August - yes, I'm pretty picky about my music on all workouts. I tend to like the more traditional music like Shiva Rea or Rainbeau Mars uses. I think Altar of the Heart also has that kind of music. That's the only thing that give's an Eion Finn DVD a downside for me.....I don't like his music. His just sort of new agey music, but I LOVE Eion....so I put up with the music.
Yes, I have LOTS of DVDs and videos....Yoga, Cardio and Weights. I think my addictive behavior comes out in the things I'm passionate about. I tend to be a very obessisve compulsive person. At least I'm not addicted to a self destructive thing any more....although my house is quite full of all of my addictions...*smile*.
As far as the depression, I just grin and bear it. It's part of this disease of addiction that I suffer from and it will be a life-long thing. Exercise really helps and yoga helps my anxiety and tight muscles (hips). I tend to have a type A personality and stress out very easily and am extremely hyper.
What instrument do you play? I love music. I'm into hard rock. My avatar is actually me with the drummer from Buckcherry (a band I love) that I got to meet back in August. I think Buckcherry is pretty popular over in Japan....have you heard of them?
I just rec'd Ravi and Ana's newsletter. Here's what it says about Dancin with the Chakras:
DANCE THE CHAKRAS!
This is an introduction to a six part series of articles, Dance the Chakras based on our DVD title, Dance the Chakras Yoga Workout. This DVD is divided into two 30 min. sessions, starting with a complete 30 minute Kundalini Yoga set. The 2nd set is an energetic, pulsating, sequence of mostly lead movement routines. Even if you don't have a dance background these moves are simple, fun, and easy to follow. "Shake Your Chakras," includes Tribal Dance, Funky Temple Dance and Dance of Power. These are pretty aerobic! "Rock Your Soul," includes Heart Dance, and Dance Trance. The last two segments are meditative and will definitely give you that oceanic, expansive feeling some may call "bliss." This DVD also allows you to pre-program your workout, so if you don't have time for the whole thing, you can still get your Kundalini Yoga session done in the time you have!
Dance: The Hidden Language of the Soul
It's been said that the body is a sacred garment, and that dance is the hidden language of the soul. The ancient Greeks believed that dancing was a gift from the gods and that the gods offered this gift to select mortals, who in turn taught the art of dance to humanity.
The Dance the Chakras concept is in the true spirit of the Kundalini Yoga and Tantric traditions where the bottom line is always what works. Yoga means to join. Yoke. Tantra means to weave. Through these practices we can experience the dance of life and existence, past and present, and connect to the deep places within ourselves that we have no words to express.
In ancient cultures the body was used as an expressive instrument to tell stories. Dance was very much connected to people's ongoing experience. In a similar way, the Chakras (energy centers along the spine), how we relate to them, and what our energies flow toward, communicate our story. The body reveals all, and the way we move is indicative of where we are on our own life journey.
Ancient cultures also used dance as a way of bonding and as a means to cross language barriers and communicate with each other, their ancestors, and the Unseen. Just as our native ancestors used dance as a form of invocation, or prayer--asking for help for the hunt, fertility, to empower one for battle, for love, or to commemorate victory and loss--we use dance to bond, connect, empower ourselves, inspire others, and celebrate!
To dance through the chakras is to enrich our experience of life as we know it. When we dance we are integrating our ancestral past, our deep memory, and our immediate present. We are forging a bond which is timeless. The chakras are the complete spectrum of the human (ancestral and modern day) experience. We can experience all the energies of our chakras when we dance. Grounding (1st Center), Expression, Release (2nd center), Self-Determination (3rd center) , Celebration, Love (4th Center), Communication (5th Center), Sublime Experience (6th - 8th Centers).
Dance: Sport of Spirit
Chakra dance is characterized by strong, stabilizing leg movements, hip/spinal rolls, shimmys, and shakes, and abdominal and arm moves. We utilize the whole body to simultaneously ground, strengthen, release and flow. In our chakra dance we are given structure but encouraged to experiment. When we move in new unaccustomed ways, we actually fire new neural pathways in the brain, nervous system, and muscle memory, and open windows to new ideas and possibilities.
Dance is fun! It is natural to us. We hear a beat and WANT to move. It makes us feel good, whole, expressive and connected. Dancing gives us a "Natural High" just like any other intense activity or sport, such as spinning or running. Endorphins are released which act as natural "ecstasy." This can trigger a pleasure response which keeps us wanting more! The results of this natural high are much longer lasting than any drug induced variety. Shamans used dance to drive out negative energies. We can use dance to release stored tension and negative emotions in the body. This rejuvenates us and contributes to a feeling of well being.
Dance is the perfect exercise modality to get us out of our heads--and the tendency to conceptualize--and into our bodies, i.e., to get out of our own way and truly embody what's real and true. In other words we use dance to explore the uncharted, unspoken Universe within.
When we express ourselves through movement, there is a physicality of spirit, limitless energy, a quickening of the soul, that is communicated through us into action, and since we are unique, our dance is unique. AB
To the person who asked where to get the suggested yoga workouts - can't remember the name.....Amazon.com has Eion Finn's and Ana and Ravi's, as well as Shiva Rea's. I'm not sure about Rainbeau Mars. I think I usually ordered hers from CDUniverse.com, but they might have them at Amazon. Fitnessorganica.com is the other place I shop and that's where I found Altar of the Heart, although I believe Tilak Pyle has a website also that you can purchase it on.
I'll be back later. I've got tons of stuff to do. I sell sample packs of Limited Edition Black Phoenix oils on the weekends on Ebay (to support my Black Phoenix perfume oil addiction)...so I've got to get busy.
Maybe I'll make it next year's goal. You know, I'm looking around my small apartment and I don't even see wall space to practice on...