A 70-minute flow Yoga session, slowed down and modified for a beginner's pace. As you might have guessed from the title, Shiva Rea instructs.

Yoga enthusiasts who are new to flow, but at the advanced beginner stage in general. Being at least a little flexible will help. You will need a mat.

An occasional problem I've found with so-called "beginner's" workouts is that the instructor is so advanced that it seems like she's forgotten what it's like to really be a beginner. And while I'm no beginner, I try to stay mindful of this when I write reviews. Although this DVD has "beginners" in its title, that doesn't mean it's for people who are new to Yoga. As you can probably tell from her name, Rea is an authentic Yoga instructor, not a fitness celebrity who decided to pick up Yoga as a sideline, and she has been practicing since she was 14. She often uses Sanskrit terms for the Yoga poses, or gives them creative but unfamiliar names, which might be a little confusing. To make the most out of this DVD, you need to be familiar with Yoga, but not dogmatic about it, a little flexible but not bent on having a fast-moving session. Rea moves very slowly throughout the poses; if this bothers you, you probably need this more than anyone else, but that doesn't mean you will actually stick with it! It's really best for people who think other flow routines move too fast for them to really experience a pose; Rea will give you the space and instruction to do that. The outdoor scenery is beautiful and peaceful and the workout is divided into four basic sections. Rae starts you off with Ujjayi breathing and wakes up your spine with simple movements like Cat-Cow and Cobra; next up are a flowing backbending sequence, more back stretches and a standing flow routine. She ends with an all-too-quick Shavasana at the end (she goes through everything else so slowly, so why does she whip through this all-important section?). While Rae does try to keep it simple, it's clear from her instruction (more esoteric and focused on energy movement than in exact physical placement) that there's a bit of a learning curve before you might really be able to appreciate this DVD and make the most out of it.

 

 

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment