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87 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime, January 31, 2007
This is far and away my favorite Kundalini yoga DVD thus far, and I have a huge collection including most of Ravi and Ana's prior projects. The music is lovely, the addition of Ana's comments and observations shifts the energy in the nicest way (though Ravi is a wonderful teacher as always) and the actual yoga set is just right. It's enough to get your energy moving, blood flowing and increase flexibility but it's not overwhelming or too intense. I found it to be a perfect DVD to do before bed, because by the end I felt as though every aspect of myself had been addressed; physical, emotional and spiritual. The meditation at the end was a new experience for me, and I'm a Kundalini teacher. The position was one I had not done before while silently chanting the mantra "sa-ta-na-ma" but it delivered me into pure bliss. I slept better, woke up feeling quite rested and alert and I am eagerly heading home to do it again tonight. I plan to make this a nightly pre-bedtime ritual for a while, because it's beautifully done and the Magnificent Seven series really is a great addition to everyone's day, male or female.
Now, I have seen sporadic negative feedback but I must point out that when you see a name ending in "Khalsa" that means the review is posted by a Sikh. I have the UTMOST respect for people of all faiths, uncluding Sikhism, but the Sikh yogis are definitely a bit more puritanical about their Kundalini. Understandably so. Yogi Bhajan was very strict and very clear about what he felt were right and wrong ways to practice and teach Kundalini, so he might not have been thrilled about certain aspects of these DVDs but I don't know about that. They present the sets in their purest form, without altering the order of asanas, and with great reverence and love for the science inherent in the yoga. The "packaging" might seem offensive or too commercial to some, but if it attracts more people who then become connected to the magic and healing of the work, does that matter? Isn't that being a bit judgemental? Why is the exposure of a healthy, radiant human body viewed as inherently sexual or inappropriate when I see Ana as a shining example of living in the light? She practices and teaches the yoga of awareness and eats primarily raw food. Personally, I never think twice about her attire (well, since the see-through tank tops were addressed, but again, how old are we all anyway?)
Ravi and Ana teach from their hearts, channel infinite wisdom through their words and bring a once obscure form of yoga into the lives of people who might not otherwise have this gift. In the context of all of that, does it matter whether they are sitting on a sheepskin or not? Sikh yogis will practice on a sheepskin but say it's wrong to eat meat...I have never been given a solid explanation about the hypocrisy of that, either. But I did not abandon all of Yogi Bhajan's teachings just because I didn't agree with a few aspects.
This is an extraordinary, loving presentation that will likely bring a great deal of light and joy into your life. Your eyes are closed most of the time anyway! ;)
By the end of the class, I was thanking Ravi, Ana, Yogi Bhajan, Guru Nanak, Guru Ram Das, and all of the Golden Chain who helped to bring this into my life (out loud). Isn't that kind of gratitude and joy the sign of a powerful, effective and well taught set?
Sat Nam, and enjoy the pure bliss.
**UPDATE**
I am currently doing a 40 day Sadhana, meaning I am doing this set daily for 40 continuous days as a method of erasing unhealthy old patterns and creating empowering new ones. Day one was tough because I'd been inactive for a little while and I felt it, but within 2 days I felt like a whole different person; sleeping better with a need for less sleep, waking up refreshed rather than tired and sluggish, great energy all day and doing the set is fun, not tough or uncomfortable. Nothing else seems to give me the same results as quickly or on as many levels as Kundalini yoga and this one in particular is such a joy...I'm excited to experience the next 35 days! This really does cover all the basics, inside and out. Odd as it might sound, it's as if I can feel my entire body smiling throughout. ;)
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107 of 113 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice full-body kundalini yoga practice, October 30, 2006
Although I actually took a Kundalini yoga workshop with instructors Ana Brett and Ravi Singh in 2005, this was only the second of their DVDs that I have tried, as my home practice tends to consist of more traditional forms of Hatha yoga. I expect that I will now include some Kundalini as part of my home practice, either via Yoga Beauty Body or one of Ana and Ravi's other recent releases. Unlike their live workshops, Ana and Ravi's DVDs feature Ana only on screen, with both Ana and Ravi providing instruction via voiceover. Yoga Beauty Body is a 55-minute full-body practice, with the yoga postures being grouped into two main sets. The DVD chapter menu breaks down as follows (I've added approximate times and brief details):
Introduction (1 minute)
Tune In (just under 2.5 minutes)--includes ong namo guru dev namo chant
Breath Primer (4 minutes)--practice deep breathing and breath of fire [BOF]
Warm-Ups (4 minutes)--stomach grinds, ragdoll (fast head-to-knee pose performed repeatedly)
Yoga Set 1 (17 minutes)--baby (child's pose), baby with raised head and BOF, rock pose (hero), deep lunge, reclined rock (hero) with BOF, chair (sort of squat; different from the hatha version) with BOF, lie on stomach to rest, butterfly with rocking and forward bend, hip raises, rolling, locust with feet crossed, bow (2x), rest, stretch pose (lying supine with legs raised 6 inches) with BOF; includes brief pauses to meditate throughout
Yoga Set 2 (16 minutes)--move legs in and out while lying supine, rolling, moving arms up and down while lying on stomach (triceps work), seated arm circles with BOF, camel with BOF, kneeling forward bend, shoulderstand with BOF, plow, rolling, cobra with wide legs, rest, baby's pose, sat kriya (squeeze lower organs and hold to sat, breathe out to nam); includes brief pauses to meditate throughout
Deep Relaxation (3 minutes)--relaxation pose
Meditation (4.5 minutes)--lying on stomach, "play" fingers mantra (touch thumbs to each finger in succession) while repeating sa ta na ma to yourself
Closing Prayer (1 minute)--pray for self, other, world peace
Since the final 9 minutes of this workout are focused on relaxation, the active practice segment is only about 45 minutes. This DVD does not include any premixes, but it is well-chaptered, so you could easily make the practice even shorter by skipping the breath primer once you are familiar with Kundalini breathing styles. For someone who has experience with and enjoys Kundalini yoga, I think this DVD would be an excellent choice. I particularly liked how progressively more challenging backbends are gradually incorporated into the practice, culminating with bow pose. However, because I tend to prefer my yoga practices to be more on the gentle side, I found this workout to be a bit more strenuous than what I was looking for. Personally, I think I prefer to keep my Kundalini work limited to shorter sessions, either via selecting particular chapters from this DVD only or using another Ana/Ravi DVD which includes premixes (such as Dance the Chakras). Therefore, for my own particular needs, this practice, while very good, was not a perfect fit. However, those who are more used to the Kundalini style are more likely to click with this workout, which is certainly very well-done. Overall, this is a well-produced, well-organized Kundalini practice, and I expect that it will be well-liked by fans of Ana and Ravi's other works.
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76 of 81 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent for Body, Mind, and Soul :), October 12, 2006
This is another winner from Ana & Ravi!!! I absolutely love this set!!! It's not too long and not too short, just right!!! I love all the poses and this DVD didn't have any drag factor for me... I feel like I'm doing wonders for my body by practicing these poses!!! Really great for women!! It makes me feel more complete and radiant!!!!
Thanks Ana and Ravi for another wonderful kundalini yoga set!!!!
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