Ganesha Flow - Devotion in Motion

These are the DVD chapters:Invocation (4:30): A quiet, seated meditationEarth Foundation (9:13): Starts with core work - table pose (including long holds), Navasana (boat pose-knees bent), yoga roll-up with bent knees, and something similar to pilates rolling-like-a-ball, before rolling into Malasana. The next portion is standing poses: skier's squat with arm movements, and Uttanasana (forward bend) gently swaying back and forth. From Uttanasana she does whole body circles with arms folded over the head before rolling up to standing. She then moves to chair pose with hands resting on the knees doing a series of gentle spine movements - forward/back, and then circles. She closes this section with chair pose, extending to mountain pose, and then chair pose sweeping arms forward and back, and ends with Uttanasana.Hello Hips (11:48): Begins with low lunges alternating with Uttanasana (forward bend) and then downward dog with leg variations. Next is plank pulling back into downward dog, followed by a backbend sequence - cobra (including twists), locust, camel, and downward dog. Chair pose is next (including twists). She then returns to the previous sequence: low lunge, downward dog with leg variations, and three times through the backbend movement. She closes with an extended child pose and then slow hip circles on all fours.Lunge for Love (5:56): This sequence starts with downward dog to low lunge, half splits, plank, cobra, camel - repeating sequence on other side. She then goes into a mandala (circular flow) going from low lunge at the top of the mat, passing quickly through wide leg squat (Goddess) facing away, low lunge at the bottom of the mat, Goddess again facing away, and then returning to low lunge at the top of the mat. She does this several times then goes into a transition sequence of downward dog, forward to plank, cobra, camel, back to downward dog. She then completes the mandala by repeating the low lunge/quick Goddess combo except this time she faces towards the screen when passing through the squat. This sequence ends by repeating the transition sequence, and then child's pose.(interesting note, Slow and Low and Earth to Sky appear to be reversed on the menu)From Earth to Sky (5:49): Starts with a long Anahatasana. Moves to downward dog to plank, before she moves into a supported Ardha Shalabhasana (locust - with one leg raised, and the other leg used for support), repeating on the other side. Next she goes to downward dog with raised leg, to low lunge and then pulls up to pyramid pose, repeating low lunge/pyramid three times, and then to triangle pose. She has a transition sequence of downward dog, plank, cobra, camel, to downward dog - and then repeats the low lunge/pyramid/triangle pose sequence on the other side, and the transition sequence.Slow and Low (13:01): This section includes Uttanasana, downward dog, low lunge and then grab back foot to stretch, half warrior 2, gate pose, Vasisthasana variations, low lunge variation as prep, Eka Pada Koundiyanasana, and downward dog. There is a pause in the flow with child's pose, and then rolling to a wide leg kneeling position while gently undulating the spine. She then starts the sequence over beginning with downward dog/low lunge on the other side.Metta (loving-kindness) (7:34): Long stretches in this segment with variations on low lunge and pigeon pose.Landing (8:14): Lotus/half lotus (sit on a blanket if you need) - she includes a move where you roll up over your knees, hips dropping forward, stretching forward. Then shaking out the legs, dandasana to seated forward bend, and then just sitting quietly with knees bent and head resting on knees. Moves to happy baby, supine spinal twist, and supine bound angle.Savasana and Offering (4:37)My thoughts: I loved this DVD. The pace was perfect, and she slows at just the right spots throughout the flow. I think of this as more of an intermediate yoga practice, although as Yoni mentions I think an experienced beginner could do this as well. There are a couple advanced poses, but they are completely optional. Thanks to Deana for introducing me to Janet. Can't wait to try Ananda Vinyasa next!

This is a very special DVD. In terms of commentary, this is by far the most moving yoga DVD I have found. Janet is mature, and her commentary is full of Yogic philosophy, which resonates with depth and a push for personal growth. In fact, was actually moved to tears the first time I did the disc. I think it was the combination of the commentary and the profound hip opening. It's not that I had pushed myself beyond my edge in the hip opening, but rather I somehow had reached a place that I hadn't before, opening up a channel of energy that was until now untouched. And with Janet pressing me just to accept what is...something released, sunk in. Perhaps it was a barrier to my own self acceptance.The workout itself was not all that physically challening for me, in an aerobic sense. There are no Warrior 1, 2, or 3 asanas or even a single upward dog pose on this DVD! No sholder stands, no upward facing bow, no half moon, and no directed abdominal work! She does have an interesting warrior 2 like pose which is done on one knee though. There are a lot of lunge variations, cobra, and shalabasanas. She has an interesting and original progressive flow from lunge to camel pose, which is done repeatedly. Janet has a lot of creativity with the poses, and she takes poses that I know and alters them, combining them in an interesting sequence that is, to me, truly new. She will take a pose that Shiva Rea innovated, and she will alter it, improve it, deepen it.Janet found a very talented stylist for the screen set. The mood is eerie and mystical. The Easten music is quite interesting. There is only one tune that was on Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti.I look forward to doing this disc again, to opening up the layers of Janet's commentary, to giving up my own drive to achieve and progress, and instead--to get closer to the place of being. However my only regret is that the workout is a bit too light--it leaves out that aerobic element that would make this DVD truly and fully satisfying. Unfortunately, it comes just short of that.

This was my first Janet Stone yoga video, and I must say that she has succeeded in making me understand why she has so many followers.There's a nice pace here, as she takes you through a series of traditional vinyasa poses combined with her own take on some of these. I found the new poses both fun and appropriately challenging. Plus, there's lots of work here on the hips, which is one of my tightest areas. I definitely feel more open in my hips immediately after doing this routine and also the following day.I'm probably at the low-intermediate level now, which means there are still some advanced poses that I can't do. But fortunately, Janet is one of those select few instructors who is wise enough to recognize that she has to aim her program toward students at all levels. And so I find that I am more or less able to do everything in this video--to a certain level, of course. And that's nice.However, I will add one caveat: this program can add strain on your knees. I don't actually have knee problems, or I haven't for years. But the first time I did this, my knees were really sore the next day. The same thing happened the second time.In fact, I noticed one other reviewer wrote a review entitled "Hard on the Knees," and I have to agree with everything she said. That is the reason I gave this video four stars and not five. If you have knee issues, avoid this video and find something that does not put strain in that area.Overall, this is a diverse and fun routine that, were it not for the knee strain issue, would be one of my very top yoga videos.