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

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'. ;)

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