Customer Reviews

Yoga for Beginners & Beyond: Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free! - Ana Brett & Ravi Singh

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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)

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!

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.

I was a bit disappointed with this new release. The beach background and the music were distracting and the exercises were not as well designed as in their other DVDs. I am a fan of Ana Brett and Ravi Singh. A month after I started the Fat Free Yoga DVD, I withdrew my gym membership and did yoga only. I own several of their DVDs and I rotate them in the course of a week. Overall, I feel healthier, happier, sleep better, and I even like myself better. My favorite DVDs are Lose Weight & Feel Great, Yoga Beauty Body, and Yoga Cleanse.

I bought this DVD two weeks ago, and have only used it five times thus far, and I can already say emphatically that it does wonders for the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I imagine the same would be true for other anxiety-related disorders as well.

If you have PTSD, you probably know that there's a huge physical component involved in the symptoms you suffer. When your body can launch itself into the unmitigated, wrenching intensity of the fight-or-flight panic response at the drop of a hat, it's almost impossible to prevent your mind from being dragged along with it. And those are pretty much the basic ingredients of the vicious, hellish agony that's called being triggered.

I've been triggered left and right in the past year of my life, which has forced me to constantly search for ways to control my PTSD and keep the trauma-demons from ripping me to pieces. One thing I've learned is that keeping my heart rate down and my body in a state of physical calm makes an INCREDIBLE difference, and can quite often protect me from a trigger event that might have otherwise ruined and tortured me for weeks or even months.

This DVD is a freaking life saver! I'd never done yoga before I bought this DVD and, dear god, how I wish I'd started sooner! The calming and mood-improving effects are immediate and profound--not to mention the awesome mental clarity I experience. By the time I'm done running through the DVD, my anxiety is gone, my body is incredibly relaxed (sometimes I almost fall asleep during the meditation exercises near the end), and my maddening sense of impending doom has evaporated.

I'm certain any good yoga DVD or class would be equally beneficial. However, if you've got PTSD or an anxiety or mood disorder, and you've never done yoga before, or are just looking for a new good yoga DVD to try out, please give this one a chance.

After just two weeks, I can tell that yoga is something I'm going to stick with for life. I bought this DVD because of its great reviews, and because of the phenomenally good reviews people give to all of Ana and Ravi's DVDs. I love it so much that I've already ordered myself another DVD by these fabulous people.

Ana is adorable and Ravi's voice is super-soothing. The routines are doable even by a physically inept newbie like myself. Sometimes I get the giggles over a few of the things they say (like during one pose, when Ana instructs you to hold yourself as if you're breathing through your eyes, which always hits me like the set-up of a nonsensical joke), and I felt self-conscious at first singing along during the parts where you chant. That said, the melodies and music are pretty darn catchy, and I find myself singing them in the shower when I'm done. I don't know if performing the chants really makes a difference in the overall effects of doing the yoga workout, but, heck, with the kind of results I'm getting, I'm more than willing to do every single thing they tell me to do. :)

I visualize my relationship with PTSD in a lot of different ways. Sometimes it makes me feel like a victim of a drive-by shooting. In the middle of a perfectly happy, beautiful day, out of nowhere it can riddle me full of bullets. This DVD makes me feel like I can don calm like Kevlar.

Hi everyone, I am truly hoping people will read this review. First, let me tell you a little about myself so that you know where I'm coming from. I have been an avid yoga practitioner for about 8-9 years, and am natually what you would call a "perfectionist" or "Type A." Unfortunately I found this tendency also extending to my yoga practice, and began doing Power Vinyasa. I received my teaching certificate and began teaching advanced classes. However, then, my hubby & I had a baby and I stopped teaching to be a stay-at-home mom.
I have been trying to work in my usual, advanced Power yoga workouts while baby is napping. But I have found that I am so physically worn out and sore afterward, that it takes me days to recover & I'm really uncomfortably exhausted.
Hence, I recently tried these Kundalini Yoga DVD's again (which I haven't done in over a year), and literally tears came to eyes. Ana & Ravi have designed beautiful DVD's (I have them all now), and my god, they are truly amazing. For me, they cut through all my Type A-ness and I feel OK with exactly who I am, in the moment, without judgement, comparison, etc. I lose myself in the exercises and at the end not only feel physically stimulated and challenged (*without* getting overly sore), but also emotionally lightened and mentally like I've taken a vacation. I find I actually breathe easier after doing one of these DVD's. I honestly wish everyone would try them - not only would people feel better on every level, but the world would be a kinder, more compassionate place. I've never written a review by the way, so maybe that also says something about how "on a different level" this product is.

Another a great product from the Ravi and Ana team. I have been practicing Kundalini yoga for the past three years through the wonderful dvds offered by Ravi and Ana. Thank you for another great dvd.

For those new to Kundalini yoga, it is strongly advised for you to watch the whole dvd and then practice the whole dvd before going into the matrix options. Reason: Kundalini yoga incorporates a lot of breath work and hence I do believe you will need to incorporate some breathing option offered when you build your own shorter workout. Again, try it and you will see the difference! You will need to put aside 1 hour 42 minutes for the whole dvd workout that will take you through the breath work, the targeted release of stress pockets in your body and then the great meditation options. I always feel physically, mentally and spiritually renewed everytime I practice with the dvd. The matrix option offered me quicker focused workout in the mornings.

the dvd focuses on stress 'knots' in your lower back, hips, shoulders, neck and surprisingly the spine. The moves are gentle for beginners, but effective enough to 'pop' those stress knots. If you have severe stress knots, I would recommend some deep tissue massage as well, but regular use of this dvd has seen a noticable reduction of massage trips for me.

I particulary love the stress meditation as we are all experiencing very stressful events in our life that are mainly out of our control. I am having a very stressful personal experience, and the meditation options have really helped my mind and body some relief from the spiral of negative thought and fears.

In sum, the combination of movements, breathing and meditation is the reason why I love the Ravi and Ana products. The gentlesness of their voices and messages are so comforting in a world that offers the contrary. For a convert, one had to buy it; but if you are new - BUY it and try it. I hope you will love the benefits that it will bring to you.

Yoga for Beginners & Beyond is one of three new DVDs from the husband/wife team of Ravi Singh/Ana Brett. As with their previous videos, the workout features Ana alone on screen while she and Ravi take turns providing voiceover instruction. However, gone is the plain white studio and the furry little rug; here Ana uses a traditional yoga mat, and she practices on a raised platform, surrounded by columns and against a painted backdrop of a tranquil lake scene. In the Introduction to this workout, Ana states that Beginners & Beyond is a combination of hatha, power, and kundalini yoga styles, incorporating the best of all three.

The Main Menu of this DVD reads as follows:
*Play DVD
*Chapter Selections
*Design your own Workout Matrix Menu Option
*Matrix Tutorial
*Pre-Set Selections

With these new DVDs, Ravi and Ana have offered a Matrix option; this option allows you to customize your own workout by selecting any of the chapters in any order (up to 15 total) to create your own yoga practice. Each DVD also has Pre-Set Selections which provide a variety of additional routines. When you choose "Pre-Set" off the Main Menu, you reach a screen which offers tips on programming your own Sample Pre-Sets. There are then two additional screens with Pre-Set routines as follows (includes times in minutes):

Sample Routines
*Sample Routine ONE for Beginners (62)
*Sample Routine TWO for Beginners (50)
*Sample Routine THREE for Beginners (52)
More Sample Routines
*Creative Sequencing Routine ONE (53)
*Creative Sequencing Routine TWO (55)
*Creative Sequencing Routine THREE (1hr, 25m)

Here is the Chapter Selection breakdown (includes times in minutes):
*Introduction/Tune-In (3:00)
*Standing Warm-Ups (6:00)
*Yoga Salutations for Beginners & Beyond/The Challenge (17:35)
*Hamstrings & Hips (9:45)
*Hips & Lower Back (7:00)
*Nerve Strength & Core Power (12:00)
*Upper Back, Neck & Shoulder Strengthen & Stretch (7:30)
*Deep Relaxation (4:35)
*Be Stress Free Meditation (6:20)
*Sat Nam Chant (5:45)
*Closing Prayer (2:55)
*Breath Primer with Energy Breath (5:00)
*Energy Breath (0:30)
*Posture Primer (6:15)
*Chair Exercises (7:35)

The yoga sequences presented here definitely incorporate more traditional hatha yoga than what is typical of Ravi and Ana's previous yoga DVDs. Some of the recognizable hatha postures include triangle pose, warrior 3, down dog, high lunge, reclined leg stretch, plank pose, upward plank, happy babies pose, thread the needle, and dolphin pose. But there are also differences: for example, the "Yoga Salutations" are not the sun salutations of hatha yoga but rather an alternate plie-standing forward bend sequence, and there are other more unique elements, such as the stomach pumping exercise featured in the Nerve Strength & Core Power chapter. However, one of the hallmarks of the kundalini yoga style, Breath of Fire (BOF, or Bastrika), appears only once during the main practice sequence (i.e., Introduction through Closing Prayer, which is just over 80 minutes in length), although it is also used during the Chair Exercises segment--here it is combined with flowing arm movements as is more typical of Ravi and Ana's past kundalini work.

A few other important things to note. First of all, the font used for the DVD menus, especially the submenus, is VERY small--so small, in fact, that I found it impossible to read the submenu selections on my 13" workout room TV (although when I played the DVD on my computer, the text appeared clearer). Also, the "Beginners" label in the title of this workout is somewhat misleading; parts of this DVD are quite challenging, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to someone who is new to yoga. On the other hand, this DVD might be a good bridge for someone who is familiar with hatha yoga but new Ravi and Ana's workouts and/or the kundalini style. As for myself, I practice hatha yoga regularly and like doing a little kundalini once and awhile for a change of pace. This DVD is very well-done, and I particularly enjoyed certain segments--such as the hip-opening and shoulder work. At first, I didn't particularly care for the blending of the hatha and kundalini yoga styles; I love hatha yoga, but this just wasn't what I was expecting from Ravi and Ana. Over time, however, I've grown to appreciate this practice more, and my current rating (updated as of July 2009) would be 4 1/2 stars. Furthermore, I think that most Ravi and Ana fans are likely to enjoy this DVD, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others as well.

I have been practicing Kundalini Yoga for several years, daily, and find it exceptionally transforming and empowering. I like and do regularly all of Ana and Ravi's DVDs and I can see that this one will be a valuable addition as well. Like all their DVDs it has some unique aspects but provides the same benefits.

When I first tried this DVD I only planned to do about 30 minutes, but I just couldn't stop - I was having so much fun, there was just nothing else I would have rather been doing, so I did the whole thing, 1 hour 40 minutes, including all the bonus segments. Loved it - it has a variety of exercises, nothing too hard, the matrix makes it very, very customizable, and the exercises are just wonderful.

The DVD begins with the Standing Warm-ups - and the Tune In is also done standing. I sort it was very refreshing - good to see it's the content and the intention that matter, not sitting perfectly cross-legged.
The Warm-Ups include some nice spinal twists, gentle bends - the whole section is very gentle and feel-good.

Then, there is the Sun Salutes section - not traditional Sun Salutes, but two rounds of several poses, including a variation of a deep plie squat, Forward bends, Down dog, High Lunge, etc., followed by a short Balance Segment - work your way up to Warrior 3 - very fun, nothing too hard.

After that, there is a Hips and Hamstrings Segment - Triangle, Several Hips Openers, Hamstring Stretches, some exercises for hip mobility, happy baby, etc - just wonderful. I always like Ravi and Ana's commentary - during the Happy baby pose Ana says something like: "Babies don't get hung up on negative emotions - they have their moments and then let it go" :)
Hips and Back section follows - more hip stretches and exercises for the back, again, quite wonderful.

After that we move onto the section called The Nerve Strength and Core Power - it starts with a sort of a hips and chest opener, then there are some core strengthening exercises, planks, etc - but nothing too challenging, and the poses aren't held for too long. There are also several breathing exercises, which I personally loved - one with the breath held out and pumping your stomach - i found this exercise hard before - but again, in this DVD we don't hold the breath out as long - or maybe it is the sequencing here - but it just felt really good.

Then we move onto to Upper Body - this section includes some strengthening exercises - dolphin to plank, etc - then there are some very nice chest openers and shoulder and neck openers and stretches - including active release, like shoulder shrugs, etc - very, very nice.

Deep Relaxation follows, very soothing and rejuvenating, then there's a Stress Release exercise - - you sit cross-legged with the right fingers on the left wrist and you say Sat Nam to the rhythm of your pulse. There's also a Singing Mantra For Healing - it's called Sat Nam Chant, then Closing Prayer.
I also did the Bonus Segments - Breath Primer, Posture Primer and The Seated KY Exercises.
Posture Primer deserves a special mention because I think it's definitely one of my favorite parts of the DVD. There are some moves where they teach you how to distribute your weight correctly, some exercises designed to realign your spine and pelvis properly, etc - I thought it was remarkably well done and I am especially grateful for it.
A wonderful DVD overall, very accessible to people of all fitness levels and very versatile - and very uplifting!

Over and over again, I am struck by Ana and Ravi's amazing ability to create wonderful yoga sequences that leave my body and mind feeling GREAT and also are so much fun!

For years I had put fitness in that category of something not very enjoyable, but something that I "should" do. Then I discovered yoga, and then Ana and Ravi's amazing DVDs, and now I am hooked! Ana and Ravi give a real gift to the world by being authentic, sharing what they love, and bringing so much energy, joy, and pleasure to the process of building strength, flexibility and reducing stress - it is contagious. I literally jump out of bed in the morning when I know I'll be doing one of their DVDs, and this one is no exception.

Other reviewers have done a beautiful job of detailing the great, unique, fabulous and fun exercises that are on the DVD. I would add that if you are a beginner, take to heart their great encouragements about doing only as much as works for you as you get started, and use the helpful breath primer and posture primer to familiarize yourself with things to start. I am also a yoga teacher, and I think that this DVD has SO much to offer people at all levels in terms of overall physical and mental wellbeing, while at the same time being FUN. I know for me that if something is not fun, it's not likely that I'll stick with if for too long, but that's not an issue with this DVD! If you are looking for a great DVD that will leave you feeling physically and mentally fabulous, look no further than Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free. Enjoy!