I’m reviewing this workout after previewing and doing it once.

General workout breakdown: This 50-min. kundalini yoga practice focuses on a set called flexibility and the spine, which includes a fair number of backbends and forward bends. The moves include (and I apologize for not getting all of the proper KY terms)
centering with om namo guru dev namo 3x
neck rolls
stomach grind
spinal flex
washing machine (twists with hands on shoulders)
sun salutations (1 round)
table top / bridge w/ breath of fire
on back, head & heels raised 6” from floor w/ breath of fire
tuck pose (head to knees) w/ breath of fire
while seated, arms at 60 degrees w/ breath of fire – then draw hands overhead with thumbs touching
--> With this, the warm-up ends and the flexibility & the spine portion proper begins.
warrior w/ bow & arrow arms w/ long deep breath
on back, legs at 60 degrees w/ long deep breath
locust
bow
child’s pose
standing, w/ arms to side, forward bend to one leg, return to center, and then forward bend to other leg
standing forward bend-backbend series
standing alternating side bends
side to side stretch w/ legs wide (seated)
life nerve stretch (forward bend w/ moving up & down)
plow
shoulderstand – alternate between shoulderstand & wide plow
plow – life nerve stretch series (rolling back and forth between two)
relaxation
sat kriya (seated on heels)
bow forward w/ sa ta na ma silent meditation
pumping the arms (seated on heels; looks like bird wings)
close squats
cat & cow on all fours (N.B. this transition is NOT cued)
relaxation
left nostril breath (long deep breath w/ right nostril blocked) / meditation while seated
chanting (guru guru wahe guru guru ram das guru)
final relaxation
knees to chest – rub hands and soles of feet together – circle wrists and ankles – rock on spine – shake arms in hands
hands in prayer for final Sat Nam

Level: I’d recommend this to experienced exercisers with some prior experience in yoga (Donna does not explain breath of fire, for example, and mentions modifications without showing them), although you don’t need to be an expert yogi(ni) by any means. I suspect advanced kundalini yogis will find this on the easy side, while more beginner ones will find this suitably challenging. I’ve been practicing yoga for about 6 years but only dabble in kundalini (OK, Ravi Singh and Ana Brett’s take on KY), and I was able to follow along, although I modified for flexibility limitations and slowed down the pace. I would NOT recommend this to someone without a healthy back and some preexisting flexibility, especially in the hamstrings, however.

Class: Donna alone, with instruction via voiceover, except when she joins a small class for the chant.

Music: for most of the workout guitar and singing / chanting; otherwise, silence.

Set: on the edge of a lake in Maine. Different shots of this lake’s natural beauty are interspersed throughout the session. Parts of the final chant and relaxation are set in Donna’s bright interior studio.

Production: clear picture and sound. Even though this is a homemade production, attention was given to editing, camera shots, etc.

Equipment: yoga mat, carpet, or equivalent. Optional: eyebag and/or blanket for final relaxation. Donna is barefoot.

Space Requirements: enough room to lie down with arms and hands extended, with room behind your head for plow. You should be able to do a full sun salutation without bumping into anything, too.

DVD Notes: The video starts right up when you pop it in. The main menu offers you the options of Play All, Chapter Menu (Tune-in, Warm Ups, Set, Meditation, and Relaxation), and Info. The video is chaptered so you can skip Donna’s introduction.

Comments: As with any program, listen to your body, go at an appropriate pace, and make any needed modifications. You may not want to round the back quite so much in the forward bend (life nerve stretch), for example.
I found it difficult to do some of the poses first thing in the morning; I would have fared better later in the day when I’m more flexible. Because of the number of backbends, I wouldn’t recommend doing this right before bed, however, if you’re as prone to staying awake after intense backbending as I am. (Backbends are like caffeine to me – neither gives me a jolt, but they can keep me from sleeping.)
My only previous kundalini yoga experience has been Ravi Singh & Ana Brett videos and one of their workshops. Still, I found it easy to make the transition from their programs to this DVD. Donna is more of a KY traditionalist (i.e. more in lines with Yogi Bajhan’s teachings) than Ravi & Ana, although I’m not sure what that all means. Donna does not include as many meditation or relaxation breaks between poses as Ravi & Ana. She also doesn’t have quite as many motivational sayings and make as many claims about the poses’ benefit.
Why do some instructors insist on telling you all about the upcoming pose or sequence or meditation while you’re relaxing? (I’ve seen this more often in KY videos, but other hatha videos sometimes do this.) I’m trying to relax and focus on the now, so it’s distracting and actually stressful attempting to absorb all of that information while trying to let go.

Instructor Comments:
Donna speaks clearly, with a pleasant, non-intimidating presence. Donna encourages you to close your eyes, but she misses cueing one or two moves and doesn’t explain some of the moves as clearly as she might for someone who might be new to kundalini yoga. Still, as someone who’s not a KY expert I found this practice easy to follow.

KathAL79