DVD Review: Shiva Rea Fluid Power

Our bodies are 90% water, making sense for Shiva Rea to capitalize on our "Fluid Power" in this DVD.  Shiva says this fluid power "is often an untapped reservoir of energy and joy", so she sets out to help you grow stronger and flexible with grace.  This DVD is another wonderful addition to my arsenal of home practice materials.  Just like my other Shiva Rea DVD from Acacia (Yoga Surf Soul), it has a customizable matrix format, so you have the option of creating a custom practice according to the segments you wish to do.  There are 20 segments for you to mix-and-match and the 24-page program guide, included with the DVD case, gives a description for each segment.   On the other hand, so many choices can be overwhelming when you're just starting out, so you can select from one of the 6 pre-set programs (which range from a 26 minute meditation sequence to a full-on 108 minute active practice). 

Today, I elected to do one of the pre-set practices, the "Lunar Flow for Flexibility".  I had less than an hour to devote today, so this 41 minute practice fit the bill.  I also like the fact that the Moon (sanskrit: tha) is the feminine side, and with tomorrow being Chinese New Year, it just felt like the right practice to do. 

The Lunar Flow started with a crazy Prana Flow meditation.  It began simply enough with breathing exercises, but it took a bit of a turn after a bit, with some loose direction to just go with the flow of your joints (getting that Fluid Power moving, I guess...).  Forward Bends and Hip Openers ensued, which included my fave: Pigeon Pose. (Yoga Journal recently advertisted a promotion on Facebook to send in a picture of yourself in your favorite pose.  If your form is good enough, they'll enter you in a contest to appear in an upcoming photo spread!  I contemplated photographing myself in Pigeon...for all of 30 seconds)  After this was a Prana Yoga Slow Wave, again some loose direction on stretching while on your back, followed by Shavasana.  It was a great practice, and before the Shavasana, I paused the DVD and did a warrior/vinyasa sequence that I devised to round it out.  Don't get excited readers; it was nothing special...but perhaps worthy of it's own post when I get around to it. 

So, I'm looking forward to playing more with this DVD...with over 3 hours of yoga, I have my work cut out for me as far as mixing and matching sequences to try them all.

I purchased Shiva Rea's Fluid Power DVD directly from Acacia for $19.99 (because I was purchasing other items, and it just made sense to order everything together and pay shipping once), but savvy shoppers can order from Amazon for $14.49 or from Overstock (!) for just 13.91.

Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water.  Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it.  The flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful - LaoTzu

Gong Xi Fa Choi - Happy Chinese New Year