Ana Brett and Ravi Singh

[ckatgo]

Greetings Everyone!

I am new to the boards, but not too new to yoga and I wondering if anyone had any experience with Ana Brett and Ravi Singh's videos? The reviews on amazon all speak very positive, but frankly, not to be harsh, the cover of them is a little cheesy and I was wondering how serious of a practice they could be. I live in an area that the quality of yoga classes is not that great so I depend on videos pretty heavily and would hate to invest in getting one shipped to me only to find out it is not that good.

Thank you in advance, its is nice to find this board.

Kat

[JakeS]

I personally haven't tried them, but I would recommend seeing if you can find it at the public library. It's a good free way to try before you buy. Since taste in yoga videos seems to be pretty diverse and dependent on personal taste, this is my preferred approach.

Jacob

[madeline_sweet]

Would it be possible for you to check the video out at the Library first? My library had the Kundalini Yoga video with Brett and Ana - so I put it on hold, and was able to "try before I buy." i thought it was EXCELLENT - although I'm not sure the Style of Kundalini yoga is what I'm after at this point in my practice. Hence the reason I did not purchase the video.

One of my FAVE yoga videos is the MTV yoga video with Kristin McGee! I KNOW! I can't believe it, but it's true. It's pretty "serious" and not very light-hearted {and I prefer my yoga to be FUN!} but I like the routine very much and I like the pace. The cast is one of the girls who was on the Real World - and actually, some of her hand motions and speaking style is a bit distracting, but over-all, this is the video I reach for again and again.

i'd REALLY like to try the yoga journal volume 3 for balancing poses!

[MBelleK]

You can also type in "Ana Brett" on youtube.com and see some clips!

I just broke down and got "Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond" which is supposed to be the top rated yoga DVD on Amazon... I'm trying it today and will post more about it after!

[fairydancer]

Hi Kat,

i have been doing Ana Brett & Singh's DVD's for 6 months. I really like them. I have Beginners & Beyond, Fat Free Yoga, and Yoga Beauty Body, Ultimate Stretch, and Dance the Chakras. I plan to get more of the series.
I have done yoga for a few years, mostly hatha and Iyengar and this type of yoga was a revelation to me because, though it contains many of the same hatha poses, the combine the poses with movement and with breath techniques and I can really feel my energy moving fhrough my body. It kind of feels like a workout from the inside out.
They have a high fun factor and great music which I like as well.
The best thing to do is get it from the library if you are uncertain. I got my first one on Amazon based on the reviews there and found the reviews to be pretty accurate.
Jenna

[fairydancer]

I would love to hear how you liked Beginners & Beyond. It is one of my favorites with all the stretchy, twisty, spinal work.

[InnerAthlete]

Cannot speak to the series you mention as I have no personal experience with it. However I recommend either Patricia Walden or Judith Lasater when new folks ask for sound yoga teaching through the medium of DVD.

[MBelleK]

Originally Posted by InnerAthlete

Cannot speak to the series you mention as I have no personal experience with it. However I recommend either Patricia Walden or Judith Lasater when new folks ask for sound yoga teaching through the medium of DVD.

Does that mean that its 'safe' or 'okay' to learn Kundalini yoga via DVD or home instruction?

I've heard that one should not practice without a qualified teacher because there is some kind of 'danger' involved... But no one has ever been able to elaborate on what exactly the danger might be...

[InnerAthlete]

No. Drawing such a conclusion from my text would be a stretch
I didn't imply anything about the safety of a Kundalini practice. In fact I'm advocating two alignment-based teachers steeped in the Iyengar tradition.

But your question does open a can of worms.

I truly believe that risk is heightened across the board (every style of yoga) when it is ONLY learned from a DVD at home. There are however varying degrees of that risk. So it is more about minimizing than eliminating.

A very brief (cliff notes) answer to your Kundalini question is this:
Kundalini energy is VERY powerful. You cannot even imagine.
That energy is coiled or stored at the base of the spine or tailbone (coccyx).
When that energy is unleashed it rises.
When the student is "unprepared" for the magnitude and direction of that energy it can be very harmful to the nervous system, internal organs, and mental faculties - moreso for those with vatta constitutions.

[spyrotone]

Greetings MBelleK,


I’ve personally never seen this video, but unless you’re doing excessive pranayama, the chances of you awakening kundalini prematurely as the result of practicing anything in it, is about one in a million. About the same as any random person falling out of bed or walking down the street. Don’t worry. It’s just a word on the cover.

The power of kundalini is real however, and if the body is not properly prepared with, I would say, several years or more of strict asana/pranayama practice and purification, is extremely difficult to control. You might liken it to increasing the amperage in your home without upgrading the wiring and switches. Internal obstruction, imbalance and resistance to the flow can be too great and then things start to burn. Or, it might double you over in a whole-body cramp, twist your head right off your shoulders! It can happen in your sleep.Yes! Extremely powerful!

Again, no need to worry. Practice freely. If you awaken prematurely, it was going to happen anyway and not as the result of anything you do in front of the TV.

Seek a genuine teacher and leave the DVD's at the bookstore.

Good luck,

Siva