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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD EAN: 0054961808694 Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: Acacia Manufacturer: Acacia Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Acacia Release Date: April 15, 2008 Running Time: 70 minutes Studio: Acacia Theatrical Release Date: 2008 Editorial Review: Description: A superb introduction to one of the most beneficial and rewarding forms of yoga Flow yoga, also called vinyasa yoga, combines flowing movement with rhythmic breathing for a dynamic mind-body workout. Like a moving meditation, flow yoga unites mind, body, and breath. Your mind clears, your body calms, even as your pulse quickens. Renowned and innovative flow yoga teacher Shiva Rea leads this introductory practice, filmed amid breathtaking scenery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. She begins with a seated mediation that teaches you how to link breath with movement. Three more segments introduce her flowing approach to classic poses. Transitions from pose to pose are graceful and easy. You may not have Shiva's flexibility (yet), but you can follow her lead in ways that work for you. Feel yourself becoming stronger and more supple. Sense your new energy and find the fluidity that has always been yours. Amazon.com: The title, Flow Yoga for Beginners, is slightly oxymoronic, as 'flow' yoga, at least as practiced by many yogis and yoginis, is by its very nature more aerobic, vigorous, and difficult than the yoga undertaken by most beginning students. But leave it to Shiva Rea, whose growing series of home videos is arguably the best on the market, to reconcile those two disparate factors--for the most part, anyway. Rea defines the flow concept as 'the ability to move freely in an unbroken string of awareness'; in more pedestrian terms, it’s a continuous sequence of poses, one moving freely and naturally to the next, which tends to generate heat and deepen control of the breath. The breath, specifically ujjayi pranayama, is the centerpiece of Rea’s introduction to this 70-minute program; her instructions in the use of this basic but hard-to-explain technique are excellent. Thereafter, she spends about 20 minutes on backbends (from simple standing and lunging backbends to poses like cobra, bow, locust, and camel, which can be very challenging for inexperienced students); this segment also includes a few twists. Next, the 'Relaxing Flexibility Flow' sequence consists mostly of counterposes such as the 'happy baby' and badakonasana (cobbler’s pose), while the 'Standing Pose Flow,' the longest and best of the lot, focuses on poses including and derived from virabadrasana II (aka warrior II), one of the common standing positions. It’s all good, but while Rea provides detailed instruction and simpler variations for many poses, genuine beginners would do well to study the program closely before attempting it; and even then, poses like chaturanga dandasana (a lowered pushup) are rarely taught in beginners classes, even in their easier versions. As for the lush Hawaiian scenery, well, great, but the practice of hatha yoga ultimately depends on going inside, even to the point of doing it with eyes closed. Still and all, while it’s not quite up to the standards of Shiva Rea’s other videos, Flow Yoga for Beginners is a winner. --Sam Graham Related Items:      see moreAverage Rating:
 Rating:  - Good introduction, but you do need to be in shape firstYou really need to be in decent condition and state of flexibility before diving into this. That said, excellent presentation and production values, and overall recommended. Well laid out, and a great introduction. Rating:  - Great! :)Just received my order! :) This afternoon I had my 1st 70min workout with this DVD. I have to say that this is really great! I've done yoga on and off for about 1yr with YogaZone's DVD "Gentle Yoga" - it includes two basic, well explained workouts that really prepared me for Shiva Rea. Compared to "Gentle Yoga", this DVD's workouts actually increased my heart rate for quite a bit! Though I'm not very athletic, I know most of the poses already, so I was able to follow all her instructions. But I agree with some of the reviews here - there are poses that require a bit of familiarity and endurance, so they may be a bit too advanced for absolute beginners. But then again... Shiva is a great instructor. Her voice is very calming yet lifting. The workouts are professionally filmed with beautiful sceneries, and the background drumming music is subtle yet energetic. Though some reviewers commented rather negatively on some of Shiva's ambiguous instructions such as "temple of heart", "open heart", "root your feet" etc., I found them to be interesting and at times helpful. Those are abstract, conceptual ideas that are not meant to be scrutinized and taken literally. When the music starts, I get into the mindset and know what to do with my body, everything falls into the right places, and I'd be good to go. The workouts could be a bit more varied though. In the third section Shiva introduces a routine that combines Chataronga, Cobra with Warrior Poses (etc...). I'm pretty sure that she means to go through it a couple of times so the routine becomes familiar and begins to flow. But still it's a tiny bit too much repetition for me. However I did bought Yoga Shakti, Shiva's highest ranked DVD with 3.5 hrs of routines... So i've got nothing to complain :) Rating: - Not So Much for the Unfit.'No yoga experience necessary' proclaims the box. 'Score!' I think. 'I know squat about yoga, so this should be perfect!' What they don't mention is that this isn't necessarily for people not already rather fit. Each segment requires a certain level of endurance and strength that many rank beginners just don't have. She does make some modifications, but the moves remain difficult, sometimes prohibitively so. Also, despite the proclamation on the box, it seems as though some foreknowledge of yoga is in fact necessary. Some moves are cued by name rather than by description, which makes the first few viewings difficult to follow. Overall, I can't really say that I recommend this to beginners in general. Fit beginners, maybe. Advanced beginners in yoga, sure. Not so much everyone else. I wish I could like this DVD, as the scenery is lovely and Ms. Rea obviously knows her stuff, but I just can't get far enough into it to make it worth my while. Rating: - Good Intro to Flow YogaI figured this would be a good DVD to start with before I immersed myself into Yoga Shakti. I'm glad I did! I think this is not only a nice introduction to Flow Yoga, but to the instructor herself. I had heard many great reviews about Shiva Rea so I couldn't wait to get my first DVD from her. First of all, she does an excellent job in breaking down the various poses little by little so you are not overwhelmed. Also, I really appreciated the fact that she introduced gentle variations throughout so you could work up to the more complex poses. The voice over and cuing for the most part are very good and the scenery is gorgeous. I'll agree with other reviewers in saying that the Savasana at the end is very brief, but other than that, this DVD is a great intro to her style and technique. For the anyone else who may consider purchasing this DVD, getting a book that references the English and Sanskrit names for the poses may be helpful as well. I hope to buy more of her DVD's soon after I've done this routine for awhile. Rating: - Comforting, with some room to growI am a yoga and Pilates instructor- I would say offhand that I am probably not the target audience for this release. However, I am always for new choreography and sequencing ideas, particularly for people who are new to yoga. I've heard much about Rea's comforting, "fluid" instruction, so I thought this would worthwhile for me to explore. The practice is a little under 70 minutes- longer than most of the classes I teach, and longer than I typically spend on my own practice. The Warmup is about thirteen minutes long, which I feel is too long even in the context of an hour+ practice. There is a primer on Ujayyi Breathing, then linking that breath with arm movements. Then we move to Cat with knee pulls to begin mobilizing the spine, then explore Plank and its variations. Next are introductions to Half Chaturanga, Cobra, Single Leg Locust and Down Dog. Throughout, Rea provided soothing instruction and insights to help people new to yoga and/or working on strength and flexibility. Next section, Backbends, began standing with diagonal arm sweeps, then a flow between a modified standing Camel and Mountain, then another flow between a Roll Down and Back Bend. Then we moved into a Forward Fold with Chest Opener. Next we moved to our knees, moving to a Knee Lunge then Hamstring Stretch/Half-Split, then Half Chaturanga, Cobra, Half Bow, and Cat with Knee Pulls. Once we've completed the work to both sides, we Roll Up to standing again and move into Side Bends, Back Bends, Chair and Chair with a Twist. After Forward Bend, we move back to Lunge, but this time add a Twist. We use Hamstring Stretch again as a Counter Pose, then move to Quarter Dog to open the upper body. After Half Chaturanga, we continue with Bow, briefly rest, then move to Camel, Hero and move to our backs to relax the back after the Back Bends. The next segment is called Flexibility Flow, but it is focused completely on the lower body, primarily the hips. We do Knee Pulls, the Number Four Stretch, Hamstring Stretch and Wind Relieving. We next do a Supine Butterfly which turns into a Swaying Hip Opener, still on our backs. Next we sit up and move into an Undulating Butterfly before setting into the full posture. We close that section with Easy Pose. The next section, Standing Poses, includes some of the poses from the other sections, particularly Lunges and Chaturangas. We perform a Vinyasa including Half Chaturanga, Cobra and Down Dog then move into a Lunge Sequence. A la many vinyasa practices, we repeat the cycle, adding in more challenging back bends (Bow, Locust, High Cobra) and more challenging standing movements (Half Warrior, Half Side Angle, Warrior 2. The entire practice concludes with Savasana. My verdict: The warm up and the back bend sequence were of the most use to me in that they provided the most variety. However, it started going downhill for me with the Hip Openers and the Standing Sequence- I just felt that there was not enough variety, and I would think that most beginners would need variety even more than seasoned practitioners. However, Rea does create a peaceful, relaxing and encouraging atmosphere, so for that reason I'll bump my review up to three stars. |
In Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, devotees of the dram can peruse the latest revised edition of the 1989 work. In 336 pages brimming with maps, photos, and informed overview of factors such as geography and flavor components--even proximity to the sea--Jackson sketches the evolution of Scotch whisky, from the prebottling days, when shopkeepers like Johnnie Walker and the Chivas Brothers would create their own blends for sale, to the late-1960s and 1970s' surge of individual distilleries marketing their own bottlings. Lamentably labeling the former as a time when "orchestrations drowned out the soloists," Jackson provides some sweet sheet music of his own: 294 pages are devoted to an A-to-Z review (including full-color labels and tasting notes) of more than 800 singles from "every Scottish malt distillery that has ever witnessed its product in a bottle." It's the perfect book to take to your local liquor store next time you're trying to navigate the high shelf of Scotland's highlands, lowlands, and islands. You may laugh at Jackson's description of Auchentoshan Select's "oily" nose with "hints of citrus zest" or Aberlour 10-year-old's "mint-toffee" bouquet. But you'll be laughing out of the other side of your haggis when you actually smell them. All the notes are well researched and designed to appeal to Cardhu-carrying connoisseurs, as well as those who'd just like to know more about Bowmore. In his introduction, the author describes a whisky's finish as "a crescendo, followed by a series of echoes. When I leave the bottle, I like to be whistling the tune." Scotch drinkers will find plenty to wet that whistle in Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. --Tony Mason
 Compact and easy, to use the MyFi offers 150 XM satellite channels. |
The MyFi comes with a densely packed carton of accessories, including everything from headphones and antennas to a remote control, belt clips, and separate docking apparatus for integrating the receiver with your home and car stereos.
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An illuminated six-line LCD is your gateway to browsing XM's programming. You can browse by station, by category, or (our favorite) by currently playing artist. Thirty channel presets simplify access to your favorites, and a handy memo button stores artist and song data for up to 20 performances you'd like to look into later (or find again on XM).
Any satellite radio system requires a fairly heavy-duty antenna. Accordingly, the MyFi comes with four: one for the home (place it in a south-facing window), one for the car (mount it on the roof or trunk), a clip-on antenna for when you're hoofing it, and a built-in antenna. Our home reception was perfect--we never experienced a single drop out. Car reception was spottier, though still excellent. You just have to get used to the fact that where analog radio gets noisier in areas with poor reception, satellite radio drops out altogether; it's either all there, crystal clear, or all absent. And that's where My XM, MyFi's recording feature, comes in handy.
 The MyFi mounts easily in most vehicles. |
My XM lets you record XM programming to MyFi's onboard memory--perfect for time shifting your listening (as with a news program or a scheduled performance on XM Live) or for tuning in when you'll be someplace lacking XM reception (in a canyon, on a subway, in a windowless cubicle, etc.). You can schedule a recording or start and stop recording at any time you wish, and new recordings pick up where you last stopped. But you can't erase anything unless you clear the memory--which means you can't whittle away songs you don't like to retain your favorites. It's also important to remember that when you've filled the unit's memory (128 MB, or 5+ hours of full bitrate XM radio), it'll record over earlier material, starting from the top. During playback, however, My XM lets you skip easily from track to track and even pick from a list of all tracks.
You can configure the MyFi's LCD to scroll stock and sports-score tickers, a great way to keep an eye on important stats. The receiver also features a built-in sleep timer (15 minutes to 1 hour) and an alarm clock (wake to a beep or to XM programming).
What's in the BoxFor car use, you have a choice of mounting options for the vehicle cradle: flush mount, vent mount, or swivel mount. The cradle houses a power jack for a DC vehicle power adapter (included), an antenna input, and an audio output for use with the provided cassette-shell audio adapter. You can use the cassette adapter or the MyFi's built-in wireless FM transmitter, which turns any FM radio into an XM radio. (Audio quality is better using the supplied cassette audio adapter, however. You may also purchase a wired FM adapter, though XM asserts that the cassette adapter sounds better than that, too.)
 The Delphi XM MyFi comes complete with all of the accessories needed to enjoy XM anywhere. |
Positioning the car antenna can be inelegant, despite its heavy-duty magnet. You can have it professionally installed or live with an exposed antenna cord, though XM recommends using "existing holes, body grommets, and other wiring channels" rather than closing a door over the cord on a daily basis. The receiver's battery pack proved good for about five hours between charges. The included earbud headphones are neither comfortable nor particularly well made; a nicer set would represent XM's strong sound quality. --Michael Mikesell
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MyFi receiver with a clip-on antenna, an integrated rechargeable battery, a complete home accessory kit (with antenna and audio cable), a complete vehicle accessory kit (with antenna), stereo earbud headphones, a remote control, a remote battery, a belt clip/stand, a protective carrying case, and quick-start guides and user's manuals in English and Spanish.
