Search - Shiva Rea: Creative Core & Lower Body on DVD

Fun , Short and Challenging !

Yoni | Israel | 09/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This workout is short (22 minutes without shavasana) but it really packs a punch in this short time , in "Creative Roots" she starts with yogic squat and wide angle stretch which she'll repeat throughout this 13 minute segment with different variations , there are also hero 2 poses and side angle poses with a lot of fluid transitions between them and because most of the time you are in those positions it is really challenging for the lower body, she even demonstrates a transition from side angle to an advanced one arm balancing pose , but you don't have to do it if you can't. She finishes with a quadriceps stretch in cat position (kneeling bow). The second segment "Creative Core" is 9 minutes and is a lot of fun , you'll start on your back doing fluid bridge pose then a single legged bridge with a fun rocking move ,you can see a clip of it on youtube. Then she move into half table pose and flow right into side plank and from there to forearm plank and then into a straight arm plank and she repeats those plank pushups a few times and does this whole series of planks on the other side. It ends with a short shavasana. The scenery is of course gorgeous as in all of her DVD's. There is also a bonus segment from Fluid Power "Foundation Vinyasa" that can be used as a great warm up. This is another great addition my Shiva Rea DVD collection can't wait for "Surf Yoga Soul" , her next DVD , to be out ."

Not up to the Quality I have come to Expect From Shiva Rea

Maddy Avena | N. CA | 09/22/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Meh. I did the workout this morning, starting with the bonus track from Fluid power, followed by the lower body flow and the abdominal section. The lower body flow had about four things that were new and new is good, but they weren't very exciting: leaning forward in yogic squat, drawing arms back behind you then forward, reaching in front of you. OK, that was new.

If you are new to Shiva Rea, I think you would be lost during the very brief "do your own flow" piece at the end of the lower body section. The warrior II to reverse warrior to side angle is really no different than the sequence in the long standing pose flow on Fluid Power. Just Shiva's outfit and the Kauaii backdrop are new.

The ab section, if you already have a strong core, is OK. I like the rocking bridge flow, but that, to me, is the best part of the whole DVD: 1-2 minutes. I could do the rocking bridge flow for probably 10 minutes before I even felt it. The abdominal section just ends as if they ran out of money, time or attention span and you are just dumped into Shavasana, which is only 2 minutes.

I own all of Shiva's CDs/"audiobooks", Creative Core Abs 1, Fluid Power, Yoga Shakti and Yoga Trance Dance. I feel that this production is nowhere near as well done as any of the other products of hers I own and use. I will be incorporating a couple of the abdominal moves into a much longer abdominal sequence I do on my own, but I have to say, I'm disappointed."

Another gem from Shiva Rea.

Mary | Philadelphia, PA | 11/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the reviewer that didn't feel this in their core, I'd love to know what DVD they were following! If poses were done correctly, in proper alignment, this is a great core workout. No, you won't find "crunches" in this workout, but for people familiar with Shiva's style, crunches are way too boring.



And how about those glutes?! I was totally "feeling it" the next day! The repetition did not bother me, as I knew I was going into a Core/Lower Body workout, rather than a typical vinyasa. With that being said, even though this was not a vinyasa, she still brought her signature "flow" style to the workout. Poses were transitioned beautifully and with strength and grace.



As is typical of all of her DVD's the setting was stunning, and the quality was high. Well done Shiva! I can't wait for the "Upper Body" version to come out in 2009.



Oh - and so you're not surprised - it's a short DVD (around 20 minutes), but don't worry - you'll feel it. I find it nice when I don't have a ton of time, or a perfect primer to another yoga practice."

Creative is apt

R.R. | Chennai, India | 03/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My first Shiva dvd was Yoga Shakti, her more purist yoga effort. It is one of my favorite yoga dvds of all time. It stands out as unique in the overcrowded vinyasa dvd market. It is also in my opinion the best produced, most beautiful yoga dvd ever. My next was Creative Core Abs which I did not fancy. I thought it was fresh and well produced, but it just wasnt my style. I hesistated with the Creative Core Lower and Upper Body dvds because I did not something similar to Creative Core Abs. I was prompted by the reviews to take a chance on them and I am so glad I got them. I did both the lower and upper body today and found them fascinating including the core sections. This is real yoga and yet it is truly creative. I see the influence of classical Indian dance in the way Shiva "flows" from pose to pose - especially in her arm / hand movements. The choreography of the vinyasa on the lower body video and the core section is truly beautiful without straying too far from classic yoga asana which I thought happned with Creative Core Abs. As a workout, Lower Body is enjoyable and manages to build quite a burn in the quads and hamstrings. My only minor quibble is that I wish the yogic squats section had been a bit longer. Thank you amazon reviewers, especially Yoni."