degree angle, about 18 inches off the floor, bring leg back to center, then repeat on right leg, and keep going back and forth) Leg lift (lay on back, lift left leg straight up, with right leg straight on floor. Hold, and then repeat with right leg) Leg lift, both legs (lay on back, lift both legs straight up, hold) Bow pose Half spinal twist (same as seated spinal twist on many other yoga DVDs) Front hip stretch (kneel; bring right leg forward, with knee bent, shin at 90 degree angle to floor. This will stretch left hip flexor. Repeat on left leg) Standing forward and backward bend (bring hands over head, bend backward to your degree, then bend forward. Go back and forth between backward and forward) Sat Kriya--one of the classic kundalini kriyas. It is on many of Ravi and Ana's DVDs. Meditation (The actual meditation posture is: sit in cross-legged pose, hands in gyan mudra (hands on knees, turned up, forefinger and thumb touching) and chant 'Guru Guru Wahe Guru/Guru Guru Ram Das Guru' for several minutes. You will be chanting along with Snatam, and if you open your eyes, you will see scenery from the Alaska wilderness, as I mentioned earler. The kundalini police won't care if you decide to recline on the floor for this one and treat it as a relaxation!) Deep relaxation (you recline on the floor while Snatam sings. This lasts several minutes.) Ending song ("Long Time Sun") and final Sat Nam. I don't know how much this practice will appeal to people on this board, to be honest. It isn't a "workout", you won't sweat, you won't do breath of fire, frogs, or any of the vigorous kundalini poses. But this practice is a gem. Whenever I do it, I feel gently stretched and totally relaxed with a greatly heightened sense of well-being. If you treat the meditation portion as a relaxation, and then add that to the actual relaxation, you are in savasana for *at least* 10 minutes, probably more like 15-much longer than on any other yoga practice I have. I really, really like Nirvair and Siri Pritam. Their vibe is really kind; I feel as if I am in excellent hands with them. Because I have a lot of problems with my back, this is a practice I do a few times a week. I always look forward to it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who takes what I have written to heart and who can appreciate it for its many fine qualities, without expecting it to be something it is not. Instructor Comments: Nirvair introduces the practice and cues the poses in voice-over; his daughter Siri Pritam demos the poses. Nirvair is very gentle and mellow; in his manner, he reminds me of a Sikh Erich Schiffmann! Siri Pritam is refreshingly "normal"--not a super-pretzel type, but quite good at the poses. Betsy 08/29/2006 |
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:05:55 GMT
Mantra Girl Advanced Kundalini Yoga for the Spiritual Warrior
Erin Kamler
Year Released: 2003
I knew Kundalini wasn’t for me, but I decided to try this one anyway to see what all the fuss was about. I was right – this is definitely not my style! This has a lot of very active movements, such as a high jog for several minutes with your arms up, and also a lot of bouncy-type moves. The worst thing about it for me was the MAJOR repetition. It seemed like each move went on forever. I did 32 minutes of it and couldn’t stand it anymore. But – I do admit I felt refreshed afterward. A comment about the DVD itself: there are no chapters at all, not even “menu”.
Annie S.
01/31/2004
First of all this is my first experience with Kundalini yoga. My yoga consists of Power Yoga/Ashtanga.
On that note my first try at it was a wonderful experience! I plan on doing this workout at least once a week..maybe 2 times a week as I felt a newbie at this particular method of yoga. My muscles worked differently then my usual yoga and i have alot of challenges to meet. It was advanced to me for alot of the exercises and I felt alot of strength work was involved...also it had an aerobic feeling for some of the exercises. This is not a 'flow yoga' at all. If you have the Hard Body Yoga it's similar in format meaning you do an exercise repetively..many reps of it as a 'set' before moving onto the next exercise. I have lots of room to grow with this workout and hope to find other workouts similar with great production, music and presentation as this one was!
It is about 60 minutes long, no chapters and I couldn't get a menu to pop up so don't know how to turn the music off option. However I would not want to turn the music off as the music synchronizes very well with the exercises (sets). Think Fit Prime's music. It changes beats or tunes for each set. The music was very pretty and enjoyable. The background setting is outside amongst a grassy area with the ocean (i think it's the ocean) in the background. There are 5 participants including the instructor. The 2 participants in the back row perform the exercises with modifications for lower impact/easier versions of the exercises so even beginners could follow along fairly well. I really like the instructor. She doesn't talk excessively. She quickly explains the exercise, might show a demonstration for the more difficult ones, gets you going into the movement and then she herself is quiet as we complete the reps or hold the pose for a few minutes. I felt the routine moved very quickly...no boring breaks or excessive instruction as you are waiting for the next exercise to begin. She did offer some very brief rest periods such as in downward dog (she calls this triangle) or resting on your belly in between the various bow poses. These brief rest periods were very welcomed from me and at the right moment when you don't think you can go on.
There is no instruction on how to perform the Breath of Fire which she has us do periodically in the workout for some of the exercises. I suppose she explains this in her beginning workout. So I'm just trying to imitate what they are doing. Not sure if I'm doing it correctly yet but I do have to note that I was not dizzy or queasy during the workout but i was afterwards for a few minutes. I felt shaky, my legs felt very worked out. Towards the end you do a fast torso twist and your head twists with your body so that may have been it but from reading other posts in this thread I'm thinking it was the breath of fire which I'm not used to doing. It quickly passed though..after about 10 minutes and then I felt great afterwards!
Below are the exercises in order of how we did them. Please remember that each exercise she does quite a few reps lasting anywhere from about 1-3 minutes. Even the poses you hold as an active stretch you hold it for about 2 minutes. The entire workout phase is about 50 minutes. Then there is a 5 minutes shivasana, spinal twist laying down, spinal rocks for about 5 minutes and the last 10 minutes is all mantra chanting sitting in a crosslegged position. I have never chanted before but I did enjoy listening to the music and following along with their chants. Very pretty and a nice way to relax and wind down from this challenging workout. Okay..now on to the exercises:
) Chanting warmup Meditation (about 2-3 minutes long)
2) Cross legged seated position and do circular torso rotations keeping your torso low
3) Cross legged seated position curving back inward and outward
4) Forward seated bend (holds it or about 2 minutes)
5) Stand up and do slow tempo high jogs with arms out to the sides and hands facing sky and holding first finger and thumb (3 minutes of this)
6) Immediately go into downward dog (she calls this triangle) and then scoop down and up into cobra. You hold the downward dog about 2 seconds and the cobra 2 seconds and then raise back up into downward dog and do this mini combo for lots and lots of reps..very aerobic after the high jogs and uses alot of strength so I was pretty spent after this set.
7) Sit cross legged and stretch one arm out to the side and hold it straight and still for about 2 minutes. Repeat on other side. This was pretty challenging after the downward dog/cobra set. I had to rest my first arm 3 times. My 2nd arm was more rested before we started that side so I could hold it straight the entire time.
8) Body Pulls. You sit in a split straddle and place your hands on the floor in front of your groin and then you raise your torso completely up off the ground (legs too) and back down quickly and repeat this numerous times. One girl couldn't lift her legs up and the 2 in the background just did a mini forward bend. This was very tough. I could only lift my butt up...not my legs.
9) Froggie stands (I made that exercise name up as I don't know the correct terminology) You crouch down into a froggie position and your up on your toes with your heels touching at an angle and then straighten to a forward bend and squat back down. Do this numerous times! ( I think this is in the video clip they have on their website)
10) Sit down on your butt but raise up so your butt is not on the back of your legs then you sit down on your legs and raise back up. It's like you are starting in the camel position but instead of bending backwards you sit down and sit back up.
11) Go into downward dog and hold this position for a couple minutes and do breath of fire
12) Lay on tummy and interlock hands behind your back and raise arms up as high as you can and lift your chest up and hold this for a couple minutes and do breath of fire
13) Lay completely flat on floor on your tummy and legs, then raise your hips up and down.
14) Lay on stomach and alternate legs kicking your butt with breath of fire.
15) Move into the bow position but only grab one foot with both hands and rock back and forth. Repeat on other side and then hold onto both feet in normal bow pose and rock back and forth. This is MUCH harder then it looks! I could only do the rocking motion with both legs up with my hands holding the ankles.
16) Lay on back and lift both legs up and down (works the abs) Keep hands under butt
17) Do the double leg lifts but this time involve arms with raising them up and back behind you and then one arm and same leg at a time
18) Spinal rocks
19) Stand up and sit downs (she says this is tough and looks tough!) As fast as you can you start in cross legged position and stand completely up and then do a little hop/switch of the feet and sit back down crosslegged and do another quick switch of the feet as you raise up and repeat. Do this numerous times. They make it look so easy..HA!
20) Sitting down in cross legged position do torso twists with breath of fire
21) Sitting down cross legged position do fast moving alternating punches with breath of fire
22) Sit on knees, bend slightly forward, stick out tongue and do breath of fire pant
23) Shivasana, spinal twist, spinal rocks and final chanting meditation
Deb R
11/02/2003
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:06:46 GMT
Breathe: Kundalini Yoga with Harijiwan Harijiwan Khalsa I own about 15 kundalini yoga (KY) DVD's. This is the best and most authentic KY class on DVD in the market place. It starts with the opening mantra, ong namo guru dev namo; and the mantra of protection, ad guray namey. He then does the 10 bodies KY set. The setting is a yoga studio with about 10 students. The class taught is an actual KY class. After the set, he plays the gong for about 5 minutes during deep relaxation. This is glorious. Then there is an 11 min. chanting meditation. Wonderful! The class ends with a beautiful rendition of the "long time sun song" If you have never been to a KY class, this is IT! If you have been to a KY class, you will feel right at home. No gimicks, no strange music, no funny lookin sets. Great production by Karma Train! It is not a hard set, anyone can get thru it but you feel wonderful afterwards. You can get the DVD at www.yogabeyond.com When I get to Los Angeles, I will definitely go to his class. GET THIS DVD Instructor Comments: Warm, funny, friendly. His love comes through the DVD. Harijiwan is a direct student of the master Yogi Bhajan who bought Kundalini yoga to the west. NYYogagirl 11/21/2005 My main complaint is Harijiwan breathes very loudly through his nose. It's off-putting. Karla 12/23 |
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:08:52 GMT
Kundalini Yoga for Relaxation
Nirvair Singh Khalsa
First of all, this is like no other yoga tape I own. At first I thought - No! But it did leave me feeling good, in a wierd way.
Part 1 aimed at beginners - around 30 minutes, part 2 - slightly more advanced - around 40 minutes.
OK, so the instructor is rather deadpan and monotone, I kept looking for a change of expression. But when I did part 2, I managed to ignore that. There's a bit of mantra chanting, which is new to me, but is apparently helpful in mellowing out the brainwaves or something - and it did seem to work. The format is wierd to me though, I am used to flows, and this is NOT flow. Neither is it a yoga video made up of asanas in succession, like say Strength and Spirit (see review above) or Kripaly yoga. It;s totally different. Both workouts start off with simple stretches of all parts of the body, held for about 5 seconds each. Then crossed leg sitting cat back and forward in quick succession, and rotations at the waist. Then relaxation. That's part 1. Part 2 is the same but includes longer held floor poses which are more what I'm used to - such as bridge. This bridge though goes up and down quite speedily for about a minute. At the end of both relaxations, you sing a song dedicating the way you feel to someone you love. And partway thru both sections, there's more mantra work.
So - this is definitely NOT for those who don't like woo-woo stuff. I don't mind it, so long as the effect is right:) Can't imagine doing this practice with anyone around though!
Oh - one more thing - I thought the whole thing about Kundalini was the breathing, Breathe of Fire, specifically. There's no mention of it in this tape - there is one small section where you are instructed to sniff the breathe in 5 sniffs and and exhale forcibly, but that's it.
Instructor Comments:
The instructor is rather deadpan and monotonous in tone.
Francesca
11/30/-0001
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:09:36 GMT
Kundalini Yoga Green Energy of the Heart
Ana Brett, Ravi Singh
Year Released: 2013
NOTE: I received a free copy of this DVD to review for the web site Metapsychology.net.
This DVD is the newest release from the husband/wife team of Ravi Singh and Ana Brett. As with their previous videos, Green Energy of the Heart features Ana practicing alone, this time against a plain white backdrop with only a mat adorned by butterflies for decoration, while Ana and Ravi take turns providing voiceover instruction.
The Main Menu of the DVD offers the following options:
*Play DVD
*Chapter Selections
*Design Your Own Workout – Matrix Menu Options
*Matrix Tutorial
Choosing “Chapter Selections” brings up a full list, including times for each segment:
*Tune In, 2:02
*Warm-Up Set 1, 16:39
*Warm-Up Set 2, 7:59
*Green Energy Set 1, 20:16
*Green Energy Set 2, 19:34
*Deep Relaxation, 5:05
*Love Saves the Day Mantra Chant, 4:10
*Closing Prayer, 2:15
*Breath Primer, 4:00
*Cobra/Backbend Primer, 2:12
Selecting “Play All” leads with Ana’s brief intro and flows right into Tune In, a combination of the traditional opening chant “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” and brief meditation to the sound “Sat Nam.” (Additional pauses for meditation occur throughout the practice.) The first warm-up set starts with stomach circles and then immediately becomes more intense via Kundalini chair pose with breath of fire (BOF). Additional postures are standing side bends, standing back bend, forward bend with stomach pumps, and standing rotations. The second warm-up set is also quite active, beginning with a 45-second hold of plank pose. Next is a combination of a kneeling backbend moving into child’s pose, laced arms behind you; this is followed by a wide-legged bow forward in child’s pose. Coming to lying on the back, you’ll reach alternate arms through wide legs. The final posture is BOF while lifting the head with alternate legs/both legs (stretch pose).
The first Green Energy set consists entirely of backbends. Ana begins with several repetitions of cobra pose, coming into a held cobra and then moving the head up and down in cobra. This is followed by sphinx pose with BOF. Next, Ana returns to cobra (option to stay with sphinx pose), this time with bent legs and lifting alternating arms to the front at shoulder level—this is VERY challenging! After a brief rest, Ana repeats the previous posture, lifting arms overhead. Next, she performs locust pose, raising the upper body only with BOF, and bow, adding in an optional rocking motion. Ana transitions to her back by rocking and rests via holding the legs at 90° before coming into wheel pose with BOF, which she holds for 30 seconds (option to lift the pelvis only into bridge). This posture is countered by full seated forward bend with BOF. The last exercise in this section is a crow squat, arms swinging up and down in front with BOF.
Although the second Green Energy set begins standing, overall, it is significantly less intense than the first. Ana starts with a “cross-crawl” move, basically a march alternating arms and knees. This is followed by a long sequence of BOF while standing in place. Ana then assumes horse stance, punching forward to the rhythm of BOF. She concludes the standing work with large arm circles and pumping interlaced hands sternum to navel with BOF. Coming to seated, Ana “plays” her fingers to the tune of sa-ta-na-ma, and she finishes this set with relaxing left nostril breathing.
The second set moves right into a guided relaxation. Ana’s voice gently offers prompts to relax and let go; after several minutes, she cues you to “return to your body.” For the chant, Ana joins in singing “Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wahay Guru” as the words encircle her body on screen. Ana and Ravi go in a slightly different direction for the Closing Prayer segment. As always, they encourage you to wish blessings upon self, someone in your life who needs it, and the world as a whole. However, they skip the final chant of “Sat Nam” (which I missed) in favor of having Ana sing “May the Long Time Sun shine upon you – all love surround you – and the pure light within you – guide your way on” which she repeats three times.
The total practice time for this routine (minus primers) is 1 hour, 16 minutes. Included is a Breath Primer, which is new footage to this release but is similar to prior DVDs in which Ana reviews both long deep breathing and BOF. Also offered here is the Cobra/Backbend Primer, which I found a bit odd: it starts showing a static photo of Ana while providing cues for proper setup of cobra pose, and although there is brief live footage showing Ana moving into cobra, the segment concludes with another static shot of Ana holding the posture.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and challenging routine. For those new to Kundalini yoga, it is important to understand that it differs from what is usually called hatha yoga; it is generally more dynamic, and the Breath of Fire is a unique component. Green Energy does contain more recognizable hatha postures than in some of Ravi and Ana’s previous releases; in that sense, it might be a good crossover practice. However, I would definitely recommend Green Energy for experienced yoga practitioners only, especially given that there are no included pre-sets offering shorter/easier workout selections (although the matrix feature is a nice option if you feel comfortable sequencing your own yoga practice).
Instructor Comments:
It seemed to me like Ana returned to letting Ravi take over more of the voiceover instruction here, but perhaps that was just my imagination. Otherwise, the pair is consistent with their usual style.
Beth C (aka toaster)
03/20/2013
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:10:13 GMT
Kundalini Yoga Solar Power All-in-One Workout
Ana Brett, Ravi Singh
Year Released: 2010
NOTE: I received a free copy of this DVD to review for the web site Metapsychology.net.
This DVD is one of the three newest releases from the husband/wife team of Ravi Singh and Ana Brett. In the same style as their previous videos, Solar Power features Ana practicing alone (against the painted lake scene backdrop used in their last set of DVD releases), while she and Ravi take turns providing voiceover instruction. During her introduction, Ana states that this workout provides “the best of ancient and new.” The exercises, which take place entirely on the floor, focus on the opening the area of the solar plexus. Users will need only a mat (Ana’s is placed vertically) to get started.
The Main Menu of the DVD offers the following options:
*Play DVD
*Chapter Selections
*Design Your Own Workout – Matrix Menu Options
*Matrix Tutorial
*Pre-Set Selections
Selecting “Play All” leads with Ana’s brief intro and then flows right into Tune In, a combination of meditation and the traditional opening chant “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.” This is followed by the first Solar Power set (13 minutes), which begins seated for spinal and neck rolls. The next posture is lying on the back, one leg raised perpendicular to the ground, while performing breath of fire (BOF). Then it’s up to hands and knees for cat/cow, finishing by holding cow pose with BOF. A brief rest in child’s pose turns into “snaking cobra,” a flowing move from child’s to cobra and back again; this series ends by holding cobra with BOF. This solar set concludes seated on the heels, first performing spinal flexes front and back, then spinal twists side-to-side. Solar Power Part 2 (13.5 minutes) starts with some nice hip opening work, including seated cradle; Ana also performs half-lotus forward bend with BOF. Next, she lies back for hip raises (pelvic tilts), moving into a full shoulderstand with BOF and continuing the BOF into plow. The hip raises are repeated, and the segment finishes with abs work: Ana starts in a full lying position and from here rises up into a modified boat pose, repeating at a moderate pace.
The following segment, Set for Super Vitality (7 minutes) continues to target the abdominals. Still lying on the back, Ana brings her straight legs up to a 45-degree angle and criss-crosses them rapidly at the calves; this exercise is repeated once. Next, she performs a “parallel bicycle,” which involves alternately bringing the knees in and out; this move is also repeated. Two BOF exercises, each about 1 minute, conclude this set: for the first, the hands are laced with the arms above the head, and for the second, the arms are bent behind the head, hands on opposite shoulders. A longer set (15.5 minutes) called Awaken Your Senses follows. Ana explains how to hold the hands in a mudra while chugging the arms like pistons and engaging in BOF, but she fails to mention that this exercise continues for about nine and a half minutes! However, Ravi offers encouragement throughout as Sat Kartar sings a mantra in the background (several tracks from Kartar’s A Daily Practice CD are featured on this video). But there’s more: continuing to hold the mudra, Ana moves her arms out to 90-degree angles, holding this position for another 4.5 minutes. This set concludes with a few minutes of quiet meditation.
Finally, it’s time to relax with a nice, long (5 minutes) deep relaxation. Prior to the Closing Prayer, there is a Heart Opening Mantra Chant (Ana sings this in the background of some of the previously-released DVDs); the words are Ra-a, Ma-a, Sa Sa Sa Sat, Hari Har Hari Har, and they provide a very soothing conclusion to the practice. The brief Closing Prayer (1.5 minutes) brings the main practice in at around 65 minutes total. However, following the credits, there is the option to go on to the Breath Primer (6.5 minutes) and the Posture Primer (6 minutes).
Clicking on Pre-Set Selections from the Main Menu produces a sub-menu with these options:
*Quick Set for Beginners (30 minutes)
*Rise & Shine (58 minutes)
*Solar Power Express (50 minutes)
*Spiritual Uplift (63 minutes)
For those new to Kundalini yoga, it is important to understand that it differs from what is usually called hatha yoga; it is generally more dynamic, and the Breath of Fire is a unique component. Kundalini novices are likely to find some of the moves on this DVD to be out of reach, although the Quick Set for Beginners pre-set may be more accessible. As for myself, I tend to practice mainly hatha yoga, but I enjoy incorporating Ravi and Ana’s Kundalini as an occasional change of pace. My favorite Ravi/Ana DVD so far has been Dance the Chakras; to me, Solar Power has a somewhat similar feel in that the exercises are challenging yet doable and that it includes a singing mantra meditation. Solar Power should certainly appeal to existing fans of this husband/wife team, and I would also recommend it to those with some prior hatha yoga experience who are interested in trying Kundalini for the first time.
Instructor Comments:
Those familiar with Ana and Ravi's DVDs know that they lead in a tag-team style. For this workout, Ana is dressed in a bright orange t-shirt that says "NYC" across the front (she wears a different outfit for the meditation at the end). As always, she is joyful and radiant.
Beth C (aka toaster)
12/03/2010
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:10:52 GMT
Kundalini Yoga for Energy & Super Radiance!
Ana Brett, Ravi Singh
Year Released: 2009
NOTE: Like many other VFers, I received review copies of these new DVDs directly from Ana & Ravi.
Kundalini Yoga for Energy & Super Radiance! is one of three new DVDs from the husband/wife team of Ravi Singh/Ana Brett. As with their previous videos, the workout features Ana alone on screen while she and Ravi take turns providing voiceover instruction. However, gone is the plain white studio and the furry little rug; here Ana uses a traditional yoga mat, and she practices on a raised platform, surrounded by columns and against a painted backdrop of a tranquil lake scene.
The Main Menu of this DVD reads as follows:
*Play DVD
*Chapter Selections
*Design your own Workout Matrix Menu Option
*Matrix Tutorial
*Pre-Set Selections
With these new DVDs, Ravi and Ana have offered a Matrix; this option allows you to customize your own workout by selecting any of the chapters in any order (up to 15 total) to create your own yoga practice. Each DVD also has Pre-Set Selections which provide a variety of additional routines. The Pre-Set practices on this DVD are as follows (includes times in minutes):
Quick Time Workout (Also Good for Beginners)(29:00)
A Pretty Tough Workout (Intermediate Level)(63:00)
Total Energy Blast (Highly Ambitious)(1hr,40m)
Here is the Chapter Selection breakdown (includes times in minutes):
*Introduction (1:08)
*Tune-In (1:52)
*Yoga Radiance Warm-Ups (7:12)
*Yoga Radiance Stretching Plus (8:42)
*Energy & Radiance Super Set (17:53)
*Radiance Salutation (9:30)
*Tiger Claws (7:30)
*Deep Relaxation (6:22)
*Solar Power Mantra (11:41)
*Adi Shakti (5:25)
*Closing Prayer (1:12)
*Breath Primer (5:26)
From the Tune-In through the Closing Prayer, the main practice is just over 76 minutes long. In the Warm-Ups, Ravi and Ana include moves familiar from their past workouts, such as stomach grinding. The Stretching segment also included some familiar moves (eg, rag doll), but I loved the fact that Ana does some nice hip openers here as well. In fact, I was really enjoying this practice until we got to the Supersets segment. At first, Ana does comes in and out of a squat position (sort of a moving chair pose), which was fun. However, she then goes through a series of cardio moves very similar to those featured in one of the other new Ravi/Ana DVDs, Kundalini Yoga: Cardio, Stretch, & Strengthen. These moves began low-impact, but then Ana performs 30 seconds of high impact jumping jacks while doing Breath of Fire (BOF); this is repeated several times.
Following the Supersets are two segments which each require A LOT of endurance. For the first, the Radiance Salutation, you start seated on your heels with your hands clasped behind you, then come forward and touch your head to the ground (sometimes known as rabbit's pose); you then continue for about 8 minutes total. For the Tiger Claws segment, you are simply lifting your clawed hands overhead, but you are repeating this movement while performing BOF for over 7 minutes--I was only able to make it about 1/3 of the way through each of these sections. The Solar Power Mantra and Adi Shakti songs (both sung by Ana) are nice, but after the prior two segments, both felt a bit too long to me. Finally, the Deep Relaxation, Closing Prayer, and Breath Primer segments are similar to what Ravi and Ana have offered on their previous DVDs.
A few final things to note. First of all, the font used for the DVD menus, especially the submenus, is VERY small--so small, in fact, that I found it impossible to read the submenu selections on my 13" workout room TV (although when I played the DVD on my computer, the text appeared clearer). Overall, I found this DVD is well-done, but I had mixed feelings about it--i.e., I really enjoyed the warm-ups and stretching segments, which I felt were the most similar to Ana and Ravi's previous work, but I wasn't as crazy about the rest of the DVD. Still, I think this DVD will definitely find lots of new fans and will probably be well-suited to more intermediate-to-advanced kundalini yoga practitioners.
Instructor Comments:
Ana has an extremely graceful on-screen presence, and she does an amazing job of demonstrating the postures--she is seemingly indefatigable, and she always appears to be enjoying herself. She and Ravi do an nice job of sharing responsibility for the off-screen voiceover instruction.
Beth C (aka toaster)
03/15/2009
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Post by Karla on Dec 23, 2023 0:11:30 GMT
Kundalini Yoga: Cardio, Stretch, & Strengthen
Ana Brett, Ravi Singh
Year Released: 2009
NOTE: Like many other VFers, I received review copies of these new DVDs directly from Ana & Ravi.
Kundalini Yoga: Cardio, Stretch, & Strengthen is one of three new DVDs from the husband/wife team of Ravi Singh/Ana Brett. As with their previous videos, the workout features Ana alone on screen while she and Ravi take turns providing voiceover instruction. However, gone is the plain white studio and the furry little rug; here Ana uses a traditional yoga mat, and she practices on a raised platform, surrounded by columns and against a painted backdrop of a tranquil lake scene. In the Introduction to this workout, Ana states that Kundalini Yoga: Cardio, Stretch, & Strengthen provides a complete kundalini yoga practice combined with dance cardio for a fun workout. She recommends that you wear shoes for the cardio portion if you do not have a soft surface available (Ana herself is wearing calf boots laced up halfway).
The Main Menu of this DVD reads as follows:
*Play DVD
*Chapter Selections
*Design your own Workout Matrix Menu Option
*Matrix Tutorial
*Pre-Set Selections
With these new DVDs, Ravi and Ana have offered a Matrix; this option allows you to customize your own workout by selecting any of the chapters in any order (up to 15 total) to create your own yoga practice. Each DVD also has Pre-Set Selections which provide a variety of additional routines. The Pre-Set practices on this DVD are as follows (includes times in minutes):
Beginners Cardio Plus (49:30)—Warm-Ups only; Movement Breakdown plus Cardio
Yoga Only Pre-Set (42:30)—no Cardio
Kundalini Cardio Plus Super Set (49:30)—Cardio plus Extended Dance and Core
Kundalini Yoga Plus Cardio Intermediate (61:00)—both yoga and cardio sets
Here is the Chapter Selection breakdown (includes times in minutes):
*Introduction (1:21)
*Tune-In (1:50)
*Warm-Ups (5:13)
*Stretching Plus Core (15:32)
*Kundalini Dance Cardio Warm-Up Flow and Cardio (15:02)
*Kundalini Dance Cardio Cool Down (3:16)
*Upper Body Tune and Tone (11:39)
*Deep Relaxation (5:17)
*Ek Ong Kar Chant (5:19)
*Closing Prayer (2:43)
*Breath Primer (5:30)
*Dance Movement Breakdown (7:51)
*Extended Dance (21:00)
*Dance with Music Only (10:47)
From the Tune-In through the Closing Prayer, the main practice is just under 72 minutes long. In the Warm-Ups, Ravi and Ana include moves familiar from their past workouts, such as stomach grinding, but also add some new moves, such as swimming. The Stretching Plus Core starts with a long sequence where you sit in half-hero’s pose, bend forward over one leg, and engage in Breath of Fire (BOF). This segment becomes even more challenging with many repetitions of plow pose and then a series in which plow pose flows into a move similar to a half-Pilates teaser. Core Plus includes work on hands and knees, extended yogic sit-up variations, and prone work. The Upper Body segment begins with dolphin push-ups and then moves into more traditional kundalini work for the upper body—i.e., various arm movements performed rapidly while engaging in BOF (this section left my triceps sore the next day!). The chant included at the end of this practice is “Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam, Siri Wahay Guru”; the Deep Relaxation, Closing Prayer, and Breath Primer segments are similar to what Ravi and Ana have offered on their previous DVDs.
One of the things I was most interested in about this new DVD was the cardio portion, as I loved Ravi and Ana’s previous DVD which included cardio, Dance the Chakras (DTC). Some of the moves here do have that same kind of loose, dance-y feel as the DTC dances—for example, the “Shiva Dance” and the “Punching Hip Hop.” On the other hand, there are many different jumping jack variations included as well, so overall, the cardio work is significantly higher impact and more intense than in DTC (although lower impact options are shown). As Ana points out, no move is performed for more than 30 seconds, so the cardio is quite doable. In the Movement Breakdown, Ana reviews each exercise briefly in slow motion. The Extended Dance features the same moves, just more repetitions, and finally, the Music Only option offers Ana dancing to the music with no instruction.
A few final things to note. First of all, the font used for the DVD menus, especially the submenus, is VERY small—so small, in fact, that I found it impossible to read the submenu selections on my 13” workout room TV (although when I played the DVD on my computer, the text appeared clearer). Overall, this DVD is very well-done, but as I was hoping for something more similar to Dance the Chakras, I was a bit disappointed; I didn’t enjoy the cardio segments as much as I’d hoped, and I thought that the yoga sets weren’t as well-rounded as the various other Ravi and Ana DVDs that I have tried. Still, I think that most Ravi and Ana fans are likely to enjoy this DVD, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to them.
Instructor Comments:
Ana has an extremely graceful on-screen presence, and she does an amazing job of demonstrating the postures--she is seemingly indefatigable, and she always appears to be enjoying herself. She and Ravi do an nice job of sharing responsibility for the off-screen voiceover instruction.
Beth C (aka toaster)
03/09/2009
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