Without even trying, I’ve managed to collect ten yoga instruction videos. Shilpa Shetty’s video came to me quite by chance, thanks to a friend.
I remember reading about Shilpa Shetty and some kind of fantastic “power yoga” that sounded like it was something no one had discovered until now. I had promised myself I’d check it out - but hey… age caught up with me.
Well anyway, I finally have checked it out. And no, it isn’t something specific to Shilpa or something that every yoga class you’ll find in every neighborhood in India, isn’t doing. But that doesn’t mean it’s not nice.
First two things that struck me: 1. If I’d been as thin and figureliscious as Shilpa Shetty, that would have been 99 percent of the battle. And 2. If I had such lovely places to practice yoga in, I’d be doing it all the time. More seriously though, the settings the DVD has been filmed in are wonderful. Just looking at them brings your pulse rate down to an even keel. Although I’m being a little facetious here, there’s no doubt the atmosphere created as you go through the workout would make a big difference to how de-stressed you feel. Shilpa is on the beach in Kerala. She’s surrounded by lush green gardens and trees, she’s in an elegant veranda, and she’s on a cool deck with green all around. Mmmmm. What I wouldn’t give.. I was tickled to find an elephant amble past grandly. And a boat or two glide past behind her.
Shilpa performs all the asanas and pranayamas in this routine but the routine is narrated by someone else. Very surprisingly, there’s no Suryanamaskar (sun salutation sequence). Considering that most of the poses that make up the sequence are taken up separately, there’d have been no harm putting that together in one corner of the video somewhere. Oh well.
So, the asanas in this programme are divided into on-the-back, sitting, standing, on-the-stomach poses. Pretty much what I’ve gone through with my yoga instructor (the live one!). Each asana isn’t gone into in a lot of detail - I’ve seen way more detail - but it should do as long as one is careful to do everything to prevent injury. Or perhaps a good idea would be to read up on these once and be aware of the contraindications. All of these asanas are the “regular” ones everyone does.
Except the chakrasana, they’re doable by most people. What Shilpa brings to it is the sequencing and the pacing. It’s a comfortable and calm rhythm throughout. Each asana is supposed to build on the muscle groups used in the previous ones. There’s a good flow through the sequence. The mix of poses ins’t bad at all. Except for the absence of the Suryanamaskar, as I said
Shilpa also takes up the main prnayamas, but very briefly. Some more safety tips would have been a good idea. And it would have also been nice to make this section more do-along. By the time the explanation is over, so is the pranayam.
In a bonus section, there’s a 15-minute “Quick Fix” for those who want a shorter routine on busy or lazy days. Here’s where they could have put in the Suryanamaskar. Ah yes, I’m not willing to let go of that one.
There’s also some carefully orchestrated bloopers, some of which are funny. A Meet Shilpa section and a Behind the Scenes that isn’t uninteresting. Makes you wonder how she managed to look so peaceful in the middle of all the filming chaos. Okay… it’s the sea. This looks like Kerala.
Not bad. A couple of reviewers on Amazon have objected that it isn’t a “workout” at all because it doesn’t make you sweat. For those who’ve done some yoga before, it may just be a little on the easy side. But others rate it highly and are struck by how genuine she seems in her belief in yoga. It obviously seems to have done Shilpa a whole lot of good.
The DVD costs around Rs. 300 in India or $17.99 from Amazon. It’s a 72 minute disk. In India, there’s a music CD in the box as well. I forget what the Baba Ramdev ones cost - but then Baba Ramdev is not Shilpa Shetty!
September 6, 2008
A useful review. I remember picking up a Baba Ramdev vcd for probably half the Shilpa dvd amount to gift away. I thought I’ll check the net for price details but got distracted by this video where interestingly Shilpa Shetty is found in a Ramdev yoga camp…
http://in.truveo.com/Baba-Ramdev-teaches-yoga-to-actress-Shilpa-Shetty/id/3168137756
In my Net search on the subject as of now, I’ve found reproduction of Bharat Thakur’s features in Mumbai Mirror a good reference point
http://www.bharatthakur.com/mumbaimirror/Diabetes.html
Jyoti
October 7, 2008
hi everybody!!
I m a total novice, not exactly very flexible, but I m doing a lot of sports (I ve never been flexible, not even as a child, and am working more on it since I m bellydancing, I do see some improvements..)
dvd with some bellydance dvds, but have not tried it so far.
Thank you for sparking my interest in yoga - again, Jyoti and mala.
I d appreciate some further advice on beginning yoga. I do not have any live class option now, maybe in March..
I purchased a yoga for the inflexible
Which dvd or program would you say is best for avoiding injury risks and starting very diligently without live instruction? Is it safe at all or should I wait?
thank you
October 8, 2008
I actually did NOT manage to learn yoga on my own. I had a video or two but somehow they seemed to move too fast to work along with. It’s only now that I find them fairly easy.
I’d be a bit wary of learning yoga fundamentals though a video. I think an instructional dvd can help to further what you’re currently learning with a live teacher — but from absolute scratch, it’s a bit scary. If you’ve done a little bit of yoga earlier though (you did say interest in yoga AGAIN) you will be able to pick it up and will have a better idea of when you’re going wrong.
I have a Yoga for Bellydancers, but will have to look at it and get back to you. I also have a 2DVD set which attracted my attention but I found it too gentle when I looked at it. In fact, it’s instructed by someone who may be in her 60s. I’ll take a look at that too. Meanwhile why don’t you look and tell me what’s on your dvd — yoga for the inflexible.
One option for easing into yoga would be to do some gentle stretches for a while. For that, check out Perfect in Ten Stretches from World Dance New York. That’s the only pure stretches video I have and it’s got four different sections, some of which are quite gentle and safe.
October 11, 2008
Dina, this probably isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, but it is a video — or actually, two videos — that I can recommend whole-heartedly.
Gary Kraftsow has two DVDs called “Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum and Hips” and “Viniyoga Therapy for the Upper Back, Neck and Shoulders.” As you can tell, they’re for people with back pain, and they include very gentle stretches, all coordinated with the breath.
Both videos have very detailed descriptions of the moves, if you want to watch them, and each has three workouts of increasing intensity. The workouts are composed of yoga moves, though you won’t find many things like downward dog or a sun salutation on there. They’re just very, very gentle movements that relax your muscles and build strength.
Anyway, this is the safest thing I can think of, since it’s basically designed for people with back problems. (And let me just say that both videos do magic for my back!)
October 12, 2008
Hmm. I had great difficulties with yoga when I tried a class 6 years ago. I tried Yoga Journal’s Yoga Basics and had no luck, and struggled with Ariellah’s yoga warm-up.
But this summer I got Asharah’s dvd, and after weeks of persistence and hard work I got through the 45 minute warm-up. It had such a great effect on my strength and flexibility that when I tried a yoga class that was being offered at my bellydance school, I was able to do the poses smoothly. It made me fall in love with yoga, and in fact my instructor had to stop me from doing more than one yoga class a week to start with.
I have to warn you though, Asharah’s warm-up is like yoga bootcamp! Do it in chunks, and don’t feel too bad if you’re too tired after the warm-up to do the drills.
I remember being very inflexible as a teenager and young woman, so much so I thought I would never dance, but now I have hope. I’ll never ballet dance in Giselle like I dreamed of in my teens, but Protima Bedi was a famous Indian classical dancer who started training when she was in her late twenties, and in a year of learning from videos (no thanks to Veena/Neena, though) I’ve managed to learn some tricky moves like pelvic circles.
October 13, 2008
I’ve used Asharah’s workout for almost a year now and am so totally grateful for it! I wasn’t inflexible, but age does catch up and sticking to this workout has flex’ied and strengthened me. I get such a thrill out of being able to touch my forehead to my knees — while standing. Someone who got really startled said “you look like an ironing board, folder up!” Also out of doing the straddle sit and being able to touch my forehead to the floor. I wonder if Michelle’s new dance preparation ones (taught by Bahia?) are going to be equally challenging.
October 14, 2008
Thank you so very much for your input, ladies!!
Mala - as for the “Interest - again”: I ve not taken classes, unfortunately. I tried one once, a yoga/pilates combination with about 55 people in one room (imagine there was NO correction while doing the exercises - found it pointless).
I am pretty afraid of injury as I injured my knee while trying samba some years ago - and I ve always been crazy for sports and dancing, done some bellydancing privately already back then, and lots of (semiprofessional) ballroom dancing.. so the knee injury struck me hard.
I can do almost everything now - again, after 4 years and much physiotherapy. So like many ppl I ve gotten a bit paranoid regarding injury in sports and especially dance!!
I m not the home-learner type, bellydance was ok because I ve known the basics for some time and “just” need to practice doing things on command (which is not as easy as it sounds, I m horrible at dancing without being in the right mood, and strangely, while not being in a crowd, but in my living room!
So well to get back to the issue - I am afraid of trying yoga for myself. Hence why I have not started using the tape I bought some time ago so far.
I think I ll need to get some not over-crowded instruction first.
Irina, the video you mentioned sounds great!!! I ll have to check it out!
Oh, Mala, the new Michelle dvds: Are you talking about the Bahaia or the Modern Dance series? she has lots coming
The Modern Dance series sounds like the “ironing board” idea you mentioned - I know they re undoable for me who s never been flexible in her life!!
The Bahaia series to me looks like standard Egyptian style education (which I like, because so far Cheeky Girls and WDNY have nothing similar in their ranges). You can see trailers on her cheekygirlsproduction DOT com or on youtube..
There is another Egyptian series (3 dvds) coming in winter by WDNY (Ranya Renee), plus a sequel of Blanca s Sensual Bellydance YAAAAYYY; plus Cabaret Fusion with Autumn Ward. Sounds like amazing programs!!
OF course there s also Neon s upcoming drum solo focused workout flow (a bit like Luscious).
They re all too good to be true!!
Oh and Sajia - congrats on mastering the yoga program, I think the Asharah program has REALLY tough yoga on it. It s not for beginner s dancers after all!!!
Take care ladies!!
Dina
October 15, 2008
55 people in one class… I’d freak. On the other hand, here in India, yoga gurus will often use a garden or courtyard in a temple and invite one and all to a huge yoga session. Correction etc is out of the question. In fact, there’s barely any correction done in dance classes, which is why I’m very happy not to be in one and seem to be doing just fine with DVDs.
Oh yes, those DVDs are all juicy and I was just thinking of putting up a list of ones to look forward to when you sent this. Maybe we can still make a nice list.