Yoga Shakti

Rating:
Summary: Great routines, innovative personal options
Review: Great idea for a yoga video. The background music is way too loud. It drowns out the voice instructions. You cannot have this playing without disturbing others in the next room. I hope they fix that in the future. Otherwise it is excellent.

Rating:
Summary: ditto with everyone else
Review: I am raving about this being the absolute best yoga media prouction available today, and I own over 20 yoga tapes, dvds, etc. Shiva conveys the essense of yoga with pranayama (breathing), vocalizations, quiet strong intent, technical superiority, and everything everyone else has already said. This was not produced just to get something out on the market to stroke someone's ego. This production comes from Shiva's heart, and the TLC it took to put this together shows through. A shining piece of yoga work that anyone would benefit from.

Rating:
Summary: Great scenery and features.
Review: I haven't done this yet but just got it home tonight and watched it and i'm feeling a little intimidated. I feel like I can only dream of ever being able to do the arm balances and backbends but I suppose I will use it as inspiration to try and reach that goal. It's definitely 5 stars for the overall scenery and features although her voice does seem drowned out sometimes by the music. I am pretty new to flow yoga and am just getting back into an exercise routine so I feel like this will definitely be a great DVD to grow with for a long time, once I figure out how to do it.

Rating:
Summary: Tough...or gentle
Review: There are flows on here that are much more strenous --and poses much more difficult-- than those in any of the Power Yoga type DVDs I've used (Baptiste, Kest, Eoin Finn, Rodney Yee). Yet you can select your own workout and make it very gentle if you like--the "lunar" flows are very gentle and relaxing.

The downside of this DVD is that the filming and her verbal cues occasionally leave you craning your neck at the screen when you're first learning the different flows (and there are many so learning them takes a while).

Yet when you can see what she's doing and when she does tell you clearly (95% of the time), her instruction is excellent and this seems like the perfect DVD to use to work into the inaccessible poses which the ordinary Power Yoga DVDs leave you to dream about (most DVDs just give a selection of the accessible-but-strenuous poses from the Primary and Secondary Series and leave you to never know how to reach the inaccessible poses). She is also very encouraging, which is nice.

On the whole, this is the best DVD out there. As other reviews have noted, the variety alone (through the "Matrix" seclection option) is really useful. Combined with David Swenson's (not available through Amazon) DVDs one would have all they needed.


Rating:
Summary: Must-have !
Review: This DVD is a must-have for anyone interested in growing their yoga practice at home. It is more than an instructionnal video, it is a work of art, in which the creators have put a lot of heart and soul. You just have to try it for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning! (but a few minor complaints...)
Review: This is a stunning yoga videa. I don't want to repeat what everyone else has said. I did want to note two things which surprised me, that I have only seen mentioned very briefly in the previous reviews but which some people might be bothered by:

1. My disc 2 had some sort of glitch which rendered it "unreadable" by my DVD player, but only some of the time. There were no problems with disc 1, and there is nothing supremely essential about disc 2, just interviews and extra poses, but nevertheless, I am returning my original copy and will probably order a replacement later on when I get truly sick and tired of the Behl DVD currently in rotation.

2. Due to the structure of the "yoga matrix" which is a terrific feature to have in constructing your own yoga routine, there is a strange disjuncture to the practices. Although I thought Rea was terrific in giving modifications to her poses, and her overall instruction and technique were flawless (hence my five-star rating), it was nevertheless jarring as the supposed "flow" of the routines were separated by long pauses and a white screen. I'm sure it's something you will get used to, and since this DVD has so much to offer, it is a very tiny complaint, but I thought I would mention it so that you can weigh this against all the other wonderful things the DVD has to offer.

Rating:
Summary: The complete package!
Review: This is a wonderfully motivating and comprehensive DVD. It has pranayama, meditation and asanas (poses). I particularly enjoy creating my own practice using the "Yoga matrix" which allows you pick and choose what you want to do (great idea). I also like that you can choose music only, which by the way is terrific, or you can choose the music/instruction mix. Shiva Rea is an inspiration and the backdrop for the DVD is beautiful. Between Shiva, the beach, the music, the yoga matrix, and intelligent sequences, this DVD has it all. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Intense workout - not a complete beginner's DVD
Review: This is an awesome DVD if you are into flowing ashtanga/power yoga type workouts. The flow is fast, but not as fast as ashtanga, but there are pauses between workout segments (may help you catch your breath/regain your composure). This DVD is broken down into four workouts. The first is the basic workout last for about 45 minutes, it is good for an experienced beginner (1+ year of experience), the second and third are closer to 90 minutes each and have alot of intermediate to advanced arm balances in them (e.g. crow pose, forearm balance, handstands, arm pressure pose, and many others). The first 90 minute series is geared towards hip and should opening, while second is geared towards back bending. Both are very challenging, but Shiva does a nice job of demonstrating modifications/stages for difficult poses. There is also a lunar flow which has more restorative poses (about 75 minutes long) and is great when you don't feel up to either of the 90 minute flows, but want something more challenging than the basic flow. You also can create your own workout. The DVD includes 30 different vinyasa flow workouts and you can arrange into your own workout to last from 15 minutes to 2.5 hours.

This DVD compares well in terms of level of difficulty and amount of sweat as it relates to ashtanga. Shiva Rea has an ashtanga background and it shows, when she performs jump throughs and jump backs (for you ashtanga folks out there, her jumps are very floaty), as well as her ability to perform a lot of the poses I've seen in the various ashtanga series. Almost anyone (barring with either more than 5 years of experience or a flat out contortionist) would find doing either of the 90 minute segments with the full versions of advanced poses difficult. Before practicing with this DVD, please watch it first. You need to be able to anticipate a little bit what comes next, because some of the poses are advanced, and you don't want to miss the modification or break the flow. With that said, this is an excellent DVD. A person could use this DVD for a long while by rotating these workouts to work on different things on different days, and that's before you start creating your own workouts. If you are looking to go to take your yoga practice to the intermediate or advanced level, then this is the DVD to buy. This is the first DVD I have purchased by Shiva Rea, but it won't be the last.

Rating:
Summary: Endless possibilites for a varied home practice.
Review: This video is designed for those with some yoga experience. Choose a moderate to extremely advanced workout. This video breathes the heart of yoga. Wonderful scenery, beautiful sequences, I can't say enough about this video. Thank you Shiva, Om Shanti.

Rating:
Summary: The perfect yoga video
Review: This video is not just a workout or two that you will pop into your DVD player now and again. Instead, it is a DVD that allows your practice to grow and evolve, and could easily be the only yoga DVD you own. It offers several options for each part of a practice session, so you can modify your session to your level, time constraints, and interest. The "Yoga Matrix" is not a gimic, but a terrific tool that makes this DVD much more valuable than most.
I also find the tone of this DVD to be perfect, striking a balance between the extremely spiritual and the strictly athletic. Poses are presented with their sanskrit names, and there is a sense that yoga is more than a physical workout. On the other hand, the spiritual side won't overwhelm or intimidate. It offers a gentle suggestion that there might be more to yoga than excellent abs, without feeling pushy or "out there".
Shiva Rea is someone who taught and wrote on yoga long before it became fashionable. She is one of the big names in yoga without having that Yoga Star air that I've found annoying on some other DVDs. She knows her stuff, presents it gently and accurately, and seems to have made it a priority to create a DVD useful to people who want to develop a strong yoga practice.
Truly, if you buy one DVD, this is the one. It will keep you busy and interested for months.