Sun Salutations

Full Title: Sun Salutations: Awakening the Flow
Author / Editor: Shiva Rea
Publisher: Sounds True, 2005

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Review © Metapsychology Vol. 10, No. 5
Reviewer: Christian Perring

On this excellent yoga DVD, you can
program your own exercise from a menu, and then play the whole program without
having to go back to the DVD remote control. 
Yoga expert Shiva Rea demonstrates sun salutations, and you can select
from

·       
initial meditation

·       
classical sun salutations

·       
surya namaska a & b

·       
2 rhythmic vinyasas

·       
4 dancing warriors

·       
shavasana (rest)

If you did all of these, it would take about an hour.  The DVD also provides 5 possible
pre-selected shorter programs of about 20 minutes each, presenting varying
degrees of challenge.  The different
flows involve forward folds, cobra or upward dog, downward dog, and a variety
of warrior positions.  The more advanced
dancing warrior flows are quite demanding and you may have some difficulty
keeping up with Rea as she demonstrates them. 

As with Rea’s other DVDs in this
Sounds True series, she does them outside on a beach, in a stunning
location.  The clouds in the background
lit from behind by the sun near the horizon are breathtaking.  Rea’s narration has been added after, and
she does not speak while she demonstrates. 
In the background is eastern flavored music, and for the more vigorous
flows, it has a strong electronic beat. 
The camerawork is strong and professional, and the editing from one
different viewpoints helps to get clear on exactly how Rea is carrying out the
flows.  It is important to view the DVD
before attempting the exercises, but it is also helpful to view it after trying
them a few times, to focus on some of the smaller details that are hard to see
while actually following her instructions. 

Beginners may want to stick with
the easier exercises until they are comfortable with the pace and stretches,
and then they will be ready to move onto the more advanced flows.   These yoga flows should help you become
more flexible and fit, and they have the potential to calm down your mind and
feel more in tune with your body.  This
is an impressive DVD that will appeal to many people who want to get the
advantages of yoga practice.

 

Links:

·       
Sounds True

·       
Shiva Rea website

·       
Review of Shiva
Rea’s Lunar Flow DVD.

 

© 2006 Christian Perring. All
rights reserved.

 

Christian Perring, Ph.D., is
Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island, and editor
of Metapsychology Online Review.  His main research is on
philosophical issues in medicine, psychiatry and psychology.

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