I was so glad to get another new Shiva DVD less than 5 months since her last one. This DVD was filmed in Kauai , Hawaii as well as her next DVD's to be released this year and next year. This practice is aimed for beginners but everyone can enjoy it , the whole DVD is 70 minutes and has 4 segments (and savasana) that can be done seperately:
1. Foundation Flow - approx 14 min, Shiva starts with some breathing exercises on a rock near a beautiful waterfall and continues with simple poses like cat , cobra and some variations.
2. Beginner's Backbend Flow -approx. 20 min, there is a change of scenery and Shiva is in a beautiful garden with a lot of trees near a lake.
It is actually mainly standing poses - she prepares you for backbends in this practice with some lunge variations , chair with twists ,side bends, half splits and cobra variations and finally bow and camel. This segment might be quite challenging for true beginners but she shows easier modifications for most of the poses so it's definitely doable.
3.Relaxing Flexibility Flow - approx. 10 min , Shiva does simple stretches on the back , very similar to "supine poses" segment in Yoga Shakti it ends with a forward bend (badhakonasana) , it was very relaxing.
4. Beginner's Standing Pose Flow - approx 23 min . now she's at the beach , the clip from Amazon is taken from this segment and it is dark here too not just in the clip , it was probably shot at dusk. This is really a seperate practice cuz there is no sense of getting up for another energizing practice after the relaxing segment. It is a more challenging vinyasa that includes warrior 2 variations and some more backbends.
Too bad there is no matrix , because this segment is just stuck between the previous segments and the savasana ,it would be nice to do it before or after the second segment but since there are only a few chapters I guess it's not such a big deal to skip between them with the remote.
This segment also ends with a very short savasana , barely 2 minutes, which is another minor complaint but all in all I really enjoyed this practice and felt really stretched out , I can't wait for her next DVD's to come out. Shiva Rea: Flow Yoga for Beginners
'No yoga experience necessary' proclaims the box. 'Score!' I think. 'I know squat about yoga, so this should be perfect!'
What they don't mention is that this isn't necessarily for people not already rather fit. Each segment requires a certain level of endurance and strength that many rank beginners just don't have. She does make some modifications, but the moves remain difficult, sometimes prohibitively so. Also, despite the proclamation on the box, it seems as though some foreknowledge of yoga is in fact necessary. Some moves are cued by name rather than by description, which makes the first few viewings difficult to follow.
Overall, I can't really say that I recommend this to beginners in general. Fit beginners, maybe. Advanced beginners in yoga, sure. Not so much everyone else. I wish I could like this DVD, as the scenery is lovely and Ms. Rea obviously knows her stuff, but I just can't get far enough into it to make it worth my while.
I was overwhelmed as a beginner so I can understand the complaints some other reviewers have with this DVD. However I would like to add that vinyasa, or flow yoga, is a quite challenging form of yoga, not usually recommended for beginners. I think that Shiva Rea does very well in introducing this form of yoga to those unfamiliar with it. I really love the DVD, music and presentation, so I went back to it after using the Giam beginner yoga DVDs for a few weeks. At that point it was not completely unreasonable to attempt the flows in this program- especially with all the variations she introduces to make it less physically challenging. I have favorite moments in the program and find it very easy to navigate to them because the DVD is broken down into 5 sections. I have Rhumatoid Arthritis and yoga practice has helped me with my pain, but some days are better than others, on bad days I just do one flow. I like that this DVD gives you the option to do that. I would recommend this to a beginner as long as you try this as maybe your second DVD, and the real "beginner" ones get old fast.
I think it is important to note that this is a beginners guide to Vinyasa Flow Yoga, not your average beginners guide to yoga. I think that is the misconception here when reviewers note that this is not for beginners, it actually is. Shiva Rea is a world famous Vinyasa Flow or Flow Yoga instructor, she is one if not the best. Vinyasa Flow basically means "one breath, one movement." It is one of the many different types of yoga. I receommend before purchasing any yoga DVD, know what type of yoga you are interested in, educate yourself so you won't be disappointed or overwhelmed. Vinyasa Flow is not your basic yoga stretching. It is creative movement and yes, you are constantly moving it seems, it is considered part of the Astanga family. If that is what you are interested in, then this is the DVD for you, look no more. As stated above Shiva is one of the best, she is very precise in her teaching, after you finish this DVD, you will feel relaxed and renewed and your prana will be flowing.
I love my other dvd by Shiva Rea (Yoga Shakti) so I ordered this one for my beginner friend. I did it once through before I gave it to her and can't say I like it as much. It almost feels like it goes out of order? It is set in a beautiful location, which always helps! - Yoga - Flow Yoga - Vinyasa Yoga - Beginners Yoga Dvd'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
