This is an extremely versatile DVD by renowned yoga instructor Barbara Benagh. She has combined short posture segments into a series of 20 different practices addressing a variety of stress-related conditions, from energizing after a long day to coping with aches and pains to relieving various digestive conditions. The practices, which are slow-moving with a mostly restorative focus, range in length from 15 to 60 minutes, making it easy to fit yoga into even your busiest days. Barbara frequently uses props; in addition to a yoga mat, I would recommend that you have at least one blanket on hand (preferably 2-3), with pillows and an eye bag being optional.
A breakdown of the DVD is listed below. The headings are the items found on the main menu, and the bullets indicate submenu items. The times for each practice are given as they appear on-screen, but I've added times in parentheses based on my own review. I've included brief descriptions of each individual practice.
Discussion of Meditation by HH The Dalai Lama (35)
Interview with Barbara (22)
Beginning and Ending Your Day
* Begin Your Day Slowly, 25m (24.5) - starts slowly on the floor and gradually moves into more active postures, including sun salutations
* Wake Up! 60m (58) - nice, slow flow combining seated breath work, sun salutation/standing postures, and seated forward bends
* Evening Revival, 40m (35.5) - starts in child's pose and moves on to standing postures and then shoulder/back stretches on the floor
* Letting Go of the Day, 40m (37) - a series of floor and restorative postures, including reclined cobbler's, supported child's pose, and seated forward bends/twists
* Insomnia Series, 35m (36) - relaxing postures to help prepare for sleep; starts with simple standing poses and moves on to seated forward bends, supported cobbler's and child's pose, and legs-up-the-wall
Neck, Shoulder, and Back Issues
* Easing Neck & Shoulder Tension, passive, 20m (19) - a series of reclined postures allowing passive relaxation of the neck and shoulders
* Easing Neck & Shoulder Tension, active, extended, 30m (29) - more active stretches of the neck, shoulders, and upper back from both seated and standing positions; ends with legs-up-the-wall
* Lower Back Tension, 35m (35.5) - reclined and prone postures to open up the back
* Hip Pain (SI Joint), 25m (36) - a series of gentle hip-opening postures including reclined leg stretch, open half lotus, and prone postures
* Tension Headaches, 45m (44) - a combination of sequences from both the passive and the active neck and shoulders segments above; ends with legs-up-the-wall plus a lengthy relaxation
Easing Your Mind
* Breathing Exercises to Calm the Mind, 15m (15) - a slowly moving series of different breathing techniques while lying
* Restorative Poses for Relaxation, 15m (13.5) - three simple postures to facilitate deep relaxation (supported cobbler's, heart opener, legs-up-the-wall)
* Deep Rest, 20m (18) - reclined breathing combined with a lengthy relaxation segment
* Mood Uplift, 30m (32.5) - offers a combination of calming and more active postures, starting with standing postures and moving to supported bridge and supported heart opener
* Serenity in Stillness, 35m (40.5) - combines elements of the digestive, hips, and neck practices; my favorite so far, especially with the supported bridge
* Anxiety Relief, 50m (40) - focuses largely on breathwork to calm the mind; also includes prone poses, reclined twist, and supportive postures
Stomach and Digestion Issues
* Constipation, 25m (27) - gentle prone postures to stimulate the stomach combined with standing and seated twists
* Improve Digestion, 30m (28.5) - sun salutations plus standing and seated twists; ends with half shoulderstand
* IBS, 30m (26.5) - starts with reclined breathwork and moves on to seated forward bends; ends with half shoulderstand and legs-up-the-wall
* Diarrhea & Indigestion, 30m (25) - nice series of gentle supported postures to open the upper back and release the stomach, ending with supported bridge and legs-up-the-wall; another favorite!
One final important note is that not all of the practices end with the traditional relaxation pose, or savasana: some conclude with legs-up-the-wall pose, others end in a relaxed seated position. Overall, this is an excellent yoga DVD well-suited to a wide range of practitioners, from those fairly new to yoga to more experienced yoginis like myself. Highly recommended! Yoga for Stress Relief
I have to confess I had become a lapsed Hatha Yogini. After years of practice, a few intervening accidents and life intervened and my Hatha Yoga practice was sacrificed in the caldron of daily life.
While I was aware of my body absorbing the toxins of people's nasty attitudes, violence on TV and in the newspaper,etc, I chose to persist in the exingencies of my work and studies ignoring the calls of my ailing body.
In that my work and study centers around stress relief and I am a student of the Dalai Lama, I decided to check out this video.
In my experience this is one of the best yoga videos among the now 1,055 yoga videos now listed on Amazon. It combines meditation instructions from the DVD A Path to Happiness by the Dalai Lama and a host of stress relief combinations from gentle awakening to more vigorous awakening to working on what malady our bodies are using to signal us that we are out of balance.
The instructions are clear and concise without undue explanation. (For students who seek more understanding of the poses, the videos of Rodney Yee, Patricia Walden, John Friend and many others are out there.)
The instructions are for the average person. There are no Sanskrit names. There is excellent attention to proper alignment, appropriate focus and attention and use of props. Her breathing instructions are the best that I have heard from any yoga instuctor.
As I practiced these routines I could literally feel toxins depart, my stiffness start to leave and my "energy" flow more freely.
This is the video of a seasoned Hatha Yoga instructor and practioner and yoga practioner. If you want to learn complex advanced poses and their Sanskrit names, don't buy this video. If you want to detoxify, and restore balance to your life, this is the video for you. - Back Pain - Meditation - Stress Relief - Yoga'
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