My senior year of High School after one of my best friend's mom passed away from an almost 10 year fight with cancer, I started having really bad tension problems in my neck and shoulders. Sometimes I would lock up and could not move. When I saw my doctor he said that I did have an inflammation problem in my right shoulder, but it also had a lot to do with stress. He suggested I try yoga. I never got around to it, but this time last year (after everything that happened that fall semester and over the holidays), I put my mind to it, it certainly couldn't hurt. I decided that I didn't want to take a class, because I didn't know that much about yoga and I wasn't in good shape. So I started doing research and trying to find the best yoga dvd. Ravi and Ana kept sticking out, they were at the top of many "best yoga dvd" lists I was finding. There are still the number 1 on Amazon's list, and they have 5 stars and between the 2 dvds I chose there are well over 300 reviews. Then I read that their client list included Madonna, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Donna Karan. I was convienced. So I decided to get their Beginners dvd and their Fat Free Yoga dvd.
The type of yoga on these dvds is called Kundalini Yoga. It combines different types of breathing, movement, stretching, meditaion, chanting and the science of sequence. There are two types of breathing used on the dvds. The first is long deep breathing, and the second is "the breathe of fire." The Breathe of Fire is rapid deep breathing. The comparison they use for this breathing on the dvd is panting like a dog. Which I promise the first time you do it, you will feel like the biggest idiot in the world. Even if you are alone, you will laugh at yourself and think ... "If someone walked in right now they would seriously think something was wrong with me." Once you get use to it though, you don't even think about it anymore. The Breathe of Fire is used to get your heart rate up and keep it up throughout a sequence. The dvds start with a breathing exercise, then some spinal warm-ups and stretching followed by a special set called a Kriya. A Kriya might focus on de-toxing the liver, boosting your energy, massaging your organs to get your hormones flowing correctly, or mastering your moods, and developing will-power. After each Kriya there is a relaxation for a few minutes, to consolidate your gains. Each dvd ends with a meditation. www.raviana.com
People have grown up to 3 inches in some cases because their spine was so compressed and yoga stretched and lengthened their spine. Yoga also prides itself on helping people with back problems. The exercises are intense but very low impact. They really work with you to make sure you get the exercises right. And ultimately it helps your work with stress. To me yoga is unlike any other exercise I have tried. It is not about getting big arms or a perfectly chiseled six pack. Its strictly about getting healthy, and making your body work for you the way it should. It won't take long before you start feeling the difference.
2 comments:
Another awesome post. I have been playing on the website for almost an hour. Do you have both DVD's?
yes ma'm I do!! you are more than welcome to borrow. I can bring you the beginners one ... but do it more than once bc the first time you are just getting use to the breathing and the poses. You can keep it for a few weeks and see what you think. Once you get use to it, its so awesome because its really working out, relaxing/de-stressing and giving your body a massage all in one!
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