Shiva Rea Fluid Power Vinyasa Flow Yoga
| Brand: | ACORN MEDIA | ||
| Average Rating |
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We are naturally fluid. More than half our total body weight is water. And yet this fluid power—in our awareness and way of moving—is often an untapped reservoir of energy and joy.
Explore the power of your fluid nature with Shiva Rea, one of the yoga world’s most inspiring teachers. Her innovative sequences move with natural flow for a completely original style of yoga that enhances vitality, agility, and creativity. Through rhythmic, circular, and spiraling movements, you will learn to liberate poses that are often rigidly held, allowing you to grow stronger and more flexible with grace.
The unique Yoga Matrix menu allows you to customize your practice, choosing from over 3 hours of yoga (20 segments) to suit your time and energy level on any given day. Or, choose one of 6 pre-set practices, from foundation to advanced, from short to long, from solely meditative to energetic. Sequences include four innovative sun salutations, water core, standing pose mandala, fluid backbends, handstand, forward bends, pranayama, meditations, and deep relaxation. For experienced beginners to intermediate practitioners.
- Special Features Include:
- Program options: Create a custom practice with segments from the Yoga Matrix menu with (20 segments, 213 min.) or choose from 6 different pre-set practices (26-108 min. each)
- Audio options: Instruction and music or music only
- Fluid vinyasa techniques
- Alignment details for 10 fluid asanas
- 24-page program guide
- Y yoga mini documentary with Shiva Rea
- Comments by experts Sally Kempton, Daniel Odier, Stuart Svotsky, and Fred Alan Wolf
- Filmed in HD at White Sands National Park and directed by James Wvinner with cinematography by Hollywood’s Sion Michel (Memoirs of a Geisha) more info
i wanted to love it…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
shiva rea is quite the gracious yogini with soothing instruction and great music that makes you think for a split second you can actually do what she does with seemingly no effort. while your ego carries you one place, your body quickly reminds you of your limitations. she’s great to watch but also great to follow; the music and variety of instruction keep her on the top of my list.
however, i have a really hard time loving this one. it’s a bit too creative, as other reviewers have put it. it digresses away from yogic exertion and brings you more into meditative flow. a great practice, yes, just not something i was hoping to get out of shiva.
Not the best
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Beautiful mediatative DVD. Not Shiva’s best. I would not reccommend this for anything other than an intermdiate yoga practioner and strictly for a meditative purpose.
perfect for single learner study at home!!1
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
the music and the steps speed which is quite good enough for beginner or higher level learners to improve the body skills. i like to do the Yoga at home alone with DVD, which would be more comfortable and more relax way i can have by my own.
GREAT FEATURES BUT NOT MY STYLE
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to like this DVD and over the past year I’ve tried to incorporate it into my exercise regime unfortunately I just can’t get into Shiva’s free-flow interpretive style of Yoga and FLUID POWER sits on the shelf (in favour of Rodney Yee) unless I’m feeling very creative (and a little drunk).
I’ve been practicing Yoga for many years now and would consider myself to be an intermediate to advanced Yogi who mostly practices at home so I’ve done my fair share of Yoga DVDs and although this is a great workout it’s just not for me. On the positive side though there is a ton to discover in the 213 minutes contained here all easily accessible through the awesome Yoga Matrix menu which allows you to `create your own custom practice’ (this feature should be included on all workout DVDs). The music is really good too with audio options for instruction or music only, although personally I don’t know how this workout would be possible without instruction. This has also been beautifully filmed with amazing scenery and there are tons of special features included on the bonus disk.
Shiva Rea is a fantastic instructor (once she stops free-flowing) unfortunately most of this practice is un-traditional and I couldn’t follow or get into her original, innovative style. Finding myself lost unless I could see the TV (at all times) continually facing the wrong direction or using the wrong arm or leg and straining my neck to see what she was up to next.
I would also consider this to be an advanced workout and beginners should be warned that Shiva flows quickly from one position to the next with some very challenging and complex bindings and poses and unless you’re fluent in the ancient language of Sanskrit or a Yoga instructor you’ll be lost with the amount of Sanskrit used here without translation.
This is a really popular workout and I envy those that appreciate this style, I guess I’m just a traditionalist when it comes to my Yoga practice.
Inspirational background and energy
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love the music, background, and energy of this DVD. I liked how Shiva Rea’s movements create a wave of motion throughout the body. This style does not seem the best for stiff people, though. Because of the frequent movements and rotations of the body, it’s easy to twist a muscle. I would recommend warming up properly.
Though the DVD boosts over 200 minutes of footage, most of the segments involve breathing or dancing around “free form.” I am not interested in the “dance” element of yoga, so I was disappointed. I had expected longer flow segments. (I loved the flow elements but wished there were more.)
I don’t mean to complain too much. Shiva Rea has such a positive energy, and the water allusions are amazing!
DVD is fantastic!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am a vinyasa yoga instructor from Washington DC and I am currently living in a small town in Germany where there are no yoga studios. After lamenting my situation, I finally decided to purchase some yoga DVDs to maintain my practice and I am so happy with this one. It is creative, challenging, and beautiful. I did not believe that a DVD could provide energy and inspiration. However, this one really delivers. I recommend it to all my fellow yogis out there! Namaste!
Best Instructional DVD I’ve ever used
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I buy a lot of yoga and dance dvd’s to use at home when I can’t make it to class. This one is not only affordable, but, the most like a real class experience I’ve ever had. There is a “Yoga Matrix” where you can create your own session, so it can be different every time you practice. I’ve been using it every day for 2 weeks and have not gotten bored yet. You can even chose the music! I would highly recommend this product for advanced beginner-advanced yoga students.
Nice vinyasa flows
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This DVD is well conceived and allows one to choose a sequencing and make your own class with different elements for warm up, standing poses, arm balances, and closing sequence.
I originally bought this DVD to learn new types of sequencing and incorporating them in my classes to add newness.
I have yet to practice each one!
Thanks Shivae Rea for this great DVD.
Tough or easy, this beautiful DVD has it all!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is probably my favorite Shiva Rea DVD. It’s so versatile and I can use it if I want a tough yoga workout or if I want a more soothing one. This DVD has it all!
What I love about this DVD:
**Pre-set practices of varying lengths, both shorter and longer flows, ranging from 26 minutes to 108 minutes.
**the breath-taking scenery of White Sands National Park
**Shiva’s soothing voice
**the unusual flows. I particularly like the Creative Flow. I actually feel more creative after I’ve done this practice!
**the movements themselves. There is something magical about the circular movements that are such a part of this DVD. My joints feel freer and looser, my head feels clearer, and I feel at peace with myself and with the world after doing this DVD.
Things to be aware of in this DVD. I’m not calling these negatives, since they don’t detract from the DVD.
**advanced poses like handstands. Shiva doesn’t give a lot of modifications for these, so I have to make up my own. I don’t get discouraged however. I view these poses as something to work towards.
**the dancer, who appears in front of Shiva in some of the sections. I find her a bit distracting when I’m trying to look at Shiva and follow her movements.
Another wonderful creation from my favorite yoga teacher, Shiva Rea.
refreshing approach to your yoga practice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m not sure that this would be a great place to start if you have never done yoga before… but I found it refreshing, a new approach to a stagnant yoga practice! Shiva Rea is incredible! Get your body moving!
like it, don’t love it
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
i really like the free flow almost dance-like style of shiva rea’s yoga here. it’s very liberating and meditative to move my body as she instructs, so for that, i really enjoy this video, as a stress reliever and to open/loosen my body and mind. i haven’t tried that much yet, but from the beginner lessons, i found it to be quite challenging.
the only thing i don’t care for that much is the setting. i’m a water person, not a desert person, so being in a desert with no sight of any body of water makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. just a personal preference. but it is a beautiful setting in white sand with mountains in the background if you enjoy that. oh, and i’m not a huge fan of the music in the background either, although it seems to go well with the desert setting. It’s sort of a very soft, soothing Indian style of music. Again, personal preference. I do think some people might really enjoy these things.
The Sequel to Yoga Shakti
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this DVD several months after Yoga Shakti so I wouldn’t get bored, and I must say, I haven’t yet with Fluid Power. I agree with the one reviewer who said it was a sequel to Yoga Shakti. To get the most benefit, I think one needs to have experienced Yoga Shakti first; otherwise, I think someone new to yoga and to Shiva’s teaching style could easily get overwhelmed with this DVD.
Personally, I love the segments that fall under the Creative Flow sequence on the DVD: Prana Flow Meditation, Spiral Flow Meditation, Kalari Vinyasa, Jala Namaskar, Water Core (found on Creative Core Abs as well), Prana Yoga Slow Wave, Fluid Systems Meditation, and Savasana. Some of my other favorites include Pranayama with Chanting, Standing Pose Mandala, Forward Bends and Hip Openers, and Mandala Namaskars I and II.
These sequences showcase some really cool and creative vinyasa flows, such as the Kalari and Jala Namaskars, that I’ve never even seen before. Shiva, as usual, takes these traditional vinyasa sequences to a whole new level. You definitely learn a lot of new poses and techniques.
I’m still trying to master some of the harder sequences like the Dancing Warrior 1008 series and Foundation Vinyasa – a tough one for the arms! In addition, both the Backbending Sequences and Handstands are tough for me. Personally, I prefer the Backbending Sequences found on Shiva’s other DVDs, “Flow Yoga for Beginners” and “Yoga Shakti.” I feel the ones on here are for more for the intermediates and advanced. Hopefully, if I keep practicing these segments, I’ll work my way up to Shiva’s level.
Overall, a very enjoyable and different DVD. Just remember to watch a few times beforehand since there is a lot of new material to digest.
It’s the best
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love, love, love this DVD. I’ve had it for over a month now and I use it every day. I no longer need any of my other Yoga tapes. I can now create my own practice using this absolutely wonderful matrix system she includes with this DVD. You can pick and choose what you want to do on any particular day with this device. I love the way she incorporates the spiritual aspect of Yoga for the true Yoga is all about the spiritual practice. Shiva Rae has thought of everything you can possibly need for your Yoga practice and motivation. The additional bonus DVD where she includes excellent spiritual encouragement from others on this path was so uplifting. If the combination of the physical and spiritual are important to you–you won’t be disappointed with this DVD.
an exquisite exploration
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been doing Hatha yoga since I was a child, Kundalini yoga for the past 13 years or so…recently I had been feeling ambivalent or somewhat bored by the same yoga forms and teachers I had loved for years and it seemed like my body wanted to move in some new way. But I want whatever I do physically to be a holistic system, something to help me to continue my inner journey and spiritual journey as well and this DVD has been an absolute Godsend, a source of pure bliss.
I would describe this as a symbiosis of hatha forms with Kundalini movement, in a way, but it’s certainly something very unique. This specific DVD is all about fluidity; within our bodies, within our Universe, the connection between the two and linking them through a beautiful fluidity of movement. This is vinyasa yoga, no doubt, but it is not like any other vinyasa flow I have ever seen. There is great emphasis on side plank positions and extended movements in downward facing dog, so arm and core strength are building all the time. As it says on the cover, this is for advanced beginners and intermediate students. However, I found there were modifications to be found throughout, making this safe and approachable even after a lengthy break from yoga.
Let me speak to the criticisms I have seen. As to the issue of her cueing and people being frustrated trying to follow her; you need to watch ANY yoga set before you do it but with her work, yes, there is an element of free form at times, and sometimes the audio isn’t perfectly synced with the timing of her movement but that is never the focus of my yoga practice. The idea isn’t to mimick and match someone else’s moves, and since every set is essentially a few moves repeated I don’t see why it’s such a big deal if the camera is on a musician or landscape at some points. Eventually, you aren’t watching the screen anymore anyway, which I think is actually a shame because it is visually stunning. I also found that the only set where I saw these issues coming up at all was during the Foundational Vinyasa, but there are many other sets and that literally seems to be to be the only one with these challenges. But again, watching first and proceeding slowly, and listening, were enough to get me beyond that to enjoy the flow of the class.
I’ve also found the matrix menu setup to be fantastic, and while I did notice that you can’t skip through chapters once they are playing, why do you need that feature when you are pre-programming your own class? If you don’t want a section to be played, program your class without it. You can rewind or fast forward, just no chapter skipping. I’ve not found this to be an issue because of the matrix programming option.
If yoga is something you do primarily for buns of steel, this will not be a DVD for you. Other teachers I love offer things suitable for casual practitioners (and serious students alike), such as Bryan Kest. And actually Bryan does offer a wonderful blend of physical and inner work but with a different tone and a more linear external approach. But if you are someone looking for a deeper experience, something different or are at a yogic plateau after years of hatha practice you will enjoy this.
The music is wonderful, the scenery and photography are stunning, I love Shiva’s soothing but grounded voice, and I very much enjoy the spiral meditation and mantra meditation on here. My personal favorite class/flow is the backbend pre-set, which goes by so quickly and by the end I’d gone deeper into my body than I can ever recall and experienced the kind of physical yumminess you get when you have that fabulous all-over stretch first thing in the morning. I was smiling, having so much fun exploring favorite yoga moves in new ways and my body, mind and spirit were in pure bliss all the way through.
I think fellow Kundalini yogis and yoginis will enjoy this very much, and hatha practitioners who enjoy a less rigid form will as well. I could see this being a bit of a button pusher for someone who wants very exacting, step by step guidance…Shiva gives you the framework with astonishing clarity, I think, but also allows you and your body the freedom to explore within that framework. A few years ago, I would have hated this, I wanted the exacting detail…now, I welcome the grace and fludity here. It feels like freedom.
Love Shiva Rea
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This DVD has so many choices that it’s like having multiple yoga workouts. It’s definitely worth more than the price because there is such a variety of levels and routines that you can pick and choose. There is an incredible matrix on the dvd that allows me to interactively build my own workout. The workouts are challenging and contain a variety of variations and levels so that it accomodates all levels of fitness. Shiva Rea has a calming voice that is both motivating and relaxing.
Very Advanced Yoga
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have been practicing Yoga for 15 years and I consider myself advanced. I was looking for a challenge but this video was HARD. It uses a lot of Yoga vocabulary so I had to constantly watch the TV to know what to do because I couldn’t tell just from the audio. I consider myself flexible but not particularly graceful like a dancer and I had a difficult time keeping up with the fast pase. This DVD is not bad but just be aware that it is not for beginner to moderate. I would consider it very advanced and you’d better know your vocab.
Becky’s Review
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m new to flow yoga so I was happy that the CD was intended for beginners and intermediate. I find the sessions go a bit fast for a beginner; but practice should resolve that. I love the fact that there are both predesigned practices and a matrix where you can put together your own. The matrix makes for a flexible practice that doesn’t get old or boring, and can be adjusted to fit the time you have available. Overall, I’m very happy with the product.
I loved this video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am a long time Kundalini yoga practitioner and I wanted to try some different types of yoga for a change. This video is wonderful! The introduction talks about how our bodies are composed of fluid and have a movement of their own, and then you can chose what type and length of session you would like to do after that. The scenery is beautiful and the segments are really well explained, so you are guided through the poses as they flow. It does require some experience in yoga and a degree of flexibility, but I would consider myself a rusty intermediate and did fine with the poses. The flowing movements during each pose do remind my of Kundalini sets but the way it all comes together is different and really appealing. I felt deeply relaxed by the end of the tape and I look forward to using it again.
A yoga evolution
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you were only going to buy two discs, this should be your second one. It has 3 full yoga routines, plus the yoga matrix. This is an evolution of Shiva Rea–it is much more creative than Yoga Shakti. There are parts that I like, and parts that I don’t. In fact, I don’t like any of the 3 routines as a whole routine! However, I use the matrix and use only the segments that I really like. And it is a fine workout too! Many of the segments are too easy or too creative for me, but I just never do them! This can be a challenging disc if you want it to be (chosing the more challenging sequences) and includes some unconventional poses that Shiva developed on her own.
The commentary is deep and interesting. She says things like “taste the nectar of relaxation,” or “feel the rivers of your body flowing out.” I find her metaphors deep and inspiring, and she doesn’t overuse them. The music is interesting, soothing–a perfect complement to this exceptional practice.
Excellent Yoga Practice!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m an advanced beginner yoga practitioner and it was true liberating when I tried Shiva’s Fluid Power Vinyasa Flow Yoga. The principles of waving, dancing, chanting, fluid transitions between asanas and pranayama are combined in an innovative way. Buy this DVD. You wont regret!
Namaste!
Carla
awesome and inspirational
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very inspirational, especially if you’ve been practicing for some time and have started to get a bit bored or burnt out on your same old classes and same old routine. Beautiful setting and very helpful verbal adjustments throughout. I also purchased her Prenatal Yoga DVD which was good but did not fully demonstrate her power as an instructor. Also, this DVD shows variations up to very advanced poses, so should prove challenging and engaging for both the beginner as well as more advanced students.
Challenging
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love it, but is challenging. I have been practicing yoga for several years, but this really makes you work. I was looking for something a little different and it
definitely is. I love the music and the setting. If you are wanting basic yoga I wouldn’t buy it. It is fast and challenging. Karen
Love/Hate relationship
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Been doing power yoga and Kundalini yoga for about two years now. Consider myself open-minded, coordinated and flexible. I like this DVD but find it hard to follow. I never have to look at the T.V. when doing other videos. I find I have to turn around to see what she is doing a lot. Other than that, like I said I like it, it is challenging and feels good.
Blown away entirely by this DVD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Shiva Rea- Fluid Power is the first one of her series that I have purchased and tried out. The location, music and the flow in which she executes the movement, just left me delighted with the beauty of the experience in her brand of fluid yoga. I have experience with other yoga videos like Crunch and Yoga Makeovers by Sarah Ivanhoe. I have also taken yoga classes in college, and perform the exercises in Yoga Zone and Namaste Yoga. This DVD reminds me somewhat of an Ashtanga Yoga class that almost left me in a trance, because it was that good. Shiva Rea – Fluid Power is not for beginners but more for people who can handle the trickier moves such as those shown in Namaste Yoga broadcasted in Fit TV. Other reviews go into more depth on how the DVD is set up, but I will say that I was really impressed after I opened the case to find not only a manual, but two DVDs as well. If you want to try a DVD that is out of the ordinary, pick this one!! You won’t be dissapointed!!!
Great Instructor..Very Different Yoga DVD…Keep an Open Mind
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I heard a lot of awesome things about Shiva Rhea. I missed her workshop when she came into Florida, so I thought I’d catch up on some of her technique/exercises by this DVD. I have to say her exercises are very different, and one needs to keep a very open mind when doing them. From my experience, I feel that she is coming from this angle: where the student can expand themselves through movements that are not traditionally yoga and are more modern movement. You can move like a baby swimming in water while you lie on your back. You curl like a fetus as if you were back in your mother’s womb. A bit imaginative, however, effective. I say this DVD is for those yoginis who are New Age focused and are willing to try anything…or are Shiva Rhea Fans. Namaste.