Fluid Power: Vinyasa Flow Yoga

I was very excited to get this DVD because I love Yoga Shakti so much and Shiva Rea in general. This DVD once again has lots of options in it though I found it to be less versatile than Yoga Shakti because it only has 20 segments to choose from (which 6 of them are meditations and 7 different sun salutations) vs. 32 segments on Shakti which also has more practice 'meat' , but nothing to whine about ,it's a great DVD. It was filmed in the White Sands National Monument in new mexico and has beautiful background and music as well.It is more "normal yoga" than Yoga Trance Dance but is more creative and fluid than yoga shakti hence the name.
It has 6 preset practices
Backbend Flow - 108 min (a tough one!)
Hip Openers Flow - 77 min
Creative Flow - 63 min (closer to Yoga Trance Dance than traditional yoga)
Beginning Flow - 43 min
Lunar Flow for Flexilibity - 41 min
Meditative Flow - 25 min
all these practices are composed of the following segments that you can choose from the matrix to play in the order you want :
3 opening meditations:
*Pranyama with Chanting - 9 min
*Spiral Meditation - 7 min - this one should have been on "trance dance" LOL this is free form movement guided by Shiva , if you didn't like YTD you won't like this one either.
*Prana Flow Meditation - a repeat from YTD
6 Sun Salutations : non of these are traditional sun sals'. :
*Dancing Warrior 1008 Prep : 12 min ,very good instructions on this one , slow and controlled movements yet challenging - a lot of side planks and planks with twists and also one legged planks and scorpions (coming up to downdog while one leg is bent and flexed like a scorpion tale and then twist while in downdog) these movements are repeated in 2 other segments on this DVD (the next one and the backbends vinyasa).
*Dancing Warrior 1008 :12 min , a more flowing and faster version of the prep with less instruction and additional poses
*Foundation Vinyassa - 13 min, some more flowing movements with a lot of planks and down dogs ,variations of cat, one side plank,lunges and ending with chair pose.
*Kalari Vinyasa - 7 min , another creative vinyasa
*Mandala Namaskar 1 - 11 min another flowy sun sal. a lot of deep lunges ,twisting lunges to open the hips , one legged planks, stretching from side to side while lunging (like the athletic stretch) and moving in circular pattern (starting at the front of the mat moving to the side then the back and then the other side).
*Jala Namaskar - 8 min - almost similar to the segment on YTD with the same name but filmed with new scenery and added a few more moves.
Standing Poses :
* Standing Pose Mandala - 27 min, the main or actually the only standing pose flow - a lot of flowing transitions between familliar poses - warriors and triangles including the twisting versions , chairs and twisted chairs and lot of transitions to yogic squats (goddess pose) this is a great leg/butt work, she hold some poses for a while but not too long but the fact your'e doing some movements while in lunge or squat make your legs/glute muscles to work harder .There are 2 options here :moving in a circular pattern or just from side to side so you can always look at the screen she cues both options. I find the scenery of this segment , the most beautiful , Shiva is dressed in bright orange outfit and practicing on a surface in a shallow pool that was built in the middle of the white sands - the mixture of the colors is beautiful , I just love to watch it , very relaxing.
*Mandala Namaskar 2 - 10 min , this really should have been on the sun sal section but they stuck it in the standing poses line probably because there was no place left on the previous line on the matrix , it's some sort of version of the sun sal B with warriors 2 and once again some yogic squats and moving in circular pattern.
Core :
*Handstand Vinyasa - 8 Min , a very thorough hanstand sequence done against a wall,she shows some very advanced variations like lotus in handstand.
*Water Core - 10 min - the same on "Creative Core Abs", very different from the core segment on yoga shakti,once again it's all about fluid and creative movements ,very playful and fun to do. you start on your knees and then leaning backward which is similar to a pilates exercise, then you sit with bent legs or straight and starting a circular movement with your torso and hands like you are stirring a bowl, she also does some double crunches with your legs in badhakonasana and lifting the pelvis and legs up and some more fun movements.
Backbends :
*Backbending Vinyasa - 14 min - surprisingly a lot of standing poses - lunges with a backbend , lunges with prayer twist , dancer's pose , side planks with twists and going into a backbend (not something I could do), splits , bow pose and advanced version of downdog - while balancing on one leg and one hand you grab your opposite leg with the other hand and going into some sort of a backbend while in downdog.
*Basic Fluid Backbend - 10 min - basic only if compared to the previous segment , a more traditional flow starting with flowing movements from child pose to cobra and then from downdog to updog just like in raviana's "beginners and beyond", bow pose, camel (including advanced variations) and a few wheels. in both of the backbend segments a small screen appears on the side showing you modifications with a strap from time to time.
Counterposes :
*Forward Bends and Hip Openers - 18 min. a very thorough segment of forward bends twists and hip openers including some more advanced variations and poses than Yoga Shakti, includes Pigeon pose , one of my favorite poses with some advanced variations that I couldn't do.This is slower paced segment and she hold the poses enough to feel a good stretch , one of my favorite segments on this DVD and better than the parallel segment on shakti(in my opinion).
*Prana Yoga Slow Wave - 12 min repeat from YTD - slow movements on your back like twisting from side to side.
Meditation :
*Meditation - 5 min - not much to explain here
*Fluid System Meditation - 7 min , a standing meditation while moving your hands , has some nice visual effects.
*Savasana - 5 min.
All in all a great DVD to add to your collection especially if you want to break your traditional yoga (or any exercise) routine from time to time with something that is little bit different but still have a yoga feel to it , or if you're a Shiva fan like I am.

Instructor Comments:
Shiva is wonderful , encouraging and soothing as always.

Yoni

Someone else reviewd this DVD so I won't bore you with the details. If you are a dancer or have a dancer's heart, you will love this DVD. If traditional ashtanga yoga is your thing and music and movement mean nothing to you, then don't get this DVD.

I have been doing kundalini yoga for 4 years and traditional hatha yoga bores me. I need to feel the movement and the music as I am doing a yoga pose. This is the only type of yoga I do besides kundalini yoga. Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti was boring to me after I started doing kundalini yoga, but this DVD hits the spot rythmatically and movement wise.

So there you have it, if you love to dance get it; if you don't skip it.

Instructor Comments:
fluid like a dancer with a great voice

NYYogagirl

Beginners Flow (43 minutes): A great limbering and stretching workout! Lots of fluid, spiraling movements (upper body, back, and some legs) for limbering up and some interesting variations for lower body/hip stretches. Lovely and unique white sand setting. Cueing is not the greatest but I still absolutely loved it! Nice music, too.

lucia