Shiva Rea Meditations DVD Review
You know how we feel about Shiva Rea around these parts, so between that and my journey toward finding more balance and inner peace, it’s only natural that I jumped at the chance to check out the passionate yogini’s Meditations DVD.
Like many of Rea’s yoga DVDs, Meditations offers a matrix with 102 minutes worth of meditations for you to mix and match. Each section within the matrix is relatively short, ranging from a three-minute Agni: Fire meditation to a 22-minute bonus Creative Flow portion. Most are in the five- to 10-minute range.
And, you know how I mentioned last week that not all meditations consist of sitting up straight and focusing on breathing or a mantra? This DVD is another example of that — many of the sections are more than simple guided seated meditations and incorporate movement, dance, music and more. Of course, there are plenty that are more traditional, sometimes with chanting, sometimes without.
Now, you might not be entirely sure which meditations to pick from the abundant choices, and I can’t blame you — my one big gripe with this DVD is that you’re given this incredible matrix, but very little explanation as to what each option really is, and the last thing I want to do when I’m ready to meditate is try to research what my options are before making selections. In that case, you can choose one of the pre-set practices, either Lunar or Solar, and get in a solid 30- or 36-minute session incorporating various types of meditation.
I’m sure some of you are wondering what the purpose of a DVD rather than a simple audio track might be, seeing as how meditation is often done with eyes closed or a soft gaze. For one thing, many segments of the matrix incorporate a variety of movements, and I found it helpful to at least glance up now and again to make sure I was following along correctly. But, more than that, this is beautifully and interestingly filmed using a variety of landscapes and dancers. I can see where simply watching it could be pretty beneficial to someone who’s not quite ready to join in on the Core Awakening or Energizing Heart Movement.
True to her usual form, Rea is fully hippity-dippity in all the ways we love. She’s positive, encouraging, peaceful, graceful and inspiring, all at the same time.
If you’ve enjoyed Rea’s other DVDs and are interested in exploring meditation, this would be a great addition to your DVD collection. However, if you’ve never done any guided meditations and aren’t much into chanting and such, you might be better off starting with a more traditional meditation course.
Does this sound like a good fit for you? What are your favorite ways to meditate? —Kristen