Customer Reviews

Mantra Girl Presents - An Introduction to Kundalini Yoga and Chanting

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently got both Vols. 1 and 2 of Mantra Girl's kundalini yoga dvds, the intro dvd plus her more advanced workout. And all I can say is, thank God! After years of searching for terrific kundalini yoga workouts (as good or better than classes I've taken) I've finally found them.

First off - Vol. 1 is not strictly for beginners, it's for all levels. Yes, it won't make you sweat up a storm like Vol. 2 is designed to do. However anyone familiar with kundalini energy knows you can get super effective results by doing even simple moves. The breathwork and moves on Vol. 1 are designed to balance your chakras. She also adds wonderful exercises in the last part to clean the energy field surrounding your body, to help you get rid of emotional muck you've picked up from negative environments. Wow. That alone makes this worthwhile, (but I loved all the moves on these dvds). I first did Vol. 1 one night after work when my work environment had left me feeling drained and depleted. After the workout I felt fantastic. All that heaviness had been lifted away (literally).

They're fun routines. The music is terrific and the outdoor setting by the water is beautiful. Mantra Girl's music is the best I've heard yet on any kundalini yoga video or dvd. It'll make you want to move your body. I'm seriously considering getting her CD now so I can listen to it at work. The instructor is very good too. She says enough to guide you, but doesn't talk too much like other instructors. Instead, she lets you focus on the yoga and your body.

I have 8 other kundalini yoga videos, which I thought were pretty good (not fantastic, but good) until I saw Mantra Girl's. But now I'm moving those other videos to the back of the shelf. I'm sticking with both this and "Advanced Kundalini Yoga for the Spiritual Warrior". They're too much fun to not do.

On Vol. 2 you will definitely work harder. If you're a true lover of kundalini yoga (whatever your level) you will probably want to get both volumes. Vol. 1 is more laid back but very effective, Vol. 2 is a great one to grow into (even if you're not there yet). They're quite different from each other but compliment each other really well. When you look at the cost of yoga classes, the price of these two dvds is more than worth it.

This is an intermediate level kundalini yoga routine. Not too easy - movements are done for more than a few moments and it requires a bit of strength and endurance to keep going and not stop. But even the beginner can do these moving postures for as long as they can and if necessary take a brief rest in between, and work up over time. Many of the moves are done while sitting cross-legged on the floor, involving such things as arm movements, twisting of the torso, or pelvic rocking motions.

I really enjoy the chakra balancing emphasis of this routine, working up through the body's energy centres one by one, opening the heart, etc. My favourite part involves the 8th chakra (auric field) surrounding the body. While that might strike some as strange, it's very effective and empowering... Simple moves which cleanse the aura of the heavy energy we invariably pick up in negative environments or just by being around people who don't make us feel good. All I can say is it works! I feel fantastic after this workout, no matter how drained or exhausted I am beforehand, it always lifts me up.

Oh and I disagree with the comment about this being a male-oriented video due to big chested class partipicants?! I only recall one woman in the class who fits that description and frankly, it wasn't something I gave any thought to before until I read the other review (but then I'm female). I prefer to focus on the task at hand, which is maintaining my yoga practice. And this routine is more fun than any of the kundalini yoga classes I've taken so far.

The DVD is a little over an hour long (I think about 1 1/4 hours) so unfortunately I don't have time to do it everyday. But I highly recommend it for anyone interested in kundalini yoga.

This is a beautiful practice, with beautiful people (and their outfits) and beautiful music, but I have to say when I first played the DVD it seemed to be geared for male viewing. Rubbing hands vigorously and then showing close-ups of women with large chests didn't impress me as serious Kundalini Yoga. I was disappointed that the DVD does not include menus (it just runs from beginning to end like a VHS tape). Also, the voice seems to be dubbed in. If you can put all that aside, it is a very challenging Kundalini practice and well instructed.(Although I would not consider it for beginners. I would recommend Ravi Singh's DVDs for beginners.) The best part is Erin's music on the DVD -- it is wonderful and enlightening! She has a music CD available which I'm sure would be well worth the money.

Please see my other recommendation for Yoga and Meditation DVDs on Amazon and thanks for reading!

I just did this DVD this morning. I have the advanced DVD and I love this much better, but in a different way. I agree with some of the reviewers that it is not a complete beginners kriya. But what determines what is beginning and intermediate in kundalini yoga is how long the pose is done, anywhere from 1-7 minutes. I estimate that most of the poses are done for 3 minutes. Since most of the poses are done with the arms, this makes it seem like an intermediate set.

The set is to cleanse the aura. The 2 meditations at the end are wonderful. The 1st one is the "morning call" ek ong kar sat nam siri wahe guru. The second one is "har" or another name for God. Get this DVD, if you like kundalini yoga, you will like this. She doesn't talk too much, the music is nice. Other reviews complained about the outfits. But that's being ticky and besides you do kundalini yoga with your eyes closed, so who cares what they have on. I will do this DVD again and again. I dread doing the Advanced DVD because it is SO hard! One more thing, there is a pose where you are kneeling with your hands clasped behind your back and you bow forward and lean back. You end by doing camel pose for 1 minute or so with breath of fire. This so wonderful for my back!! I love love this exercise and will probably do it every morning. Sat Nam

I was a bit put off when I saw another reviewer say that this DVD doesn't have chapters and plays through like VHS. That worried me a bit - how would I skip around if I didn't like the whole workout?!

Fortunately - that's not a problem because this DVD is fantastic from start to finish! Energizing and relaxing in all the right places, this is exactly what I was hoping to find: a great introduction to a more spritual type of yoga.

Glad to see a kundalini dvd that I enjoy doing. There are so many choices available for other types of yoga, not enough kundalini and even fewer instructors. This dvd fits the bill and is well worth the money. The music is catchy & terrific - very upbeat. Kundalini yoga is more movement oriented than hatha yoga (where you hold postures), yet this is definitely more do-able for the beginner and less strenuous than ashtanga or power yoga. The moves feel good and relaxing, without taxing you or making you breath hard. The outdoor scenery is awesome, many kundalini yoga dvds are filmed indoors so you only have boring walls to look at, this is more inspiring! The music isn't typical yoga music, I think it's kundalini yoga inspired, but modernized, and often I end up humming the tunes at work, so I look forward to doing the workout again. I also enjoy how the instructor gives good, clear guidance, without killing you with too much verbiage (it's true, some kundalini yoga instructors don't know how or when to stop talking). So you can truly relax as you do this dvd. It makes me feel great everytime! Co-workers can attest to the fact that I am a much calmer person during times of stress these days and I credit yoga for that. If kundalini yoga is something you'd like to try, you need look no further than this dvd.

I strongly disagree with the reviewer below who complains about form. I've taken yoga classes over the past 10 years, and I'm particular about form and quality of instruction. Erin does the moves perfectly while providing excellent explanations and reminders on proper technique. Her instruction and example are top notch. She's been a qualified kundalini yoga instructor for close to a decade and truly knows her stuff -- don't let her youthful good looks fool you. One of many things that makes this kundalini yoga dvd terrific is the class setting involving a number of students. (Very boring to see just one student doing yoga while a male guru figure sits lazily elevated, barking out commands, as you'll see on other routines). The reviewer below is misleading in their appraisal. There's one person in the class whose form is a little off during one of the exercises. The rest of the class and instructor's forms are flawless. To the reviewer, I say wake up and take a reality check. ALL yoga routines in a class setting show the odd moment when one student may be slightly out of sync, whose range of motion for one exercise is greater or lesser than the rest. This happens on the very best hatha and power yoga videos as well. Welcome to the real world of humans being human! (as opposed to robots). Erin's instructions are crystal clear and if you're paying any attention at all to your tv screen or listening to what she says, even beginners will have absolutely no problems doing these exercises correctly.

Erin is beautifully hypnotizing to watch - when my friends come over to do this routine they've been equally entranced. Erin looks like she has a background in dance (or if not, would have been one amazing dancer she's such a natural). Her moves are sensual, graceful and flawless. As are the majority of the class participants. This dvd is a feast for the senses, visual and otherwise. The Malibu beach waterfront is spectacular. I can only think of one minor complaint about this dvd, if you can call it that - the group of female yogis are talented and gorgeous and that, combined with the stunning location, might make it difficult for you to tear your eyes away from your tv screen at times. Such a refreshing change, compared to other mediocre kundalini yoga workouts available for home use. The majority are very blah in comparison. If you prefer blah, then look elsewhere.

But I don't blame loyal followers of some other kundalini instructors for being worried that they now have some serious competition. If you see this dvd you'll know why this one shines above the rest. But a little bit of competition is not a bad thing afterall. Perhaps this will encourage the other kundalini yoga instructors to make more of an effort with future dvds they put out (instead of relying on their names alone to sell the product). Erin and company did a superior job with this one, a great deal of attention and care was put into this production and it shows! Kudos to them all.

I normally stick to vinyasa, but a close friend is a strong advocate of kundalini so I tried this as my first foray into kundalini and i am absolutely HOOKED!
Yes, this DVD is beautiful to watch & listen, but the critical element is the music and LACK of voice. Direction is given infrequently and, if you close your eyes when instructed, the practice flows easily and you lose the need to watch the TV and "keep up" with the practitioners on screen.
Just listen & breathe and you will have a wonderful first (or contunued) kundalini experience.

Mantra Girl Presents - An Introduction to Kundalini Yoga and Chanting is a great yoga DVD and has remained my favorite. This DVD is relaxing focusing on breathing with some meditation and chanting whiling giving you a good workout. Set outside the scenery is beautiful and Mantra Girl's music throughout the workout is just amazing. Good instruction is given before each exercise making this a good introduction for someone new to yoga. This will give you a good workout, possibly too much if you are out of shape, but you should be able to take your time and work up to Erin's pace. So this can be a DVD you will use for awhile. I know I have. Afterwards you will feel like you had a good workout and feel very relaxed. I will also add that this is great for the back if you sit at a desk all day like I tend to do for my job. My back would hurt after work but after I started using this DVD it has felt better than it ever has before. The only negative, as others have said, is that the DVD has no menus. All you can do is put this in your DVD player and let it play through. This is not really bad because you probably don't want to skip around anyway as the workout was not made in such a way, but more like attending a class. The only thing I would like to see is an option to play through without all the instruction, as after you have heard it a few times it can be a bit annoying hearing it every time you play the DVD since you already know what to do. Even so this remains my favorite yoga DVD and I highly recommend it.

I'm a a fervent practisoiner of Kundalini , Ashtanga and power Yoga.
I own several kundalini yoga DVD and this is for sure one of my favorite.If you can close your eyes and get into your breathing, then the sky's a limit. She doesn't speak much,wich is very important for me. And she makes the kundalini yoga accesible to anyone who think that yoga is bears and contorsionism.She's clear and concise. After doing your practise with her, your body will tingle from foot to eyes.
I also own her second DVD and it's also very good, very different from the first, wich is aplus so many teacher make 100 of DVD changing just the sequences of their practise.
The DVD is good quality, the background very nice, so let's be a little open minded and be glad that a young woman gave Kundalini Yoga a new look.