Om Yoga and Meditation

Manufacturer: Dharma Moon
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Product Description

The practice of yoga is sometimes referred to as a "moving meditation," a physical but still inwardly-directed undertaking in which the breath takes the place of a spoken or chanted mantra. By offering separate instruction in those two disciplines, Cyndi Lee and David Nichtern's Om Yoga and Meditation obviously eliminates the need for any such distinction. The program is divided into for parts (with titles like "Making Friends with Yourself" and "Obstacles as Path"), each with a meditation and yoga section presented side by side. Nichtern, whom some will recognize as the songwriter responsible for Maria Muldaur's '70s hit "Midnight at the Oasis" (this package also contains a music CD featuring his and other musicians' work), handles the former; he's clearly very experienced, but while his talks offer a plenty of valuable guidelines into the shamatha (mindfulness) practice, it isn't until the simple but very effective "guided meditation" segment in Part Four that students actually get to try the practice themselves. Lee, meanwhile, leads users through the four yoga segments, each about fifteen minutes long. The drawback here is the same one found on many, many yoga videos: too much action and not nearly enough teaching. The DVD booklet's claim that these sequences are designed for both beginning and intermediate students is misleading at best. While Lee's attention to the breath (also a central component of meditation) is commendable, the pace is way too quick for inexperienced users; what's more, difficult asanas like chaturanga (the lowered push-up position), ardha chandrasana (balancing half-moon pose), vasisthasana (side-slant pose), and a variety of others that are challenging even for veteran yogis are presented with precious little instruction at all. To her credit, Lee advises newcomers to watch these segments before attempting them, but even that won't do much good in the absence of thorough, detailed coaching. All in all, Om Yoga and Meditation is a good idea that's hampered by less than scintillating execution --Sam Graham

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Customer Reviews

Great Combination

Review Date: June 29, 2006

Reviewer: Suann Polverari, New York City

I am a long time yoga practioner and most recently I've tried to integrate meditation into my practice. Not only has this DVD been so helpful with this process but It's made my connection to my yoga practice so much more deeper and meaningful. Cyndi and David thank you for not only opening my body and mind but for sharing your inspiring hearts.

I've also found this DVD to be extremely helpful when traveling.
Especially anyone who's affraid of flying!!!

The bonus music CD is magical.

Definately worth it!

Review Date: June 20, 2006

Reviewer: C. A. Turner,

I bought this DVD with the intention of trying something a little different
than the yoga classes offered at my local gym. Being intermediate, at best,
at yoga and a true beginner at meditating, I found the workshop to be a
great place for me to start out. I thought that I would never be one to
meditate (as many others may feel), because my mind races with a million
thoughts at once- how can I possibly clear my mind in this day in age?
Well, with the aid of this DVD, I learned that meditation is something I can
do- in fact; it¹s the perfect cure if I¹m stressed.

I like that the yoga and meditation sections, although separate, work with
one another under the same principle of each chapter. Although it is not
explicitly stated, the principles of meditation explained in the beginning
of the chapter are used later on to center one¹s self mentally in the yoga
section. Breathing is stressed throughout both the yoga and meditation
sections in order to keep the body and mind centered with one another.
Ordinarily I lack proper breathing techniques when practicing yoga, but by
using the meditation exercises from the chapter, I found that my yoga
definitely improved and the fluid-like movements that Cyndi executed seemed
to become a lot smoother for me.

This DVD is less of a how-to set of instructions for meditation and yoga,
and more of a guided journey that expands beyond the length of the teaching.
David even says in the very first chapter that the DVD is meant to be
watched as a guide through the principles of yoga and meditation and can be
referred back to in order to gain more perspective or as the framework of
your own experience. I watched the DVD through twice before I attempted
meditating on my own. Eventually as I got the hang of it, I only used it as
a reference point for when I got stuck.

All-in-all, I loved the DVD. It's definately worth checking out.

engaging and effective

Review Date: June 26, 2006

Reviewer: Julia Bryan,

I have purchased several yoga DVDs in the past, but always found myself bored after only a few viewings. This yoga routine is much different than the others in that it consistently engages you in your movement and thoughts at an effective pace. The meditation segments are great on those days that I need to relax but am feeling a little too lazy to go through the whole yoga routine. David Nichtern is great at explaining the history of each exercise and puts in simple words the difficult concepts that are usually associated with deep meditation. Aside from these positives, the music CD that comes inside the DVD is nice to have around, even in the car, to take a mental break whenever it's convenient. It helps me to remember the methods David teaches in his segment and get right back into the swing of things. I'm very pleased with my purchase and feel this is one of the best meditation/yoga combination DVDs ive seen.

Fantastic - Meditation AND yoga

Review Date: June 21, 2006

Reviewer: Liz Eustace,

The sequencing is very intuitive and natural - I found it easy to follow and definitely a good workout. I love the fact that I can access meditation as well as an asana practice... it perfectly compliments each other.

The MUSIC is great - I play it all the time!!!

Wonderful!

Review Date: June 8, 2009

Reviewer: YogaGirl1,

This product is very cool and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to incorporate meditation into their yoga practice. It DVD is divided into 4 sections - each with a 15 minute meditation lesson and a 15 minute complete yoga practice. The final section also contains a guided meditation by David, which is a neat way to tie everything together you learn in the earlier sections. There is also a music CD in the box for your own personalized practice. Both David and Cyndi are amazing, warm teachers who make yoga and meditation approachable and fun. Another great product from OM!