Product Details

• Actors: Ana Brett, Ravi Singh
• Directors: Ana Brett & Ravi Singh
• Format: Widescreen, NTSC
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Raviana Productions
• DVD Release Date: January 18, 2009
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001L54TQO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,072 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kundalini Yoga with Ana & Ravi was hands down, the best yoga class I've ever taken. ----Joanne Chen, Health Editor, Vogue Magazine

Product Description

Transform your body and your life! Experience a complete yoga workout that you will always love to do! Here is the best of the ancient and new: traditional yoga's spiritual depth and knowledge of body and mind, with the newest innovations in body mechanics and effective fitness. Starting with the basics, this flowing, fun workout will help you make great gains on all levels. Ana & Ravi have popularized Kundalini Yoga, the perfect system for achieving optimum health and energy. Featuring the design your own workout Matrix menu option, This all-in-one workout features stretching and strengthening routines for total body fitness, as well as bonus material including chair exercises, a posture primer, and more! Segments include: Standing Warm-ups, Salutation for Beginners & Beyond, Hamstrings, Hips, & Lower Back Stretches, Nerve Strength & Core Power, techniques to Be Stress Free, & More! From beginning yogi to expert, this DVD will be your workout companion for life. Ana and Ravi's all-in-one yoga workouts are the ultimate cross training encompassing movement, strength, stretch, flow, with inner focus and fun! Their workouts are set to cutting edge music to keep motivation high. Their DVD's provide a total workout fully integrating body, mind, and spirit, delivering you to your top level of physical conditioning and well-being.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible hatha/kundalini combo for ALL levels, February 20, 2009

By 

Alex Grayson "Alex" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Yoga for Beginners & Beyond: Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free! - Ana Brett & Ravi Singh (DVD)

I was very skeptical about blending more traditional Hatha with Kundalini; I'm a bit of a Kundalini purist, which is silly because it's ALL yoga, but that's my nature. So I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this but I was completely won over within minutes.

What I think is remarkable is that this DVD is both completely safe and approachable for an absolute beginner and offers enough challenge, variety and choice of levels and depth for seasoned practitioners.

I give a detailed description below complete with chapter timing, and the DVD also includes some wonderful extras like a separate energy breath practice (30 seconds), some great posture work and a section of exercises that can be done seated in a chair (I did them at work, at my desk!).

As with all of these new DVDs the new background is lovely, the music/mantras are really fun and it has all of the usual aspects of Ravi and Ana I love; the guidance, the sweetness, the playfulness, the positive energy. This is a DVD that I will enjoy often, even as an advanced practitioner, but I will also send one to my mom, who can only do the most gentle and safe variations.

Here's the breakdown:

Yoga for Beginners and Beyond

Tune In (3:00)
Standing and done to music

Standing Warm Ups (6:00)
Fingers interlaced overhead, sinking down into the knees & back up, repeat
Slow side bends, coordinated with breath
Feet hip width, knees slightly bent, lean forward, alternating arching/curving lower back
Same position, now twist/reach to each side, looking towards the sky each time

Yoga Salutation for Beginners and Beyond/the Challenge (17:35)
Static plie squat w/prayer pose, deep breath
Legs hip width, rest forearms on thighs, deep breathing, stretch down, hang & sway
Repeat plie squat and stretch that followed (above)
At the end of the stretch, walk hands out into downward facing dog
Come down to hands & knees, child's pose
Cow pose with toes tucked, untuck toes & stretch back into child, alternating
Cow pose w/toes tucked into down dog, inhale as left leg rises, exhale knee into chest, step forward and come into a warrior variation with arms reaching up, lunging
Come back into down dog, repeat to other side/leg, ending back in child's pose
Sit on heels and meditate a moment
Repeat the down dog/lunge sequence, ending in child's pose again, meditate
&
The Challenge
Standing, hands in prayer pose, sweep leg forward/back for balance
Tilt slowly into a "T" pose, move slowly into standing again, extend leg forward
Repeat to other side - great challenge for balance and core strength!

Hips & Hamstrings (9:45)
Triangle pose, held on each side
Sitting, legs in front, feet flat, knees bent, spiral side to side on hips
Continue as you add the arm reach on each side
Deep inner thigh stretch w/long deep breathing while lying on the back
Hamstring and calve stretch while lying on the back
Bend knees, hold big toes, like a squat on the back, happy baby pose!

Hips and Lower Back (7:00)
Bring one leg in at a time, knee to chest, head rises, alternate coordinated with breath
Hold knees towards chest, rock side to side gently, like a back massage!
"Thread the needle": bring one foot to other knee, reach behind bent leg, pull towards chest for a fabulous, deep hip/sciatic stretch...repeat to other side
Rock and roll on the spine (like a ball)
Sitting up, one foot against opposite thigh with a deep side stretch over, alternate
Now do alternating spinal twists with one leg kept along the floor each time/side

Nerve Strength & Core Power (12:00)
Sitting in butterfly (soles of the feet together in a sitting position), look up, stretch up and back, deep breathing
Plank/platform pose (can be modified by keeping one knee on the floor)
Reverse plank (sitting w/legs in front, hands behind, raise your torso towards sky)
Seated forward stretch, legs extended, feet flexed, with Breath of Fire
Sit cross-legged (easy sitting), inhale, exhale, hold breath out & pump stomach, continue
Lie flat, raise leg and opposite arm, alternating, like walking on your back
Sit in easy sitting/cross-legged, extend arms to side, parallel, forefinger under thumbs

Neck, Shoulders & Upper Back Stretch and Strengthen (7:30)
Down dog on the forearms, inhaling down into modified plank, exhaling back, continue
Easy sitting pose, slow, deep, spinal and neck stretch with arms, foreword and back
Sitting, look right and left slowly, shoulders begin to move with the head
Alternating shoulder shrugs, inhale up/exhale down
Full shoulder shrugs, both together, inhale up/exhale down
Ext arm, palm foreword, use other arm to stretch fingers down, head to same side, switch

Deep Relaxation

1st Meditation - Be Stress Free (6:20)
Sit cross-legged, comfortably, eyes closed, find your pulse by putting your fingers on your left wrist, and when you do mentally chant "Sat Nam" in rhythm to your pulse. This takes you into the vast reaches of inner space, and the world melts away.

2nd Meditation - Sat Nam Chant (5:45)
Sitting comfortably (easy sitting), both hands on the heart, eyes closed, chant along with Sat-a-Nam Wahay Guru

Closing Prayer (2:55)
3 directed breaths, long Sat Nam, as always ;)

DVD also includes:
Breath Primer with Energy Breath (5:00)
Energy Breath (:30) (inhale in 4 parts, exhale in 4 parts)
Posture Primer (6:15) (a really fantastic section for ALL levels)
Chair Exercises (7:35) (done seated in a chair, or can be on floor, gentle&wonderful stretches for hips, legs, spinal exercises, shoulder, arms, breathwork)

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this DVD!, February 18, 2009

By 

Desert Dancer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga for Beginners & Beyond: Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free! - Ana Brett & Ravi Singh (DVD)

This new DVD from Ana and Ravi is a great blend of exercises. I loved it right away. It's an all-in-one workout. It blends hatha yoga, power yoga, and kundalini in Ravi and Ana's beautiful way. It has MATRIX, so you can programme according to how you want to arrange it. And it has 6 sample routines ranging from 50 min. to 1 hr. and 25 mins. It's great for all levels from beginners and beyond...it's set up to work for everybody.

If you go straight through, it begins with STANDING WARM-UPS: small squats with arms overhead, standing stretching one side to another, a standing cat-cow type stretch, and twisting while squatting. Then, YOGA SALUTATIONS: an exercise of sweeping arms overhead, then holding a wide-leg squat, then a series of a forward bend exercise, Down Dog, child pose to cow pose, down dog to high lunge. Next, THE CHALLENGE: moving leg forward and back w/o touching ground, then balancing on one leg with arms and other leg stretched straight. Then, HIPS AND HAMSTRINGS: triangle pose, 2 hip openers, stretching leg while lying on your back, happy baby pose. Next, HIPS AND LOWER BACK: drawing leg into chest while lying on your back, thread the needle(hip stretch), rock on your spine, a forward bend stretch doing one leg then the other, gentle seated twist. Then NERVE STRENGTH AND CORE POWER: seated with soles of your feet together while looking up, front platform pose(kind of like the highest point of a push-up), a backward arch with your legs straight, seated forward bend with breath of fire, sitting while holding your breath out and pumping your stomach, then on your back raising alternate arms and legs, rock on spine, then seated with arms outstretched with breathing. Then, NECK, SHOULDERS, AND UPPPER BACK STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN: down dog on forearms into modified plank, then an arm movement while seated, neck turns, shoulder raises, a neck stretch. Then, DEEP RELAXATION. Then, BE STRESS FREE MEDITATION: find your pulse on your arm and say Sat Nam in rhythm with your pulse. Next, SAT NAM CHANT.(I love Ana's white outfit in this part...I want it!) Then, CLOSING PRAYER. There is also a BREATH PRIMER w/ ENERGY BREATH(4 breaths in and 4 out through nose), a POSTURE PRIMER which has standing stretches, exercises while lying on your stomach, followed by standing in mountain pose. It's like a bonus set of exercises really and they feel great! Then there are CHAIR EXERCISES: hip stretch in chair and upper body stretch movements.

All the exercises are new, with only a couple you'll have done in other Raviana DVD's. The music is bright, pulsing, and happy. Ana looks fantastic and as always, they have their wonderful voice-over instruction and positive thoughts. Definitely, a new step in my emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. That's one of things I love about Ravi and Ana's DVDs is that each one does something new and different from the others for your mind and body(which is why I own almost all of them, so I can rotate them all! :) Their yoga works wonders inside and out. I've been doing their yoga for awhile, and have noticed the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits. It's amazing. I already can't wait to do this DVD again! I love it and I'm sure it is going to be a new favorite!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yoga doesn't get much better than this!, February 26, 2009

By 

Annie (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga for Beginners & Beyond: Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free! - Ana Brett & Ravi Singh (DVD)

Ana and Ravi's "Yoga for Beginners and Beyond" (not to be confused with their 2005 Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond NEW! Now with the **MATRIX** MENU OPTION!!!) deserves all the 5-star ratings. Previous reviewers have described the poses and each section of the practice. I just wanted to include a few of my own observations to help those who are still undecided about buying this DVD:

1. It's a unique, creative practice, with many wonderful stretches and strengthening poses. It includes some poses (or variations) that I have not come across on any other yoga DVD (and I have too many to count).

2. I especially love the "flow" of this practice. The combination of Hatha and Kundalini feels great and is very uplifting. You really do get the best out of 2 great styles.

3. Time flies, even though the pace is quite slow for much of the practice.

4. Breath of fire is only used once in the main practice and once in the chair segment.

5. People who don't like sun salutes don't need to avoid this DVD. Although there's a segment called "Yoga Salutations" (with downdogs and high lunges), these are not traditional, repetitive sun salutes.

6. This is a very versatile DVD and should not be overlooked by intermediate practitioners. Also, exercisers who tend to resist yoga might actually like this DVD. The standing warm-up would be great to use before resistance training and the chair segment and sitting neck and shoulder exercises can be performed in front of a computer.

7. This DVD reminds me of Elena Brower's Element: Yoga for Beginners (which I adore). Both DVDs are wonderful practices to help beginners (and even intermediates like me) improve their strength, balance and flexibility. However, both DVDs also include sequences that may be daunting or frustrating for those who are new to exercise. For instance, in Ana and Ravi's DVD, one-legged downdog, high lunge (held awhile) and warrior 3 are shown without modifications. To their credit, Ana and Ravi have called these sequences "challenges" and, by using the matrix or simply the "next" button, beginners can easily skip these segments until they are ready to progress. The DVD also includes some other challenging sequences - dolphin/plank and reverse plank - but modifications are shown.

8. You don't need flexibility to do this DVD. Although Ana is very flexible and shows her full range of motion in many of the poses, none of the poses are inaccessible for lack of flexibility. Importantly, this is an ideal practice for improving flexibility.

Finally, I would like to thank Ana and Ravi for sharing their amazing yoga with the world and for giving me such a joyous yoga experience (and a great night's sleep). I will also be buying more copies of this DVD so I can share this wonderful practice with my family and friends.