Review: Shiva Rea Daily Energy
Note: This review post is not company-sponsored in any way. I purchased this DVD on Amazon with my own dinero.
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This morning, I was beyond stoked to try out the Shiva Rea Daily Energy DVD.
I’m always looking for new yoga programs/podcasts/DVDs, as I like to practice at least 3 times a week and have the attention span of a Chihuahua. Another problemo is that due to my dance background, I memorize moves and flows very easily which is a quick recipe for boredom.
Enter the yoga matrix: 
(Sorry for the less-than-stellar pic. I took it via Crackberry up in the yoga room)
So in an almond-shell, you can do one of the 7 20-minute sections, a pre-selected blend to create a complete yoga class, or you can mix and match your own.
I decided to do the mix and match thang and chose the solar meditation, fire and water, fire, core and savansana for a total of 57 minutes.
- Solar Meditation (5 minutes): At first I thought Shiva Rea was kind of a nut case. She’s very calm and mellow, but some of the “warm up” movements seemed a little ballistic to me. We were shaking appendages and “pushing energy around” and I had no idea what to expect for the rest of the practice. It was a short warm up, but I felt pretty good and the fact that I had the room heated up to 87* helped a little 😉
- Fire and Water (20 minutes): This flow was excellent. We did some reverse warriors, triangle, half moons, bow pose, and arm balances. Every time we did the flow, she added something on to make it more challenging and explained how to get into the arm balances very well. I surprised myself a little! By the end of this section, I decided that I really liked her 😀
- Fire (20 minutes): Holly push-ups. We probably did at least 100 in this section and the way she went about it was super sneaky. We’d be flowing and then she would say “now we’ll start our prostration push-ups”. Prostration sounds a little too much like “frustration” to me 😉 We did a lot of push ups, jumping movements, warriors and chair poses, and I had a lovely line of sweat on my shirt. Just when I was debating whether or now I’d do this series again, we did crow (my favorite) and side crows (which I’m still working on). Lurved.
- Core (7 minutes): This DVD is worth purchasing for the core series alone. We did an awesome mix of movements (most of which I’ve never done before) and my abbies were on fire. Shiva Rea is also ridiculously bendy, which is something to aspire to 🙂
- Savansana (aka yoga nap time) (5 minutes): I can totally see myself doing this 5 minutes of beautiful relaxation on any of my hectic days. The music and her voice we so calming- the perfect way to end a practice.
(Source)
Pros: Easy to customize to your needs and schedule, challenging. I definitely pushed myself and doing a DVD felt more personal than a podcast.
Cons: Shiva has a very unique style, which takes a second to get used to. This DVD also assumes that you have a background practicing yoga- definitely more of an Intermediate/Advanced DVD.
Verdict: 2 almond butter-covered thumbs up 😀
Let me know if any of ya’ll try it (or have already tried) this DVD!
Enjoy your day <3
Gina
51 Comments
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That matrix looks familiar….maybe I have this and didn’t realize I did. I think I tried it and thought it was kind of hard- I need to check it out again!
I haven’t tried any yoga dvds yet…I think it would help if I had a room that I could heat up like yours! I’m addicted to my hot vinyasa flow studio…the teachers are great and I love the space, so it would have to be an amazing dvd (or a cut in salary!) to switch to dvds or podcasts! However, this would be fantastic for travelling! I am going to Mexico in April and am already planning on a morning practice on the beach:)
Shiva Rea is so wonderful – I hope to do my next teacher training with her. One of my best friends trained with her and is her close friend and hairstylist and we practice her style together a lot – very fluid, almost dance like. So graceful and beautiful. I imagine it would be perfect for someone with a dance background like yourself!
Thanks for the review! I was so excited to see Shiva had a new DVD out!
I love that DVD! You should really try her fluid power – vinyasa flow yoga…there’s more content, waaaay more matrix options and i think its a lot more creative but it also assumes everyone’s skilled in the art and extra bendy. Even so, its a really wonderful DVD– the favorite of my collection. 🙂
this is really good to know…i’ve been eyeing some shiva rea sessions on FitTV and on Demand…I think i’ll try that before i actually go out and get the DVD though!
Thanks for the review!! I am always looking for new DVD’s to try out!!
I have now decided that I NEED this. I adore yoga, but can’t always force myself to get to a class and haven’t found a podcast/onDemand selection I’ve been happy with and haven’t wanted to shell out the dough for somethign I might not like. Thanks for the review!
I love Sihva and have been curious about this DVD! I may go ahead and order it on netlifx before I buy it, just to try it out first. I am a huge yoga fan a nd need something new and exciting for my practice. Thanks so much for doing this review. Oh, byt he way, when are you going to post the new Intro to pumping iron plan? I can’t wait to have some new moves!
Seriously, how long did it take you before you could do crow. That is all I want in life right now. Granted, I’ve only been doing yoga once a week which is 100% more then I have ever done in my life. This week I may get 2 classes in…one down, one to go!
it took me a few months before i could do it.. but once you can, you never look back 😀
I LOVE love love Shiva Rea, in fact I just did a 40-minute practice of her Yoga Shatki last night. I have to be honest, at first I thought she was a nutcase as well! But after spending some time “with” her, I really love her style, and her voice is super calming, and much less annoying as I got used to it. I would love to try this DVD, thanks for the review!
xo
K
I wonder if she has any more beginner-type DVDs because this kind of style is up my alley… I don’t like committing to the ones that are 45 minutes!
I second that Mara! I would love to try one that is geared for beginner-moderate. I have been practicing yoga at a studio doing level one, and i love it. I previously took a yoga class at a community college and that was what got me hooked. I couldn’t believe how good the class was for a community college! I would be interested in something more my level 🙂 I try to go 2 times a week, and just invested in an awesome eko yoga mat 🙂
Do you have any beginning/intermediate yoga dvd’s you would recommend?? I am much like you and love a more fast moving(not super fast/ I still like the stretch factor) yoga because I get bored easily! I would love some ideas!
try the crunch fitness pilates/yoga blend. it’s faster paced, but more of a beg/int level. still, a great workout
Hmm maybe I should wait a little bit before getting that DVD. I started practicing yoga last year, but only gave it a go for the 3-month trial I had signed up for and am only now getting back into it. That last pose looks ridic!
I just bought it from Amazon! Only 19 left… 🙂
I’ve never tried a yoga dvd, but it is probably a good alternative to expensive classes!
If you want some serious Shiva kookiness, try Yoga Trance Dance. I felt like such a fool trying to do the crazy yoga dancing I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to concentrate. Her Yoga Shakti DVD is a favorite of mine, so I will probably like this one too. Thanks for the review!
Sounds awesome!!!! 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the review I really want to try it!
PS….Have you tried Yogolosophy??? I recently bought it. To me, it’s more of a pilates/yoga blend but still a great (esp. leg) workout!
xx,
Lauren
which one did you like better this one or yogolosophy? Which one would you recommend for beginner/intermediate?
this was more “yoga” and the yogalosophy was more strength training. i’d recommend yogalosophy for beg/int
Sounds like an awesome practice! I’ve been trying to keep my eyes open for some good DVD’s lately since I now work at night and can’t catch my favorite power yoga class.
Thanks for the review!
Hi Gina – How do you make an egg white puff? Thanks !
hey anon,
just spray a glass bowl with nonstick spray, add the eggs, whisk and microwave 1-2 minutes. super easy!
Hi Gina! I’ve always wondered – would this work just as well if I used whole eggs, or do the yokes cook enough differently that it wouldn’t turn out unless it was just egg whites?
video is up: http://fitnessista.com/?p=6094 😀
I warned you about the Fire push-ups, right? Ha! My yoga instructor studied with Shiva Rea, so I was already used to the style. I love that DVD, even the parts I can’t do because I’m knocked up 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for the review. I’ll definitely put it down for my next mini-reward or etc. I like that you can mix it up. A lot of my newer DVD’s (circuit training) are similar in that way. I think with yoga it would be fun! I will consider the warning on Fire, but I bet it’s fun!
I haven’t read the rest of the comments, maybe you’ve posted something there but – any yoga DVDs you recommend for beginners?
<3
i started out with the rodney yee dvds quite a few years ago and they were an excellent starting point for me
That dvd sounds great! The only Shiva Rea dvd I have done is her pregnancy one, which was alright (prenatal yoga dvds are all pretty tame.
I haven’t tried that DVD out but have done one 20 min on demand video and agree she takes some getting used to.
Thanks for the awesome review! I love looking forward to a new DVD. I’ve heard the new Mandy Ingber one is good too (who Jennifer Aniston works with) as well as the P90x yoga. I have the Eoinn Finn power yoga and it’s pretty great!
thanks, gina !
Hi Gina,
Is there a beginner yoga dvd that you can recommend?
Cheryl
I have so many of her DVD’s. I was really into yoga a few years ago but then I got my German Shepherd and running (to wear him out) took precendence.
I miss it really and there is no excuse because I have so many yoga dvd’s AND MATS! It is truly such a healthy body experience.
Looks like a workout!
That sounds really cool! I love it when workouts are customizable!
Thank you for the detailed review of the DVD. I love doing yoga at home via DVD and this one looks great. I have it coming from Netflix and then if I like it, I will buy it. It’s a great way to test drive a DVD you are thinking you might like. And you are going to great this Sunday, I will be thinking of you!!
Thanks for this review! I had been curious, but I think I’ll need a little more practice before I opt for this one. I have just signed up for 30 days of yoga course, so maybe after that I’ll consider it.
Question: Would heating the room up be beneficial in all types of yoga? Or is it a personal preference kind of thing?
it’s a personal preference kinda thing because my favorite yoga classes (power and bikram) are heated. makes me *almost* feel like i’m in a studio 🙂
Have a safe trip Gina and have a great run on Sunday!
Hey Gina!
I’ve tried this DVD before. In fact, it’s sitting in my TV stand as we speak. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan. I do a lot of Namaste Yoga or Power Yoga so the “in-between yoga” that Shiva Rea does didn’t really float my boat. I actually didn’t feel super challenged either. Maybe I’ll give it another shot, though!
Thanks for the review! I’m going to try and get this from netflix!
OK, see, this makes me want to do yoga. Every time someone writes a stellar review/post about yoga, it makes me want to give it another shot. Do you have any recommendations for yoga for people with bad knees? (I guess I don’t have “bad” knees, I just have to avoid squats and lunges because I think I have some undiagnosed overuse injuries in my knees from a few months back…alright, so yeah, I guess I have bad knees. ;))
Anyway, last time I tried yoga (it was power yoga, which I think I like because is was pretty challenging), I really liked most of it, but had to come out of some poses due to said knee problems. Any advice? (Sorry for the novel.)
maybe try the yogadownload podcasts “yoga for runners”– don’t go as far into the poses, only to where you’re comfortable
Ooo, I’ll have to try that 1 out, I’ve bought so many yoga DVDs that end up in the trash. Do you know any good Zumba DVDs? I never see it in stores.
i got mine on ebay (the advanced set) and LOVE them 🙂 amazon has all of the zumba dvds too
Thanks for the review! I’ve been looking for this Shiva Rea yoga DVD but haven’t been able to find it–I’ll definitely keep looking though now that I know it’s good! Thanks again!
I just bought Jillian Michaels’ new yoga DVD (Yoga Meltdown); haven’t tried it but it’s received good reviews. Maybe another one to check out if you’re a JM fan!
For all looking for beginner Shiva Rea DVDs, she has one, Shiva Rea – Flow Yoga for Beginners. It can be found on Amazon.com. The seesion/workout is 1:20. You can also get it on Netflix, for those that want to check it out before buying. Take care all!