Customer Reviews

Gurutej Kaur: Chakra Yoga for Mental Clarity

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I disagree with the previous person that said this is hokey and cheesy. It is a wonderful Kundalini practice! Guruteg Kaur instructions are very clear and she makes it fun! You start with a warm up, which is typical for Kundalini Yoga, then the challenging practice, and finally the relaxation. She uses a crystal chime during the relaxation, which is wonderful!!! I'm really not sure why the other person was so negative. (Real Yoga???) Surely Kundalini is not American Power Yoga, so please give this practice a try if you'd like to try an inspirational yoga practice. Also, try Ravi Sing's DVDs because his are very good if you're interested in experiencing Kundalini Yoga ...a real yoga ;o)

See my other reviews on Amazon. Namaste'

This DVD is so hokey and cheesy that it's hard to glean any of the valuable information (of which there is some, but not much) that's buried beneath its overly new-agey packaging. The music is horrible. Some of the exercises are okay, but more are just plain silly. If you are looking for a good laugh, buy this DVD. If you're looking for a real yoga practice, get Baron Baptiste's Core Power DVD. It was filmed live, with real students, and is accompanied by an inspiring soundtrack by Krishna Das.

To respond to the second reviewer, I wasn't trying to say that Kundalini yoga is "bad" or not "real." But really, there are many, many good yoga DVDs available. This one's poor production is really distracting. I suggested Baron Baptiste's Core Power DVD not because it's "power yoga," but because it's GOOD. I do not generally practice "power" style yoga. I normally practice Anusara, Kripalu, or Sivananda styles. But Baptiste's DVD is so good and effective, that it doesn't matter what style you label it.

If you want to try Kundalini Yoga to find out if it's right for you, this is the video to buy.

This was my first Kundalini Yoga video. I'd practiced Hatha Yoga for years before ever hearing about Kundalini Yoga. The exercises challenged my stamina and flexibility at first as I'd gotten out of shape, but became easy after several months of daily practice. Now I use this video when I want a less rigorous practice.

You can use this video daily if you are careful not to strain yourself. (I still use firm, flat pillows to protect my knees).

Gurutej Kaur introduces you the basics of Kundalini Yoga. You are introduced to the bhandas (locks) pranayama(breathing exercises), mudras(hand positions), and mantras (chanting) that are a part of Kundalini Yoga. She explains the purpose and meaning of these as you go through the postures.

I would not practice a chant or anything else if I did not understand its purpose and meaning. Now that I am more advanced, I use the extra time to hold the postures longer, deepening the practice. The ability to focus, to tune inward while maintaining awareness of the outer environment, is one of the many fruits of yoga practice. I suspect that those reviewers who express annoyance with the amount of instruction do not understand this.

Kundalina Yoga is for serious yoga practitioners. If you are on a spiritual path, it will enhance your awareness of your inner divinity and your ability to create the life you want.

Gurutej Kaur wears a turban because she practices the Sikh religion as does Yogi Bhajan, the guru that brought this yoga from India to the west. You don't have to practice the Sikh religion to practice this yoga and no mention of it is made on the video.

After having purchased several wonderful Kundalini Yoga videos, this is the one I'd recommend to those who want an introduction to Kundalini Yoga.

I enjoyed the chakra work out, but not without a few reservations. When I first did Gurutej Kaur's Chakra yoga work out, I found myself to be quite distracted by her as an instructor...she wears a turban and spends a lot of time explaining the chakras (thereby breaking up the workout, making it longer than necessary). I wasn't into the chanting, either. But the second time I tried the tape, I found I wasn't as distracted and I did enjoy the exercises as a whole. The setting is beautiful, and the other participants are more 'normal' (i.e. no turbans). I think if you can get past Gurutej's quirkiness, it's a good alternate yoga tape if you want something less demanding and more relaxing than Rodney Yee's or Bryan Kest's power yoga workouts.

I was compelled to try kundalini yoga because of an altered mind state that lasted two weeks which I achieved through meditation. Thus was my introduction to "uncoiling energy in the body". My previous experiences at yoga classes were not very good because I found the teachers just really wanted to be doing yoga with people who could do it well. This is a great video because Gurutej introduces the concepts VERY well. I noticed as soon as I completed the video the first time I felt like I was full of energy, as I think it really did unblock the chakras. I've now been doing it for a month. I highly recommend this video to those who are new to chakra yoga. You couldn't ask for a better introduction. I find Kundalini yoga fascinating and can't wait to get to the next step.

This video is an amazing workout for your body, mind, and spirit. Some sets are challenging, others are soothing and relaxing. Kundalini Yoga is different from other types of yoga - be prepared to do some moving! I noticed that if I have a headache or back/neck ache, they are completely gone by the end of the video. Gurutej is a wonderful, down to earth teacher that explains the Chakras and exercises well, and encourages you on. As you become more experineced you can just play the video to music or fast foward thru the explainations. It ends with a wonderful chant and crystal bowl healing meditation. This is one yoga video that you will walk away from feeling a big difference!

Some of the moves in this tape are taken from classic Hatha yoga, but some I did not recognize AS yoga, but this tape is not meant to be traditional yoga exercise.

It is a long tape and VERY introspective, which allows you to really sink into yourself and feel the moves. Personal awareness is very important if you want to achieve spiritual and physical balance.

Some of the sounds make you feel awkward, and I'm sure they affect people in different ways, but for me they resonate right through me, which I believe is the desired effect. Much like a tuning fork and a piano, they must surely eventually synchronize to put you in "perfect tune!"

I enthusiastically recommend this video for anyone at any level. It is easy to follow and very informative. More than an exercise program, it aligns your body and spirit, giving you a great sense of strength, clarity, and inner peace. You will be led through gentle yet challenging poses and movements using varied breathing techniques and occasional chanting. If you are open to experiencing this, you will find it has great rewards.

Having heard so much about the wonder of Kundalini yoga, I bought this tape and tried it out right away. It is now a part of my regular cycle of yoga tapes, and I do it 2 or 3 times per week, alternated with Power Yoga workouts. The beginning of the tape features Gurutej, on a sunny, grass covered Malibu Mountain top, explaining what Kundalini is, what it means to your body and what to expect. Then Gurutej and her small class take you through a series of 2 "exercises" for each of our eight Chakras. She explains everything very well, emphasizes the breath (sometimes slow and deep, sometimes breath of fire), and every posture is gentle and approachable. The tape also features some chanting and a meditative session at the end accompanied by 2 gongs/bowls and really clears your head and relaxes you. I feel like my lungs get a workout as much as my body, and my spirit just feels more free and calm at the end. I think this is a wonderful tape for anyone who is interested in yoga for reasons beyond the aesthetic and cosmetic. Bear in mind, Kundalini is VERY different from other forms of yoga. You will not be sweating and quaking, but you will feel loose, healthy and vibrant.

This tape is NOT a good introduction to Yoga. The instructor's incessant chatter breaks up concentration and the excercises don't flow from one to another.