Search - Kabbalah Yoga - Ambitious Beginners on DVD

A NEW KABBALAH YOGI

D. ANIS | 07/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this video for all of the same reasons the other person didn't. Finally, a Yoga program where I don't have to listen to the cue'ing over and over again after I've watched this a dozen times and know the program. If this program were so easy that I could do it the first time viewing, why buy it? I don't need to watch or hear cue'ing while I'm doing this program...I can count to 6 (breaths). ALSO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KABBALAH AND YOGA IS ASTOUNDING. THIS DVD GIVES YOU THE TOOLS THROUGH PHYSICAL YOGA POSES TO ACCESS YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE. THE SPANISH VERSION IS PERFECT BECAUSE I SPEAK SPANISH AS WELL. THE BEST PART...THE MUSIC. JAI UTTAL HAS OUTDONE HIMSELF WITH HIS SONG "SHALOM""

For AVANCED Beginners or Intermediates

Lena, LMT | Nassau, NY | 02/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is set just like their Attainable Advanced.
Menu: Play, In Spanish & Bonus Asanas
This is set in a small stage w/Ariella leading & 2 other woman & one man (Diego) all doing the poses at the same time. Each have their own limitations & Diego shows the most modified. Ariella is young, but is very good, she looks at her toes during boat & she can do the wheel with holding her angles, etc. with amazing flexibility. It is all narrated by a calming, but not boring female voice, telling you all the English pose names as well as shown on the screen. Unlike the Attainable Advanced of this set, this has NO body instructions which is unusual. She tells you the name of the English only names of the poses, says it again & "other side" & then the name of the next pose which is when the others are doing it as well.. "Yoga means union... Kabbalah yoga symbolically disconnects the the mind, body, spirit connection in order to reveal & examine our imbalances... thread the needle, other side... we now have the opportunity to restore, renew, rebalanced, but most important, reunite. Now the body becomes a more hospitable host for our spirit...... Kabbalah yoga teaches that the poses in between the poses, are just as important as the pose you're going into. Make this pose your sacred place of inner peace." There are occasionally cues on when to breath, mostly during sun salutations. And yes, it's good to see they take time to thoughtfully go in/out of each pose w/o hurrying through.

There is a 10 minute advanced asanas section of Ariella showing postures slowly like the handstand, tripod handstand, forearm stand, drop-back back bend, wide legged fwd bend into a tripod handstand & hand balancing w/legs pressing into arms (more challenging kinda crow) w/assistance & without. This is the exact one that's on the Attainable Advanced.

This 38 min workout has a beautiful song playing, light-hearted, but calming, positive feel. The poses include:
Chanting Shalom 3x, easy twist w/hand on opposite thigh, cat/cow, table, balance table, thread the needle, plank pose, upward dog, downward facing dog, downward dog opposite hand grabbing ankle, dolphin (down dog hip posture), forearm plank (held for a short time), upward dog, down dog, chair, standing fwd bend, plank, upward dog, downward facing dog, standing split w/twist, down dog, standing split other side, down dog, warrior 1, warrior 2, yoga mudra warrior (warrior legs, lean head to ground with front leg in 90 angle & arms stretched behind), warrior 1, plank, upward dog, down dog, (same thing on other side), extended side angle, lung w/prayer twist, down dog, (repeat on other side), star (only side plank here), (other side), down dog, triangle, half moon, triangle, down dog, (repeat on other side), wide legged fwd bend, wide legged triangle twist, (other side), pyramid (head to knee w/prayer hands behind back), tree, other side, prayer squat, crow (should not be attempted unless have had detailed instruction), cobbler's/butterfly, balancing bear (wide legged boat), boat, 1 legged sitting fwd bend, 1 legged wide angle seated side bend, half upward boat (holding 1 foot in air), seated spinal twist, staff pose, seated straight leg fwd bend, Eastern plank (sitting, then arms behind you raise torso), up dog, down dog, (other side), 3 legged down dog, pigeon, downward dog, (other side), reclined knee to chest, bridge, wheel (should not be attempted w/o detailed instruction), lying knees to chest, plow, shoulder stand, shoulder stand w/bottoms of feet touching, plow, boat prep (spread legs), boat, reclined spinal twist one knee cross over , other side, roll up, sitting & prayer hands for different parts of body & the Hebrew? name for it & savasana, "Now you are exquisitely exhausted, enough to surrender into stillness. The harder you worked, the easier it is to become still. You feel you deserve it..." which lasts 2 minutes. This part has a little bit of a man chanting for a few seconds which felt unusual to me & then goes into a different light calming, but not boring song.

The words said are non-religion spiritual. Just empowering/encouraging you to be more aware of the spirit, kind to yourself, others, take time to enjoy life, etc. Thoughts/opinions almost all religions are agree on. I enjoyed this because of the song, the good voice over, but more importantly, the style/intention. They are elegant during, in & out of the poses with intention. It's held long enough that you can feel the stretch which is about 6 breaths? but also not so long that you are not bored & wondering what time it is. I'm not happy as this is I got after the Attainable Advanced, this is the exact same flow, except much less 1/2 sun salutations & same poses but sometimes just less advanced form. That's what Diago was for in the advanced version.
This is NOT for beginners who don't already know all these poses by name & how to so it properly & have been practicing for a while. IF you had to choose one, I'd suggest the Attainable Advanced if you can deal with a longer session w/more 1/2 sun salutations in between. Check Kabbalah Yoga - Attainable Advanced for my review with all the poses."