Shiva Rea - Yoga Trance Dance

i've heard of Shiva Rea for years- since i've been stuck in beginners workout loop. long story- i once am again stuck back at the beginning just trying to set aside a half hour a few times a week to get moving and hoping to get motivated into being a more active less couch potato person. i also need to work on my stress level and am always looking for meditation. this was also a factor i read there were major cool meditation segments on this as well
i got this today in the mail and i just finished the beginners section on this i had to do the review before my shower-
i had such a great time with both the yoga and the free dance that i will be looking forward to doing this again- probably this week i had that much fun i now understand why the others reviews were so very pleased with this and Shiva. i love the free thinking free moving segments. i love the positive energy i have right now= i love the calming zen interactive beginning and ending moving meditations-especially the end which gives a reason to use my yoga eye pillow that has sat gathering dust for a year.
also i love the fact it has harder and different segments for me later on. in general. FUN FUN FUN. the dance part- it reminded me of dance class free form where you could just lose yourself in the music no wrong dance here.
highly recommend- even for you serious exercisers i used to be that sometimes fun is just what is needed to put a smile on your face.

I'm really enjoying this dvd. I have been practicing yoga for over 10 years but was recently feeling like my body wanted more free movement. This dvd is a great introduction to prana yoga and trance dance - especially for those of us who are too self conscious to move like this in a class. There is just the right amount of instruction balanced with opportunity to do whatever your body wants to do. The music is energizing and the scenery is interesting as well. The matrix format allows for a customizable workout and limitless combinations so you don't get bored. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone who is open to or already loves experimenting with yoga, dance, and movement.

I admit I was hesitant in buying Yoga Trance Dance since I already own a couple of Shiva's DVDs. In addition, the title alone made me think the DVD was going to be too goofy - just how could you possibly combine yoga and dance?

Thankfully, I'm so glad I didn't take my doubts too seriously and went for it. This is absolutely my favorite DVD from Shiva Rea!! For those looking for a traditional yoga practice, you will be disappointed; however, those who keep an open mind and trust in Shiva will enjoy this DVD immensely.

It contains 3 opening movement meditations, 3 sun salutations, 3 krias, 3 free form dance segments, 3 prana yoga segments, and lest we forget, shavasana. Essentially, this DVD mixes prana yoga, similar to what's featured on Yoga Shakti, and free form dance.

The DVD includes the yoga matrix and some bonus material. You feel ridiculous at first doing the free form dance routines. But once you learn to let go and not care anymore, it truly becomes a fun and liberating experience. You'll definitely build up a great sweat after doing this cardio workout. The scenery and music are just awesome - even when you hear it the first time, you will be compelled to dance, dance, dance!

I'd just like to know where you can purchase the music from the DVD?

Those are the ways I'd describe my experiences with this DVD so far...I received this DVD last week and have fallen in love. It's trippy, it requires an ability to really let go, be free and not care about what you look like, but the rewards for that kind of child-like freedom are incredible.

Like Fluid Power, which I also enjoy, this has the wonderful matrix menu option so you can create your own yoga/dance sessions any way that you like, although I noticed you can only select each section once, so if I want to repeat a section I love, I have to start it all over again. I wish they would change that. With dance sections, since they aren't terribly long, it would be nice to be able to program it to play a section more than once. That's the only technical thing I've noticed that I would change.

The DVD itself is gorgeous; filmed on the White Sands desert, like "Fluid Power" and the classic "Yoga Mind & Body" with Ali McGraw and Eric Schiffman. The music is a wonderful symbiosis of tribal rhythms with contemporary twists, and while you do have the option of listening to music only, or music with Shiva's instructions, I found I missed her voice when I went without it. Her words, her steady calm voice, and her lovely comments really inspire me and keep me going, but it is nice to have the option for a different experience.

The options here are varied and really interesting; opening meditations that bring you into stillness and gentle movement simultaneously, a slightly more rousing intro that gets the blood really flowing, and of course some yoga sets with Shiva's unique style. They are very much akin to the yoga on Fluid Power, though they seem more approachable on here, like the yoga offered is a bit simplified and more accessible for beginners. You get a total of 15 segments to play with, to mix and match. I was having so much fun with them over the weekend, I think I ended up doing almost the entire DVD. I also enjoyed mixing these segments with some of the ones from "Fluid Power"...for example, I LOVE the Spiral Meditation segment from "Fluid Power" and find that to be a fabulous warmup before the trance dance segments.

I found myself smiling, moving in ways that felt incredible but that I just don't usually free myself to explore, and I was certainly sweating. This feels like cardio for the new age, something beyond just "working out" where my emotional heart and spirit benefit along with my physical body, simultaneously.
I do wish this disc was longer, I wanted more! But it's more than ample for enjoying a little tribal, fluid and thoroughly rousing free-style dance at home. You do not need to be coordinated, flexible or a natural dancer for this...it's just about letting your body express whatever feels right and good in that moment, often closing the eyes and just enjoying the nectar from within. Anyone can do this. I even found, while watching it through for the first time, that I felt benefits from doing it while seated.

It's definitely got the LA trippy vibe, but in the best possible way and with so much obvious love, joy and passion for what they're doing, I find it utterly contagious. I'll certainly be looking into her live Trance Dance workshops now.

**note** I also find that the trance dance sections are a PERFECT compliment to Kundalini yoga practice. I followed Kundalini sets with sections from this disc and it was pure heaven. ;)

I was very disappointed...as a dancer and yoga practitioner I was curious to see what this yoga trance dance I'd heard about was about and I must say some of the yoga directions were fine and that is why I gave it 2 stars...however, the dance part was I felt nothing but a series of lectures (as another reviewer noticed)on how to be in touch with your inner self as you move...which I guess if you have never danced in the past may be a bit helpful...but for those of us who have no trouble feeling the music, these directions were useless...the dancers in the dvd simply jumped around and the camera did not stay long on any one dancer to get any idea for any moves... just a bunch of people jumping and girating around...don't waste your money...for this you could go to any disco and watch people gyrate and since you can watch as long as you want (without a camera to take away your focus)you would have a better chance at catching some steps....I hope I can resell this to one of Shiva's fans who find this kind of dvd "inspiring" as some seem to do....I am hispanic....in my culture dance is a part of everything....reason I gave it a 2 was for the part were there is an actual Indian dancer doing authentic Hindu dancing and it was beautiful...however, one only sees bits of her dancing as the camera then switches to Shiva's very boring dancing....Sorry Shiva! Think you are a better yoga teacher than trance dance facilitator!!