Yoga Cleanse - Lighten Up & Purify - with Ana Brett & Ravi Singh

Over the past few months I have acquired a few of Ravi and Ana's dvds, and this one adds another great dimension and benefits of kundalini yoga. Typical layout is a good warmup ( a must) and then 2x half an hour exercises. Part I focuses on the liver and part II is more general but a greater workout of your toxins. These exercises are not stretch exercises, which the total stretch dvd is an absolute must. Regardless, I have noticed over the past few months working on these dvds that: a) my energy level has risen (had noticed how much it had fallen since being directly affected by 9/11) b) my liver yin was stagnant and hence my period has been very irratic and painful. Now the flow has improved within a month. c) stress has been a prominant component of my life in the past few months and the dvd has helped to calm my nerves and remove the toxin build-up. I am busy person and try and do one of the dvds 3x a week with particular focus at the weekend. The dvds also allow you to do a shorter version if you are pushed for time. I am usually a runner by choice but these dvds have really been a much better alternative: you feel you have had an aeorbic workout, feel the sense of relaxation and less damage to my knees. Believe me, I sweat through most of these exercises and I would consider myself to be in fairly good shape. This could well be an great alternative to accupuncture that also works on the energy/meridian lines of the body; and release of toxin in your body without the use of medicines. A natural detox program.

OK, I'm not that new to Kundalini. I really enjoy their Kundalin Yoga-For Beginners and Beyond. But this was done so poorly. The quality of the video production is horrible (1 star); there is even misspells in the closing credits - assistant, not asistant. The clothing is a poor choice; don't need to see that much nipple. The music was bad and narration was equally bad. The actual routines itself was marginal (a 3 star) but definitely not my favorite. What's with the "grace is given, but is also to be earned," seriously?! What kind of spiritual teaching is that?! Grace is never earned, but freely given by God. I almost wish I hadn't bought it. Will I do it again; maybe. But this one will go on the bottom of my DVD stack.

I am a newcomer to the school of Kundalini Yoga. A fellow fitness enthusiast gave me my first RaviAna DVD, "Fat Free Yoga - Lose Weight & Feel Great" approximately a year ago. I was skeptical about it because I'd heard Kundalini is so different from the traditional schools of hatha and flow yoga I enjoy regularly. But, having an open mind I popped that first DVD in - and became immediately hooked. In the year since, I've accumulated nine more of Ravi and Ana's DVDs, including Yoga Cleanse. Lately I have been enjoying the routines on this DVD more and more. As my Kundalini practice has grown, the exercises have become easier for me to do and now I feel the full benefits of these routines. This video has been reviewed in detail; I will focus on what it does for me. In a nutshell: I feel wonderful after completing a routine. Typically I will do the warmup then choose either one of the two primary sections - Love Your Liver or Tear Out the Toxins, then proceed to the remainder of the DVD. In this way I can get in a shorter routine and still have time for the other activities I enjoy. After I get up and begin to go about my day, I have the most serene feeling, I'm breathing deeply and well, have a smile on my face and I just feel good all over. There have been some criticisms about this DVD having poor production/being filmed in a warehouse, or a weird beam of light over Ana. I really don't notice it. I prefer the spare backgrounds of the older RaviAnas, I find it more meditative. Besides my eyes are closed for most of it. I really like seeing Ravi at the beginning and the end, too. My only problem with this DVD was that at first, the breathing exercises through the curled tongue were very hard for me to sustain. After getting Yoga House Calls and finding this type of breathing again in the Anti-Arthritis segment, suddenly it clicked. I keep a water bottle near me and take a quick sip to help with the dryness, then move on. After a few sessions this type of breathing does become easier. I don't know how it works, but it does!!! Thank you Ravi and Ana

I've been doing yoga, in general, for over 35 years. I was introduced to Kundalini yoga in the 90s and fell in love with its unique, sometimes downright kooky approach and was so curious about how it worked such miracles for me I simply had to complete teacher's training back in 2005. It's a fascinating approach to health and wellness; calling upon movement, static stretches, breathing techniques, mantra (aloud and silent) and mudra (hand gestures) to essentially approach the human body and magnetic field like a gong. Every element creates energetic ripples and vibrations meant to accomplish very specific things. You feel the reverberation of these kriyas long after your practice has ended. Yes, if you're new to this approach you might feel strange or embarrassed sticking your tongue out, but if you go with it, the results will always bring you back. Always. Addressing some of the criticisms I see about this video and their collection in general, which I own in its entirety, let me begin with the "production value." These two were among the first people out there making Kundalini yoga videos at all. They began issuing them on VHS, to give you some perspective on that. Yes, it's a simple set and yes, you hear background noises of the outside world at times. It's really not more than a couple of times and it's fairly muted, and who isn't hearing that while they're exercising at home anyway? Next, as to the unfortunate oversight regarding Ana's top, and the fact that it's too sheer under the lights meaning that on camera you can see through it a bit. You do Kundalini yoga with your eyes closed about 99% of the time. You're also presumably grownups. It was an accident never repeated in subsequent videos and does nothing to detract from the efficacy of this video. That also not a legitimate critique of a yoga video, particularly when you won't be looking at the screen once you know what the exercises. This class is divided into 3 segments; warmup, "Love Your Liver" and "Tear Out the Toxins." Done altogether, it clocks in at just under an hour, but I echo the suggestion of another reviewer, who recommended using the warmup and one of the other 2 segments for a set that's around 30 minutes. That makes it much easier to commit to on a daily basis and you can alternate which post-warmup segment you do to cover your bases. It's an ideal way to begin your day, as you really do need an empty stomach before doing this or any other Kundalini yoga. If you're doing this at night, allow 3 hours after any sizeable meal. Personally, I find that it's not so vigorous that it's jarring to do upon waking, nor does it rile me up if done before bedtime, so chose what works best for you. These days there are a seemingly endless array of Kundalini videos for sale and for free on "Tube of the You" but having seen and/or tried most of them I find myself returning to these videos. Why? They replicate the experience of a live class more than most other online offerings I've seen, in intensity and authenticity. While neither Ana nor Ravi wear Sikh turbans or flowing stereotypical yogi attire, Ravi is among the small group of Americans who studied directly with Yogi Bhajan when he first came to the West, back in the day. The man has been assembling kriya combinations and teaching for DECADES, and has created many truly excellent teachers in the process as well. Yes, his voice is airy and it's easy to make fun of that quality, I get it, lol. But listen to WHAT he's saying. With your eyes closed, that's much easier to do once you put your own judgments and self-consciousness aside. It's well worth the effort to do so. If you do this, even alternating the post-warmup sets, you will notice some remarkable things; improved digestion and elimination, breathing easier (hello asthmatics), sleeping better and waking with more natural energy, gravitating towards healthier foods and beverages naturally, reduced inflammation, cessation of hot flashes/hot sleeping/intolerance of heat and warm weather, lighter and healthier menstrual cycles and without a doubt body composition improvements via fat loss once the liver/gallbladder are supported. Seems worth it, even with the airy voice, see-through top and unusual approach, don't you think? Side note: if you're someone who usually hates summer due to heat intolerance, or who has to sleep in a very cold room, you'll find this a game-changer. Give it a month, done at least 3x per week, and see what I mean. I've also done every cleanse, fast and detox known to man (and some unknown, lol) for over 25 years and my personal experience is that this set does what none of those juice fasts, master cleanses, special diets/supplements, raw food or IF/fasting have ever done for me. Just sayin'. ;)

I have 9 other Ravi Singh and Ana Brett Kundalini Yoga DVDs and love each of them. I was very excited to get this DVD, but I don't know if I can even use it again; it was stressful going through it the first time. Each of the other DVDs is of the highest quality; the set bright, light, open and clear. The instruction clear and peaceful in either Ana's sweet gentle voice, or Ravi's peaceful voice. This vid is very different in unsettling ways. First, the "studio" is an open warehouse with glaring fluorescent lights. These lights are diminished and during the actual class, there is a dark background with an odd spotlight in the back behind Ana. It is sort of gloomy and eerie looking, which is enhanced by the background noise of sirens making you feel that this was taped in a bad area of town at night. The spoken lesson by Ravi is not as smooth as usual and that wouldn't be bad, but the setting and mood have already changed the quality of the potential. The musical background is also less than smooth - think of a cassette tape playing in the background that needs to be occasionally restarted because you got to the end of side one. The lesson is excellent, and I wish that instead of transferring this to DVD, they would have redone the DVD anew keeping the lesson, but changing the quality to that of their newer works. If it were not that I already practically worship these two people and I already know how wonderful their work is, this DVD may have prevented me from trying any of their others. As it is, this particular DVD is sitting on my table with me glaring at it, unable to muster up enough to do it again. Argh, I could ignore the visuals, because I've done enough that I don't need to watch it; but, I cannot get past the sirens in the background. ** Well, I finally got back into it and am glad. I still wouldn't suggest buying it as your first Raviana DVD, and I still don't like some of the visuals, still notice the sirens, but can ignore these things now. The benefits of this DVD outweigh the distractions.

I discovered Kundalini Yoga about 3 months ago, and Raviana DVD's are by far my favorite. This older DVD is also amongst my favorites with its primitive studio, primitive lighting and bad sound. There is something magical about it, so go beyond all the flaws and let it work for you (LOL, I thought EMS was visiting my neighbor again the first couple times I did it until I realized the sirens were on the soundtrack...) After 40+ years of not exactly living a healthy lifestyle, I got on the straight and narrow and changed my ways, however am concerned about the damage I may have done. I'm not entirely convinced fasting and juice cleanses and the like are entirely healthy either, and this seems to be a good way of cleansing the body and mind, at least psychologically, without causing further harm to one's self. I do this, and always feel a little ill afterwards for a bit like it has had a detox effect. I made sure to drink a lot of fluids to flush the garbage out, and I feel better. Much better. I don't know, this may be all in my mind, but you know what? I'm okay with that! I feel like I've done something valuable and healthy for myself. Before purchasing these DVD's, I read a lot of reviews and also purchased DVD's by Maya Feinnes & Gurmukh. I didn't care for the other DVD's. I noted a lot of comments about Ana's attire. As I am also into physical fitness, I appreciate the fact that I can see what muscles she is using, or conversely relaxing, in a pose so that I can accurately attempt to copy it. I could not do this with the other DVD's due to the loose fitting clothing or long flowing garments. Also, to me, Kundalini Yoga is about turning inward and focusing on me for a couple of hours a week, not worrying about what someone is wearing. My biggest concern with the Raviana DVD's has been where do I get one of those furry rugs :-)

When I first got this DVD and popped it in, I must admit I was a little taken back. This is the first time I have been exposed to Kundalini yoga. I am not new-agey at all, and Ravi's appearance and soft manner of speaking was suggestive of a cult member. That, and his apparent penchant for speaking in rhymes. And if he can't find a word to rhyme, he just repeats the first word. That being said, I still find myself going back again and again, as I just find a deep release and relaxation at the end of the workout. It does seem to clear my head and give a sense of balance to my body. Ana Brett is great, and Ravi's wife(!) She exudes a healthy natural beauty that is a great model for this type of yoga. So the bottom line is, I do recommend this DVD, but caution people who are new-age wary to try and look past the soft, slow, speaking and incessant rhyming(trust me, after the 30th time, it gets disturbing when you find yourself chanting "Floating there without a care, put yourself in Heaven's care!" along with Ravi), and hang in there and reap the benefits. You really will feel better.

As a Kundalini convert I didn't think I would find much variety for home practice DVDs or tapes out there, and part of what makes the live classes so fun and challenging is that they are different every day- you cannot adapt and anticipate the way you can with Hatha classes. So I ordered two of Ravi Singh's DVDs and 2 Mantra Girl DVDs for a little variety. I was deligthed to find that they are all fabulous and challenging in different ways. This particular DVD focuses on liver cleansing and balancing, which was exactly what I was working on at the time since I am addressing old anger issues now. It's the kind of class I was able to do right out of bed in the morning without feeling too jolted or shocked but I definitely felt invigorated and enlivened. The breath work alone makes this a divine morning practice and I plan to use this several times per week as a detox wakeup call. I particularly love the explanations Ravi gives while Ana is demonstrating- I find it empowering and helpful to know exactly what the benefits are of the movements and what areas you are addressing specifically. If you like to learn about your body while you deepen your practice, you will love these DVDs.