(Gaiam)
2004
What is it?
A video that prepares your body and mind for meditation.
Who is it for?
All levels - beginners will be able to do most of these poses easily, and more advanced practitioners will still be able to appreciate it.
What to expect:
Just watching this video and its beautiful Yosemite scenery is enough to put you in a calmer, more centered state. However, it is not a meditation video per se -- rather, master Yoga instructor Rodney Yee offers you a number of brief sessions and poses to get you in the frame of mind to meditate, stretch out muscles you will need for sitting meditation, and show you different ways of sitting for your meditation practice. There are five different segments. The first, Mountain, is a 12-minute transition session to bring you from everyday consciousness to a quieter mental space. Garden, the second session, uses a chair for its 10-minute routine, which involves hip opening exercises (do this session on a regular basis and it will definitely help you sit in meditation for longer periods of time). Tree offers four different sitting poses for your meditation practice, while Wind focuses on your breath. They both last 10 minutes. The last segment, Sky, is a brief, eight-minute guided meditation which is only a taste of what meditation can offer. Those who already know the basics of meditation (and Yoga) will benefit the most from this tape because they will best understand how to utilize the instruction. But it's great for anybody who wants to relax after a stress-filled day.