Search - Meditation for Beginners on DVD

Outstanding Program!

SomewhatZen | Cleveland, OH | 12/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a high-stress guy, which is probably why I received this DVD as an early Christmas present. I took one look at the cover and cringed, but I'll be the first to admit that I could use a lifestyle change. Soo...I started using the DVD on a daily basis about two weeks ago, and it has begun to have a very real effect on the quality of my life. I spend about 40 minutes in the morning before I start my work-day with the DVD. The first 15 or so minutes are spent loosing up the body with a number of light yoga stretches, and then I use the first of two meditation programs which is called a "body scan". It's a meditation program that really puts you into a state of deep relaxation. It doesn't make you sleepy (though it might if you performed it in the evening), on the contrary, I always feel rejuvenated by the end of the routine.I haven't moved to the second program yet, but I plan to next week. It's a seated meditation program that is meant to help you refresh and focus your mind. I honestly can't wait to get started! This DVD took me by surprise. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Even if you don't get anything out of the meditation program itself, the production of the DVD is outstanding. It's like a trip to Hawaii. A very, very, relaxing trip to Hawaii."

The best meditation instruction I've come across

Rose Levy | NJ | 11/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been doing yoga and trying to meditate for the past 10 odd years. I think I'm a particulary difficult student because I over analyze and I can be far too critical. I'm easily put off by instructors -- perhaps a tone that is too self-satisfied or what I perceive as silly "new agey" talk.

So, as you might imagine, I have tried many meditation videos and dvds over the years, and this is by far the best one I have ever used.

The DVD is divided into three main sections:
Mindful Yoga: a 15-minute yoga program that focusses on relaxing the body with lots of seated poses, a little downward dog. Nothing strenuous.

Body Scan: a 20 minute, lying-down body awareness exercise in which you move your attention to various parts of your body.

Seated Meditation: a 20-minute guided meditation in which Maritza talks you through the practice of concentration and teaches you the basic breathing technique for learning how to keep the mind focussed and relaxed while distractions come and go. The breathing technique works quite well especially if paying attention to your breath tends to make you even more anxious. You count(starting at 1 and going to 5) the pause between the completion of the exhale and the next inhale. I found it quite easy to learn and highly effective.

The music is subtle and perfectly suited, the backdrops are lush and beautifully filmed.

All of this makes, for what I think, is a perfect meditation DVD, and yet here is the best part: Martiza's words, her narration, is so superbly written and resonates with such deep humanism and truth that I really am beginning to understand what mediation is, and what I am trying to achieve. Like I said, I'm an ornery student, but she's really that good."

Very good program

SomewhatZen | 02/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently purchased this dvd, and another meditation dvd from Yoga Zone. This dvd is superior in every aspect. The instructor, Maritza has a strong accent, but you will find that her instructions are very clear, very focused, and very helpful. The dvd is divided into three parts. The first part is a gentle easy yoga stretch session; the second session is a body scan-meditation segment; and the third is a seated meditation segment. The photography (all done in Hawaii) is gorgeous and very well done. In addition, the dvd has a menu which allows you to pick the different segments you want to try, an introduction, a "personal trainer" option which allows you to switch to a separate segment showing you how to do a particular movement, and an interview."

THE BEST MEDITATION GUIDE I HAVE TRIED

Gwen Forlenza | NE Vermont USA | 03/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Learning to Meditate is not easy! I have a problem keeping my mind from roaming. I think any time we are serious about learning anything new, most of us are looking for the magic bullet-the ONE perfect answer to making it all happen. This DVD is so far the BEST I've tried. After about a week & a half of consist practice at the same time every morning my mind still wanders, but I can feel a change in the depth of my concentration. Maritza knows you will have a wandering mind, & she tells you in softly accented French to leave judgments behind. The only accompaniment to the Meditation section is Tibetan bells & bowls over a low, non-invasive hum-perfect for bringing your mind to deeper conscious levels.

The DVD consists of a 15-minute Yoga session, done mostly on the floor along with Downward-facing Dog & Bridge Pose-quite basic. The next session is a Body Scan for relaxing. I find that doing all three at once takes nearly an hour, so I only do Meditation each day & Yoga & Body Scan on other days. If you have the time, it would probably be beneficial to at least do the Yoga first. I believe in time this DVD will help me learn to meditate effectively. I see it more as a teaching aid, a stepping stone to being able to Meditate on my own with only an audio music of maybe Tibetan bowls in the background. If I have any problems with this DVD, it is that it doesn't give you the option of being able to play just the audio, but there are excellent CDs with these sounds available such as "Singing Bowls". The extras include a very candid interview with Maritza which actually helped me to feel more comfortable with her leading my Meditation. In fact, I've come to enjoy it so much that it actually pulls me out of bed before 6:00 a.m each morning! Oh, did I forget to mention the exquisite Maui Island setting?
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