Product Description
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A superb introduction to one of the most beneficial and
rewarding forms of yoga
Flow yoga, also called vinyasa yoga, combines flowing movement
with rhythmic breathing for a dynamic mind-body workout. Like a
moving meditation, flow yoga unites mind, body, and breath. Your
mind clears, your body calms, even as your pulse quickens.
Renowned and innovative flow yoga teacher Shiva Rea leads this
introductory practice, filmed amid breathtaking scenery on the
Hawaiian island of Kauai. She begins with a seated mediation that
teaches you how to link breath with movement. Three more segments
introduce her flowing approach to classic poses. Transitions from
pose to pose are graceful and easy. You may not have Shiva's
flexibility (yet), but you can follow her lead in ways that work
for you. Feel yourself becoming stronger and more supple. Sense
your new energy and find the fluidity that has always been yours.
.com
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The title, Flow Yoga for Beginners, is slightly oxymoronic, as
"flow" yoga, at least as practiced by many yogis and yoginis, is
by its very nature more aerobic, vigorous, and difficult than the
yoga undertaken by most beginning students. But leave it to Shiva
Rea, whose growing series of home videos is arguably the best on
the market, to reconcile those two disparate factors--for the
most part, anyway. Rea defines the flow concept as "the ability
to move freely in an unbroken string of awareness"; in more
pedestrian terms, its a continuous sequence of poses, one moving
freely and naturally to the next, which tends to generate heat
and deepen control of the breath. The breath, specifically ujjayi
pranayama, is the centerpiece of Reas introduction to this
70-minute program; her instructions in the use of this basic but
hard-to-explain technique are excellent. Thereafter, she spends
about 20 minutes on backbends (from simple standing and lunging
backbends to poses like cobra, bow, locust, and camel, which can
be very challenging for inexperienced students); this segment
also includes a few twists. Next, the "Relaxing Flexibility Flow"
sequence consists mostly of counterposes such as the "happy baby"
and badakonasana (cobblers pose), while the "Standing Pose
Flow," the longest and best of the lot, focuses on poses
including and derived from virabadrasana II (aka warrior II), one
of the common standing positions. Its all good, but while Rea
provides detailed instruction and simpler variations for many
poses, genuine beginners would do well to study the program
closely before attempting it; and even then, poses like
chaturanga dandasana (a lowered pushup) are rarely taught in
beginners classes, even in their easier versions. As for the lush
Hawaiian scenery, well, great, but the practice of hatha yoga
ultimately depends on going inside, even to the point of doing it
with eyes closed. Still and all, while its not quite up to the
standards of Shiva Reas other videos, Flow Yoga for Beginners is
a winner. --Sam Graham
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Review
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Teaches in a way that promotes fluidity, experimentation and joy
through movement. -- Everything Yoga blog
The best instructional yoga DVD I've ever come across thus far --
Amy Sew Crafty blog
Winner -- magazine's America's iest Buys award -
fitness DVD -- Magazine
You'll clear your mind while working your muscles! -- People.com
(People magazine)
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