River Flow Opening the Currents of a Yoga Practice DVD! Level 1,

I had heard good things about yoga instructor Tias Little for years, so I was interested to try this practice. Little studied Ashtanga vinyasa yoga with Pattabhi Jois, but he is also a licensed massage therapist a long-time student Vipassana meditation, Tibetan Buddhism, and Zen, all of which influence his practice.More than just a yoga routine, this DVD incorporates many elements as described on the main menu, which I have reproduced below. [I have provided the additional information in brackets.]Play AllPoem by Takahashi [brief, titled "Words"]PreludeDharma Talk on "Non-Clinging"Meditation--6 minutes [6:40]Asana--46 minutes [46:12]Closing Meditation--5 minutes [4:45]Savasana--5 minutes [5:09]Poem by Wendell Berry ["The Peace of Wild Things"]Credits & Out TakesIn the Prelude, Little refers to yoga as a "contemplative practice." The talk about non-clinging includes the concept of the "Teflon mind" as well as the non-permanence of things, from the Twin Towers in NYC to the sand mandalas created by Buddhist monks.The meditation/asana practice starts at 22 minutes into the DVD. Little is shown practicing alone in various outdoor settings, and his instruction is via voiceover. He uses mainly Sanskrit names for the postures but will sometimes refer to the common English translations as well. Occasional still photos are interspersed with the video, usually to show a modification. The postures that appear in the routine are listed below. (I use the English pose names to make them more readily recognizable to most.)Hero pose on block, adding chin lock and arms overheadDownward-facing dog, coming to standingSun salutationsStanding forward bend variations, including hold toes, feet on palms, feet on handsTriangleSide angle poseWarrior 2Half MoonWide-legged forward bendPyramid, optional arms in reverse prayer poseVinyasa to downward facing dog; hold 5 breathsStaff pose; supine staff poseHalf hero forward bendHead to knee poseHalf lotus prep (rock the baby) to half lotus forward foldHalf fish poseVinyasa to butterfly with forward bendWide-legged forward bend; supine wide-legged poseLegs up to wide-legged plow to plowShoulderstand variations; back to plowThis is a nice practice with excellent form and alignment cues. I find it more serious than some of my other yoga practices, but definitely good for when I feel the need for a refresher of basics. Also, I found the addition of the meditation segments and poems a nice bonus. I would definitely recommend this DVD.

Tias Little DVD is full of precise instructions and wisdom tips.Very good for practice and inspiration. But keep in mind that is best to learn from a yoga instructor who can see you and your misalignment, if any, and help you to correct so your joins are safe from future pain.Although , I never met him I feel inspired by his way of teaching.It is worth the $$ .Namaste,

I own this DVD, and was looking into buying another copy for a friend. I see it's selling here for nearly $1000. All I can say is, you have got to be kidding. This DVD is still selling new for around $25 and I don't think first edition DVD's are worth nearly as much as books. I would say, buy any other yoga DVD for a reasonable price (between $18 and $25 seems about average.) Tias Little is an okay instructor but there are boatloads of other ashtanga yoga teachers on DVD who are far more worth it. I've seen price manipulating going on elsewhere in the yoga and new age markets and don't approve.

I have been watching this DVD for proally 7 years. No matter how many times I watch this DVD, I never get tired of it. This also makes a great gift for the Yogis in your life.