Review of "Everyday Yoga for Stress Release "
By Nadia NarainNew Shoot Pictures, 2015
Review by Beth T. Cholette, Ph.D. on Mar 1st 2016
This DVD, created by United Kingdom-based instructor Nadia Narain, offers yoga practices to restore a sense of harmony and balance. It inclues three separate "programmes," each with its own unique focus. Programme 1 is a gentler practice for when feeling tired or low on energy; it is more calming and designed to help facilitate sleep. The second programme is a higher energy routine meant to work off tension. Finally, Programme 3 focuses on managing anxiety and other stressful emotions.
Narain teaches these practices alone via voiceover in a large exposed brick studio. The routines are listed on the Main Menu as follows: Play All -- Programme 1 -- Programme 2 -- Programme 3 -- Savasana -- Breathing -- Lovingkindness Meditation. I have provided more detail on each of these segments below, including times.
PROGRAMME 1 (21:48 minutes)
This routine is a gentle flowing series. Narain begins seated for a cross-legged forward bend, then comes to kneeling for cat/cow followed by downward-facing dog. Returning to seated, she moves through several arms stretches, such as cow-face arms. The finishing postures include head-to-knee pose, Sage 3 twist, reclined bound angle, and a brief relaxation.
PROGRAMME 2 (17:56 minutes)
This program also starts gently, as Narain moves through the 3-part breath in a seated position. She then performs a seated cat and shoulder stretches. Moving to all fours, she begins a downward dog to plank flow. After resting in child's pose, Narain flows from down dog to crescent lunge and then back to the downward dog to plank flow. This is followed by a variation on lunge salutations, triangle pose, and wide-legged forward bend, including a twist. Coming to lying on her back, Narain moves the legs through windshield wipers and finishes with a very brief (30 seconds) shavasana.
PROGRAMME 3 (21:26 minutes)
This anxiety-relieving routine begins with a seated breath focus. This is followed by cat/cow on the hands and knees and then downward-facing dog. Coming to standing, Narain shakes out the body, shaking the wrists in particular and adding optional small hops. She also adds in several neck stretches. She moves through several sun breaths and then performs a full vinyasa to transition to the floor, where she engages in a jaw massage and a bridge flow.
This is followed by two variations of reclined twist, reclined bound angle with a knee hover, and about one minute of shavasana. Narain concludes with a minute of alternate nostril breathing.
SAVASANA (5:47 minutes)
This is a longer, separately chaptered shavasana. Narain offers a guided body scan to facilitate the relaxation.
BREATHING (4:04 minutes)
In this short segment, Narain offers additional instruction in the three-part breath.
LOVINGKIDNESS MEDITATION (4:04 minutes)
This is a classic lovingkindness meditation in which Narain guides a meditation focus on someone you love, self, and all beings.
This DVD provides three very nice, fairly gentle yoga routines that are certainly likely to be beneficial in managing stress and anxiety. The practices are somewhat indistinct from one another--e.g., they all start in a basic seated position and include many of the same postures--but this is a minor issue. I also would have preferred to have each routine include its own, longer shavasana, as I find having to switch to a separate chapter somewhat distracting rather than relaxing. Overall, however, I would definitely recommend this DVD for stress relief.
© 2016 Beth Cholette
Beth Cholette, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who provides psychotherapy to college students.
Resources
-
Articles
-
The Nature of Stress
- Introduction and the Nature of Stress
- The Biology of Stress
- The Fours Stages of A Stress Reaction
- Other Important Biological Systems That Help Regulate Stress Reactions
- Factors Influencing the Stress Response
- Types of Stressors (Eustress vs. Distress)
- Factors Determining Whether Stressors are Experienced as Negative or Positive
- Self-Efficacy and the Perception of Control in Stress Reduction
- The Long-Term Consequences of Negative Stress
- Mental and Emotional Impact of Stress
- Social Impact of Stress
-
Methods of Stress Reduction
- Methods of Stress Reduction
- Meditation for Stress Reduction
- Kinetic (Movement) Strategies for Stress Relief
- Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi for Stress Reduction
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Stress Reduction
- Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Massage, Reiki and Acupuncture Stress Reduction Techniques
- Medication Strategies for Stress Relief
- Psychological Strategies for Reducing Stress
- Cognitive Therapy Techniques for Stress Reduction
- Cognitive Distortions Affecting Stress
- Dysfunctional Beliefs Affecting Stress
- Cognitive Restructuring
- Distraction and Humor in Stress Reduction
- Visualization and Guided Imagery Techniques for Stress Reduction
- Hypnosis and Autogenic Training for Stress Reduction
- Environmental, Social and Spiritual Strategies for Stress Relief
- The Vitality of Natural Environments for Stress Reduction
- Food and Pets as Stress Relief Tools
- Socialization and Altruistic Acts as Stress Relief
- Religious/Spiritual Practice for Stress Reduction
-
Stress Prevention
- Stress Prevention
- Stress Prevention: A Values Clarification Exercise
- Time Management to Prevent Stress
- Assertiveness and Interpersonal Boundaries in Stress Reduction
- Stress Inoculation Therapy
- Developing a Personalized Stress Prevention Plan
- Developing a Stress Prevention Plan Part 2
- Selecting Methods and Making a Commitment in Stress Prevention
- Tracking Your Progress and Maintaining Your Gains in Stress Prevention
- Additional Stress Reduction and Prevention Resources
-
The Nature of Stress
-
News
-
Questions and Answers
- Husband Jealous of my Friends and Family
- What's Wrong With Me?
- ADD Maybe?
- Stress and Loss of Feeling or Emotional Deadness
- My BoyfriendLlied to Me About His Ex.
- Please, A Response!!!!!
- Can't Stand Noise
- Is Psychosis Curable?
- Anxiety
- Paranoid Thoughts
-
22 more
- Do I Need Help?
- What Is Wrong with Me?
- Should I Seek Help?
- Premonitions
- I Love Her, but I Want That Spark Back
- PTSD
- Elderly Parents
- Am I Crazy?
- Concerned
- Disconnected
- I'm overemotional! What's wrong with me?
- Need a Solution (Hair Pulling) - Cat
- My Health
- what to do about built up tension inside
- Do I feel stress?
- Is Something Wrong With Her?
- Dealing With General Discontent
- Part Time Work and Stress
- Arranged Marriage
- Seizures Interfering With Love
- Countering Type A With Assertiveness
- Sick Husband
-
Book & Media Reviews
- Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic
- Change Your Thinking
- De-Stress Your Life in 7 Easy Steps
- Element: Yoga for Stress Relief & Flexibility
- Emotions, Stress, and Health
- Everyday Yoga for Stress Release
- Job Stress and the Librarian
- Knowing the Nature of Fear
- Kundalini Yoga to Detox and Destress DVD
- Learn to Relax
-
13 more
- Meditation for Optimum Health
- Meditation in a New York Minute
- Stress
- Stress Relief to Go
- Stress Survival Guide
- The Joy of Meditating
- The Spa Deck
- The Stress Less Workbook
- The Stress Owner's Manual
- The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens
- The SuperStress Solution
- Thriving Under Stress
- Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief
-
Links
-
Videos
- How Do You Manage Stress?
- How to Stay Calm When You Know You'll Be Stressed
- Managing Stress
- Beating the Holiday Blues
- How to Stay Happy and Healthy through the Holidays?
- Are You Stressed?
- Tips To Reduce Holiday Stress And Find Your Bliss
- Understanding Your Stress
- Stress Video
- 7 Steps to Reducing Stress
-
25 more
- Is Stress Making You Sick?
- 5 Ways to Decrease Stress During the Holidays
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- What is Mindfulness?
- The Good and Bad Stress
- The Link Between Stress and Depression
- Terror Related Stress
- Emotional Stress Can Cause Illness
- Post Holiday Blues
- Stress in America - Conquering Your Stress
- Dealing with Stress
- How Your Brain Can Turn Anxiety into Calmness
- How to make stress your friend
- The Art of Stress-Free Productivity: David Allen
- 90:10 The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Stress
- Coping With Stress: Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Reduction
- Tips on how to manage everyday stress
- Stress Relief Tools To Help You Be Happy When Stressed
- Stress Will Kill You
- 5 Problem-Solving Skills to Manage Workplace Stress
- Outsmarting Stress and Enhancing Resilience
- Stress & the Heart – What You Need to Know
- Can Work Stress Hurt Your Heart?
- Good Stress Vs. Bad Stress
- 5 Tips for Coping with Natural Disaster Stress
-
More Information
Topics
-
Addictions
-
Aging & Elder Care
-
Assessments & Interventions
-
Career & Workplace
-
Emotional Well-Being
-
Life Issues
-
Parenting & Child Care
-
Abuse
-
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Adoption
-
Autism
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Overview
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Puberty
-
Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Infants (0-2)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11)
-
Child Development & Parenting:Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11)
-
Childhood Mental Disorders and Illnesses
-
Childhood Special Education
-
Divorce
-
Family & Relationship Issues
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Learning Disorders
-
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
-
Parenting
-
Self Esteem
-
-
Psychological Disorders
-
Anxiety Disorders
-
Bipolar Disorder
-
Conversion Disorders
-
Depression: Depression & Related Conditions
-
Dissociative Disorders
-
Domestic Violence and Rape
-
Eating Disorders
-
Impulse Control Disorders
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Mental Disorders
-
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
-
Personality Disorders
-
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
-
Schizophrenia
-
Sexual Disorders
-
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
-
Suicide
-
Tourettes and other Tic Disorders
-