Product Details

• Actors: Maritza
• Directors: Ted Landon
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Gaiam
• DVD Release Date: August 20, 2002
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006HAX2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,685 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #79 in Movies & TV > DVD > Special Interests

Editorial Reviews

MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

245 of 245 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best meditation instruction I've come across, November 4, 2005

By 

Rose Levy "single scooper" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meditation for Beginners (DVD)

I've been doing yoga and trying to meditate for the past 10 odd years. I think I'm a particulary difficult student because I over analyze and I can be far too critical. I'm easily put off by instructors -- perhaps a tone that is too self-satisfied or what I perceive as silly "new agey" talk.

So, as you might imagine, I have tried many meditation videos and dvds over the years, and this is by far the best one I have ever used.

The DVD is divided into three main sections:
Mindful Yoga: a 15-minute yoga program that focusses on relaxing the body with lots of seated poses, a little downward dog. Nothing strenuous.

Body Scan: a 20 minute, lying-down body awareness exercise in which you move your attention to various parts of your body.

Seated Meditation: a 20-minute guided meditation in which Maritza talks you through the practice of concentration and teaches you the basic breathing technique for learning how to keep the mind focussed and relaxed while distractions come and go. The breathing technique works quite well especially if paying attention to your breath tends to make you even more anxious. You count(starting at 1 and going to 5) the pause between the completion of the exhale and the next inhale. I found it quite easy to learn and highly effective.

The music is subtle and perfectly suited, the backdrops are lush and beautifully filmed.

All of this makes, for what I think, is a perfect meditation DVD, and yet here is the best part: Martiza's words, her narration, is so superbly written and resonates with such deep humanism and truth that I really am beginning to understand what mediation is, and what I am trying to achieve. Like I said, I'm an ornery student, but she's really that good.

311 of 318 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Program!, December 29, 2002

By 

SomewhatZen (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meditation for Beginners (DVD)

I'm a high-stress guy, which is probably why I received this DVD as an early Christmas present. I took one look at the cover and cringed, but I'll be the first to admit that I could use a lifestyle change. Soo...

I started using the DVD on a daily basis about two weeks ago, and it has begun to have a very real effect on the quality of my life. I spend about 40 minutes in the morning before I start my work-day with the DVD. The first 15 or so minutes are spent loosing up the body with a number of light yoga stretches, and then I use the first of two meditation programs which is called a "body scan". It's a meditation program that really puts you into a state of deep relaxation. It doesn't make you sleepy (though it might if you performed it in the evening), on the contrary, I always feel rejuvenated by the end of the routine.

I haven't moved to the second program yet, but I plan to next week. It's a seated meditation program that is meant to help you refresh and focus your mind. I honestly can't wait to get started!

This DVD took me by surprise. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Even if you don't get anything out of the meditation program itself, the production of the DVD is outstanding. It's like a trip to Hawaii. A very, very, relaxing trip to Hawaii.

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST MEDITATION GUIDE I HAVE TRIED, March 2, 2006

By 

BookNut "Crow Lady" (NE Vermont USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Meditation for Beginners (DVD)

Learning to Meditate is not easy! I have a problem keeping my mind from roaming. I think any time we are serious about learning anything new, most of us are looking for the magic bullet-the ONE perfect answer to making it all happen. This DVD is so far the BEST I've tried. After about a week & a half of consist practice at the same time every morning my mind still wanders, but I can feel a change in the depth of my concentration. Maritza knows you will have a wandering mind, & she tells you in softly accented French to leave judgments behind. The only accompaniment to the Meditation section is Tibetan bells & bowls over a low, non-invasive hum-perfect for bringing your mind to deeper conscious levels.

The DVD consists of a 15-minute Yoga session, done mostly on the floor along with Downward-facing Dog & Bridge Pose-quite basic. The next session is a Body Scan for relaxing. I find that doing all three at once takes nearly an hour, so I only do Meditation each day & Yoga & Body Scan on other days. If you have the time, it would probably be beneficial to at least do the Yoga first. I believe in time this DVD will help me learn to meditate effectively. I see it more as a teaching aid, a stepping stone to being able to Meditate on my own with only an audio music of maybe Tibetan bowls in the background. If I have any problems with this DVD, it is that it doesn't give you the option of being able to play just the audio, but there are excellent CDs with these sounds available such as "Singing Bowls". The extras include a very candid interview with Maritza which actually helped me to feel more comfortable with her leading my Meditation. In fact, I've come to enjoy it so much that it actually pulls me out of bed before 6:00 a.m each morning! Oh, did I forget to mention the exquisite Maui Island setting?