Sacred Yoga Practice: Vinyasa Flow Pure Tranquility

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully relaxing for the body AND mind!
Review: Pure Tranquility is a yoga practice designed to prepare you for meditation by relaxing your body and clearing your mind. Even more so than Rainbeau Mars' Beginners video, this is a truly gentle routine--the entire 30-minute practice is performed on the floor. Throughout the practice, Rainbeau reminds you to concentrate on your breathing in order to allow your mind to become focused. She then leads you through a series of gentle stretches, many of which are recognizable from more traditional stretching programs, such as shoulder and tricep stretches. After throughoutly releasing muscles in the upper body, Rainbeau moves on to gentle twists for the lower body, always focusing on opening the hips as well. When the practice ends, it leaves you in a perfect position for continuing in a seated meditation or reclining on the floor for relaxation pose.

Rainbeau comes across as sort of a young, happy, hippy chick. She provides excellent mirrored cuing and is obviously very knowledgable about yoga. This is perfect practice for anyone who wants a very gentle, very relaxing yoga program, but it would also be a great video for those totally new to yoga and wanting to increase their flexibility through very simple yoga stretches. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Soooooooo relaxing!
Review: I love this DVD! Rainbeau gives a very relaxing meditative routine, all on the floor. I use it in the morning and it soothes out the stiffness that many of us acquire as we, er, um, get older. She also stresses not just the physical stretching and opening, but the mental aspect also...she coaxes you into allowing all the troubles and chatter of your mind to fall away. Rainbeau is sweet and earthy, she gives wonderful clear instruction and equally important she helps you to transistion between movements. Some DVDS don't do this. The music and scenery is great too! Enjoy and namaste.

Rating:
Summary: good for beginners only
Review: Setting and instructor are great, and video has a soothing feeling. But, almost all postures are done from a seated position. Even just for relaxation, I like to move around more and get more of a stretch (and I'm a lazy yogini!).

Rating:
Summary: Relaxing, but not much of a workout
Review: The setting is beautiful (Maui) and Rainbow Mars has such a soothing teaching style. I'm a pretty advanced yoga person, however, so this DVD just sits on my shelf. It would be great for beginners or those who need to start very slow with yoga, plus gain the added relaxation benefits.