Navel Power - Kundalini Yoga w/ Ravi Singh & Ana Brett

This review will have a two-part format. In the first part, I'll describe the contents of the DVD as well as my thoughts on them. In the second part, I'll say some more general things about Ana and Ravi and kundalini yoga. It seems the negative reviews of their DVDs come mainly from people who didn't know what to expect when ordering kundalini yoga DVDs -- because they ARE a little bit different from what you're used to, if you've only practiced hatha yoga in the past. I am unabashedly an Ana and Ravi fan, but hopefully my evaluation will help you make the correct decision for yourself, even if your opinion happens not to be the same as mine.----------Part I----------Unlike many of Ana and Ravi's DVDs, Navel Power does not have the matrix menu. This means that you will have to have your DVD remote handy to skip sections (e.g., if you want to do only a 30 minute yoga set). It is a bit difficult to tell when segments start, especially if you are following along and not looking at the screen. Also, no times for the segments are given in the DVD menu, but I have provided approximate times for each below. All exercises in this DVD are done equally on both sides of the body.Tune In (2:47): This segment is similar/the same in many of Ana's and Ravi's DVDs; sit cross-legged, focus on your breathing, and chant "ong namo guru dev namo" three times.Warm-Ups (24:44): This is a long warm-up for one of these DVDs, and is properly almost a yoga set in itself. It consists of the following exercises.*breathing exercise; interlace hands and press into navel, inhale in 4 sniffs and exhale in 1 breath*grind stomach in circles*seated cross-legged, hold your shins and flex your spine back and forth*sitting on your heels, with your hands on your thighs, flex your spine again*a plank from your forearms with your hands interlaced*sitting on your heels, with your hands on your thighs, flex your spine (this time with breath of fire)*sit with your legs and arms extended, inhale/exhale while leaning forward and back*hold one leg up and stretch it in front of you (at a 60 degree angle or so)*inhale slowly up into bridge (the version that's also sometimes called table) and exhale downNavel Power (29:34): This set consists of the following exercises.*slow crunches*sit ups with knees bent (all the way up), with a different breathing pattern than with the crunches*bridge (aka table) with breath of fire*double leg lifts*bicycle exercise with legs only*raise up into cobra, then come back down lying on your stomach; repeat*a stationary modified cobra position with your legs bent up behind you and your feet touching*bow pose*stretch pose (lying with your hands below your rear end, raise head and heels six inches off the floor)*lie on your stomach with your hands and legs extended, hands interlaced, and raise all your limbs off the floor a couple of inches (breath of fire)*standing, put one hand on your sternum and swing the other one out to the side while twisting your torso a little, then repeat on other side*standing, have both arms up, then put one arm down and lean to that side (alternate sides)*with your arms up, hook your thumbs together; lean back, then come forwardNavel Power - Part 2 (16:13): This set consists of the following exercises. If you're not looking, it's easy to miss the transition between the first and second navel power sets.*repeat crunches*repeat sit-ups*bridge (the one with your shoulders on the ground) or wheel*bicycle exercise but this time, touch opposite elbows to your knees*alternate leg lifts*sat kriya (Google it; it would be rather complicated to explain here if you're unfamiliar)*leaning back and supporting yourself on your elbows, scissor your legs up and down to the rhythm of the breath of fireDeep Relaxation (3:06): This is similar in many of Ravi's and Ana's DVDs. Lie on your back, slow your breathing, and listen to Ravi. A gong is used rather a lot; this is not a sharp sound, at all, but kind of an extended metallic sound. I don't always like the gong in all of Ana's and Ravi's DVDs, but I think it's OK here.Mantra Meditation (6:23): Note that the normal "closing prayer" segment is part of the same chapter as the meditation on this DVD, so it can't be selected separately from the menu. The closing prayer is similar to what appears in other Ravi/Ana DVDs. The mantra is as follows:Har Har Har HarWahay GuruSat NamHar HariYou start by inhaling in 4 breaths, turning your head to alternate sides for each inhale. Then you face forward to do the mantra.For those of you familiar with Ravi's and Ana's DVDs, this is a fairly old one with Ana demonstrating on a raised platform that's lighted from within and a fake clouds background. Only Ravi narrates, while Ana demonstrates the poses and movements. The camera moves some but it's not as distracting as in some of the newer (blonde Ana) DVDs, and you don't miss anything important. Occasionally, the camera picks up the edge of the set and you can see audio-visual equipment, but most of the time, there's a decent illusion of space. The music is mostly instrumental and is appropriately-paced.There is a LOT of content on this DVD and that's great. However, I wish the individual segments were broken up into smaller pieces for a more customizable workout (I like to do about 30 minutes of yoga each morning). I also wish it was easier to tell when each segment was over (kundalini yoga is typically done with the eyes closed and you miss the titles that flash by at the beginning of each set). This is especially important since there's no programmable matrix menu. (However, if you keep this review in mind, you'll know what's the last exercise in each case.)If you have done the Solar Power DVD that Ana and Ravi have put out, not to worry - there is not much in the way of duplicated content.One warning: sometimes doing too much bridge or table every day, can cause my wrists to hurt a bit. So if you have wrist issues, take it easy with the bridge/table pose, or do the modification where your shoulders are on the ground.I have about 2/3 of Ana's and Ravi's DVDs, and I think this one is solid. I would probably suggest this for intermediate to advanced users. Ana and Ravi do offer some suggestions for modifications of certain poses. I simply can't do wheel, for example, and I have the aforementioned wrist issues that keep me from doing too much bridge/table. Finally, don't forget -- you don't have to keep up with Ana. Work at your own pace.Just to be clear, I think the yoga sets in this DVD are quite valuable. I particularly like the emphasis on ALL parts of the abdominals. Sure, there are crunches. But there's also a lot of work on the back, which is quite important for posture and to have balanced muscles. There's also work on the obliques, the lower abs, and the deep abdominals. In my case, I don't hurt afterwards (like I would after Ab Ripper X from P90X). But, if you haven't exercised your abs in awhile, you may feel it the next day.I'd probably rate this 4.5 stars because there was a little repetition and because of the lack of times/matrix menu, but I'll round up to 5.----------Part II----------Now, on to a more general discussion of kundalini yoga in general, and Ana's and Ravi's DVDs in particular. (I intend to include a version of this in all my reviews of Ana's and Ravi's DVDs.)Most of the yoga that people are familiar with falls under the umbrella of hatha yoga. Perhaps you've done a series of static poses, or some vinyasa/flow yoga. Kundalini yoga is not exactly like either of these, although Ana's and Ravi's DVDs do incorporate elements of hatha yoga (e.g., this DVD has bow pose in it). However, kundalini yoga is also what I would consider to be a very active form of yoga, consisting of some repeated movements and a lot more work with the breath than you may be used to. It can be difficult to keep up with at first, but can be very rewarding if you stick with it. If you are bored of holding static poses all the time, or if you want a bit more movement but hate vinyasa (sorry, but I am not a fan of flow yoga), kundalini might really work well for you. And, as I said earlier, use the modifications Ana and Ravi discuss if you need to use them. Yes, Ana is fit (and this makes her an excellent demonstrator for the poses), but this is not a competition. Don't strain yourself, and don't try to keep up with her. Just try to improve a little bit every time!Kundalini yoga also involves a lot of meditation. Sometimes this is quiet and involves breathing either in a sitting position or lying down, occasionally with your hands in a mudra (hand position). Sometimes it involves chanting a mantra. This DVD contains a fair amount of mantra chanting - there's the chanting segment, as well as the opening and closing segments. Whenever there are mantras, Ana and Ravi tell you what they mean. If you are uncomfortable with mantras for religious reasons, check out Ana's and Ravi's website (can't post links in reviews but they're easy to find through Google) for alternatives and use the matrix menu or your DVD remote to skip the chant. (I happen to like the chants, but that's just me.)With respect to calorie-burning, this is probably not the sort of program that will make you shed a ton of weight. What this DVD is particularly good for is strengthening your core and improving your posture. But kundalini yoga works on your inner self as well as your outer self, and so some parts are a little less "active" than others. For my own part, I still do plenty of pretty intense cardio at other times of the day.Ana's outfits are a bit skimpy, but certainly nothing less than you would see at the beach. And the reason she dresses like she does is so that you can really see her performing the movements and asanas. That way you know exactly how to position yourself for maximum benefit. (Most of the time, kundalini yoga is done with the eyes closed, anyway.) There is not a lot in the way of initial instruction in this DVD. If you are familiar with Ana's and Ravi's work, you can jump right in. But if you are new to kundalini yoga, watch it first. Observe Ana, listen to the cues, make sure you understand. You'll be glad for the lack of excessive instruction later -- you don't want to be told on the 20th time you do a DVD how to do bridge; you know it by this point!Fewer health claims are made in this DVD compared to Ana's and Ravi's other DVDs. I find that Ana and Ravi are quite accurate when it comes to muscular and skeletal issues. At any rate, certainly don't use yoga as a substitute for seeing the doctor. But doing a routine like this isn't likely to hurt you or make your health condition worse (as long as you PACE YOURSELF).If you are struggling with a pose, Ravi and Ana are very accessible and quite nice. They have contact information on their website (the URL is on the DVD case) and usually get back to you in a couple of days. They also have a monthly e-mail newsletter that I enjoy.

I had this sitting on my shelf for years - I used to put it in the dvd player watch for a few minutes and turn it off. I don't know why - but, I just didn't want to do this workout. I have all of Ravi and Ana's other DVDs and do them on a regular basis - even if its something for just 10 minutes a day. Anyhow - I have been suffering from terrible insomnia and I narrowed it down to anxiety and the nice pills the dr. was prescribing only work for so long - and its back to square one with night after night of zero - and I mean absolutely NO sleep. I read on Ravi/Ana's website that the Naval power DVD is good at helping address anxiety. So - I finally just pushed myself to do it and I don't know how this works - BUT for the first time in weeks I was able to fall asleep and stay asleep - after my very first workout - and I didn't even do the whole DVD - just the warm ups and Set 1. I wanted to share my experience - for anyone out there on the fence because I would never want anyone to go thru the nightmare that I went thru. I highly, highly recommend this DVD. On a side note, this is a fantastic workout too - I was actually sore the next day. Its not beginner level - but, if anyone out there is suffering the way I was - please give it a try - just push yourselves thru the first set and reap the rewards. I don't know how doing a bunch of leg lifts and crunches eases anxiety - I just know - that whatever it is - it does work - immediately and with long term results.

Kundalini yoga is dangerous... don't recommend I am having a difficult time returning to my previous state of being....possible benefits (did not experience any) are not worth the kundalini yoga possible negative side effects. Furthermore the exercises in the DVD did NOT render any of the results implied This DVD did not anyway build my core muscles...kundalini yoga is very misleading......

The first time I did this dvd I whined to my husband that I didn't like it because it was too hard. I had been doing short traditional aerobics and strength training sets each morning and could feel my abs getting stronger, but my waistline stayed the same and the rest of my core started to feel a bit weak. I decided to get back into yoga for the stress-relief and, after reading the reviews on this dvd, figured I would try kundalini for the first time.That night I could already feel my muscles getting sore, but I slept better than I had in weeks. The next day I felt my metabolism kick up (I had had practically zero appetite for over a month and was starting to worry something was wrong), my waistline felt tighter, and I actually felt a bit taller (probably because I was no longer slumping). That night the sides of my back were so sore that I could barely sleep.Wow! I hadn't even been able to hold most of the poses for half the time that Ana did without taking breaks or modifying, and yet I was getting all these results. I waited for one more day to give my body a chance to recover, and then did the dvd again. I was already strong enough to hold all of the poses for much longer - some I even made it all the way on!I did Ana & Ravi's Warrior Workout this morning and I am back here on Amazon tonight to buy two more of their dvds. They are amazing!

Un DVD efficace, corredato da spiegazioni e incoraggiamenti. Musica stimolante, ma che potrebbe anche essere un pochino più forte. Un valore sicuro!!

I have most of their DVDs which I cycle through on a regular basis. I just did this one for the first time today and I have to say its my favourite right now! My challenge over time has been to effectively work my core while not creating stored tension in my hip flexors. This is great ab work, yet will create lots of flexibility in the solar plexus area as well. Bravo!

Love this dvd, I feel and look amazing afterwards.

great

Hi this seller is a total con artisit. He only offered me 50% refund for a DVD that is damaged/opened and doesn't work.The only thing I can do with this DVD is throw it away.What a cheek!!! Greedy Greedy Greedy