Rea Shiva: Daily Energy Vinyasa Flow Yoga

I am relatively new to yoga and love it. I think it is the best all-around exercise that exists. I have attended a couple of classes and have 2 or 3 videos. I also have checked out various books from the library on yoga. I find all resources helpful. I had not seen any of Shiva Rea's videos until I bought this one, and according to the reviews this is the best yet. I love this video. I find some of the segments extremely challenging, but instead of discouraging me, she makes me feel that I could actually become as good as she is one day. After all, she's been at it for many years. The matrix is great, because it lets you select what you want to work on. I haven't even tried the preset practices, because I feel I can make my own combinations on the matrix. Shiva Rea is extremely limber. Watching her, you might think you could never be that flexible, but the way she progresses from one asana to another, you continually work to your edge. After about 2 weeks of doing this video (not every day), I already see a big difference in my ability to stretch, and I had already been doing stretch exercises for some time. Somehow, the way she leads you through it, you don't notice the pain as much. For the first time I understand what yoga practitioners mean by being "in the present", about focusing on your breathing. It is truly liberating, because it means your not just lying or sitting there in a stretch position thinking, "Ow. This hurts. How soon can I get out of this position?" Also, I'd like to add that her voice is excellent for this type of video. I have many exercise videos, and very few of the instructors' voices bother me, but hers is exceptionally soothing. It is low and calm. I usually have to exercise while my husband is trying to sleep, and because her voice is so low-pitched, I don't feel nervous about the t.v. waking him up like I do with some of my other videos. The music is perfect, too. It's not distracting, but rather is perfect for background. The video would be less appealing without it. I suppose this might not be the best video for a total beginner, but I have very little experience and it works well for me. Once you know the basic asanas or poses, you can do this. I don't say you can do every bit of each segment, but that is the beauty of it. You push yourself to do just as much as you can, and it's amazing how much more you can do each time you practice. I am really inspired. Ever since I started yoga, I've thought that I'd like to be an instructor one day, but thought I'd never be good enough. This video has inspired me. I'm thinking, though it may be years, that one day I'll be able to do this well enough to teach others who want to learn it. This video is worth the investment. Oh, and just as an aside, I was influenced by the plug for this video in last month's Fitness Magazine.

I have several yoga dvd's, my favorites being Brian Kest, Alan Finger (Yoga Zone), Ali McGraw with Erich Schiffman. I also enjoy working out to the old "Inhale" yoga program with Steve Ross that ran on Oxygen Network. I have one other dvd by Shiva Rea, the Beginner's Flow Yoga. I really liked that one, the moves were different, but made me feel great and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery in her dvd. I then tried her Fluid Power, Vinyasa Flow. I liked a lot of the moves, and the idea of being able to put many combinations together was what drew me, but she was a little, um, well....a little too "outside the box" for my taste, lots of free form dancing around when I really just want to do my poses. So, instead of purchasing this item I tried it from the library first. I loved it and came back to purchase it after I had worked through the preset routines and doing my own customized routines from the yoga matrix function. Again, beautifully filmed, great flow sequences with enough poses that were familiar and that I have gotten proficient at, and a few that I still work toward to make me feel challenged. None of the strange mystical dancing around, just good yoga. I would say this dvd is more intermediate than beginner.I have tried the yoga matrix, which is a breakdown of all the different elements that you can choose from, from morning to evening meditations, and several different workouts from those that deal more with balance, stretching, backbends, forward bends, etc. You add what you like, including a nice stretch called Shanti and then you can end with Shavasana. I really enjoyed this because it allows me to fit yoga into my day. I can choose a stretch, core workout (7 minutes of great core exercises) or forward bends at the end of the day that will help me sleep. I can choose items that fit into my early morning work-out without having to do an hour's worth of yoga if I don't have the time.I have also used the work-outs that are already set and I liked those as well, when I don't really want to decide on a custom workout, I just pick one and go.My husband, who enjoys yoga for the stretching it gives him really loved her daily energy flow and felt it really relaxed his back and his hamstrings and he felt that the flow yoga was much more his style, so we are both very happy with this one.If you have tried Shiva Rea before and found her too "dance-like", you will not find that on this dvd, or on her Vinyasa Flow for Beginners. Both are excellent. The one area that I did feel I should draw attention to is that I did seem to need to look up a bit more often to make sure I understood what she was saying/doing. Other than that though, a very good practice, beautifully shot and a great way to fit yoga into your day, whether it is during the day or evening.

I like the body weight training and stretching of yoga as an exercise, but I have no interest in the spiritual aspects of yoga, hence my lack of interest in this DVD.

Ho dato 5 stelle perché avevo scelto Shiva Rea per caso e comunque ha superato le miei aspettative,pratico la yoga da un po di anni e quindi,cercavo qualcosa abbastanza advanced,con questo dvd ho fatto centro,dvd fatto molto bene,ci sono 7 programmi ogni uno di 20 min.in più un po di bonus come meditazione di 2-3 tipi,relax e un paio programmi di durata 7-10 min.Vederla a fare la yoga e già un piacere,figurati a fare insieme a lei.Consiglio fortemente Shiva Rea anche a quelli che vogliono iniziare a fare la yoga,magari prendendo un dvd per beginner.Spero di essere stata di aiuto.

I love the video.It is most definately NOT a beginner yoga video.I enjoy Shiva's unique twist (no pun intended) on yoga. I would strongly recommend those that have not done yoga before,take her advice and start with only 10min a day. I was a little over zealous and did 40 minutes and then had difficulty walking for a few days.I enjoy her dialogue, the music, the setting. I do find it a bit difficult to follow as she often doesn't tell you when she's moving into the next move, and it's pretty hard to continually watch the tv.A bit more feedback from her on how to modify the moves would be nice too. She has been doing yoga since the age of 14yrs and I definately can't come even close to her flexibility.All in all, I enjoy the video. I feel that I am getting a good work out at the same time.I just wouldn't recommend this video for someone who has never done any other yoga classes/videos

Ich hab zahlreiche Yoga-DVDs (Maya Fiennes, Qbi, Karven, Missingham, Ho-Kim) & diese bereichert meine Sammlung ungemein!Die Matrix ist so toll, man kann wählen zwischen abgestimmten Yogasequenzen mit unterschiedlichen Schwerpunkten und Längen oder man waehlt im Baukastensystem aus, was ich persoenlich bevorzuge, ich übe täglich mindestens 30Minuten. Hab ich bisher so nicht erlebt, sehr individuelles Training möglich!Enthalten sind:2 kurze Meditationen (sinnvoll zum Runterkommen zum Beginn der Praxis)7 20minuetige Sequenzen mit verschieden Schwerpunkten1 Bauchtraining 5Minuten1 Vorbeugensequenz 5MinutenShavasana 5MinutenIch fühle mich nach dem Ueben entspannt & ausgeglichen & gefordert. Trotzdem würde ich jedem Anfänger einer Kurs vor Ort immer empfehlen, ich bin fortgeschritten & trotzdem möchte ich weder die Tipps & Hinweise noch die Bereicherung durch meine Yogalehrerin missen!Das einzige was mich stört, wenn den Asanas andere Namen gegeben werden Kindeshaltung wird hier Weisheitsposition genannt.Und die Synchronsprecherin finde ich gut, lieber entspannt als hektisch, wirkt auf mich nicht ermüdend.Aber ich werde wohl auch lieber die Originalstimme in Englisch fürs Ueben wählen - oder irgendwann ganz ohne Anleitung, nur mit der wunderwunderwunderschoenen Musik begleitet :-)))Ich werde sicher weitere Shiva Rea DVDs kaufen.Namaste

マトリックス方式になっているので、その日の状態によって選択できるので、とても良いです。激しいモノから、リラックス系モノ、があります。１回目は、結構きつく感じましたが、慣れてくるとだんだん心地よくなってきました。骨盤、股関節周りが解れる、メニューが特に気持ちいいです。毎度のことながら、シヴァさんの、美しさにうっとりします。