Need Some Help Selecting Lee Holden dvds

[kathys]

I am very thankful to all of you who took the time to post your reviews/thoughts on Lee Holden's dvds. I took the plunge and purchased 4 dvds (to get free shipping of course). I am dealing with a lot of stress in my life right now and these have been very helpful in reducing anxiety/improving sleep, plus they are just plain enjoyable and make you feel good.

I purchased Deep Sleep, Stress, Healthy Bones and Joints and the Flow Continues. I'm finding that the first 2 are very calming and help me to sleep better if I do them right before bed. The latter two leave me feeling calm but energized and work better for me during the day. Are there any others that you think might be helpful before bed? I'm considering 7 Minutes of Magic.

PS- I'm open to suggestions for other yoga/tai chi/qi gong dvds that can be used for stress relief. What I love about these is that I'm finding it very easy to breathe naturally in synch with the moves which has a very calming effect on me. I don't have to think about the breathing at all which is something I struggle with sometimes with yoga. Yukta Yoga (obscure) which also has a lot of circular flowing movements is an exception.

[lorajc]

I think I was the poster who started that last topic, although I've not yet been able to afford any DVDs. I'll be anxious to hear how you like yours. I'd like to purchase some for my back and neck issues soon. I am also going thru a VERY stressful time at work right now (cut-throat sales). I need to start saving for these to keep my sanity.

[MsThistlebottom]

Kathys, the 7 Minutes of Magic, especially the extended PM routine, which I think is around 14 minutes, would be relaxing, as would the ones for upper and lower back. I, too, find that the breathing feels natural and intuitive. I've really, really tried to like yoga, but I always get the feeling that I'm doing it wrong. Qi gong doesn't seem forced or uncomfortable for me.

Lorajc, did you ever get the upper back/neck DVD I sent??? I mailed it a while ago.

[Eibhinn]

I purchased Lee Holden's older "get it all" pack used (minus the digestion one), back when that was about 10 DVDs vs. however many he's up to now. I've actually traded a bunch of them and got down to the ones I use the most, and I think you've picked some of his best stuff.

To give you an idea of my own experience, I had -
original 4 pack - Beginners, Stress, Low Back, Upper Back
next series - Flow Continues, Weight Loss, Seniors, Healthy Bones and Joints, 7 minutes of magic.
and eventually purchased - Deep Sleep

The first ones I got rid of were stress and beginners. I found the Flow Continues much more calming and enjoyable than either. Beginners bothered my feet for some strange reason, and I didn't find the stress one as stress reducing as Flow Continues or Low Back. I gave the Seniors one to my parents, and then tried it with them and wish I had my own copy . It's really good, and incorporates some of the joint mobility stuff from Healthy Bones and Joints. I've kept that one so far, but don't use it much. 7 minutes of magic I used for the 14 minute long PM routine mostly. I found the 7 minute ones too rushed to be enjoyable, and the AM, with the cobra poses straight off the bat, and ab work, not pleasant for first thing in the morning. I ended up buying Deep Sleep, and with the 14 minute PM routine on there which I like far more, I'm now thinking of getting rid of 7 minutes of magic. Because the main deep sleep program is so focused on upper body, I ended up trading the original upper body one, because I found Deep Sleep worked better for me in that regard.

The only other Lee Holden I might suggest to you based on my own experiences is the Qi Gong for Seniors one. I also really enjoy the Water program on Matthew Cohen's Qi Gong Fire and Water DVD - it's very relaxing. Like you, I sometimes have difficulties following the breathing on yoga DVDs. Two VERY relaxing options which focus on breathing in an accessible way are Daniel Hickman's Yoga Beginnings (available from Fitnessorganica.com) and Eoin Finn's Pure and Simple Yoga (with the "tidal breath" option - there is a very consistent breathing sound cue - the whole practice is very even and measured since it was set to a metronome). You also might want to look into Max Strom's Learn to Breathe DVD. It has instruction and activities on improving the quality of your breathing and includes practices moving with the breath. It ends with meditation, and is extremely relaxing to me - I often do just the practices minus instruction immediately before bed.

[lorajc]

Mrs Thistle - yes, I rec'd it.....I have previewed it but not had time to do it yet, have been playing with my Tracy's. Sorry.....didn't mean to sound like I didn't get it, it's just that I need more (total vidiot here), as I need one for my lower back and one for stress sounds good!!

[lorajc]

Eihibinn - can you describe the Seniors one? So you say the low back one is very good then? I've been eyeing that as I have horrid low back problems and stand for 10 hours a day.

[ardnas]

My favorite LH DVDs are Stress, Deep Sleep, Deeper Flow, and Digestion. The only one I don't really care for is For Beginners. I had his smaller kit for healing and got rid of it, it caused me much pain and I didn't think I'd ever do it again. But I did just get his larger kit for health & healing, which includes everything in the smaller kit + more. I am going through that (5 DVDs, 6 CDs, workbook, and cards) and am doing all the steps in order with meditations, workouts, and the recommended journaling to see how it benefits me. So far I am impressed (but haven't got to the accupressure yet - this time I will do it ever so softly!).
For other methods of stress relief have you tried Raviana's Meditation DVD? I really enjoy that and use it often. I also highly recommend the CD Experience Yoga Nidra: Guided Deep Relaxation by Swami Janakananda Saraswati.

[kathys]

Originally Posted by MsThistlebottom

Kathys, the 7 Minutes of Magic, especially the extended PM routine, which I think is around 14 minutes, would be relaxing, as would the ones for upper and lower back. I, too, find that the breathing feels natural and intuitive. I've really, really tried to like yoga, but I always get the feeling that I'm doing it wrong. Qi gong doesn't seem forced or uncomfortable for me.

Thanks so much for the suggestions Ms Thistlebottom. I do like yoga but I find that I can relax more when I don't have to think about the breathing, when it feels natural and intuitive like you said.

Originally Posted by Eibhinn

I ended up buying Deep Sleep, and with the 14 minute PM routine on there which I like far more, I'm now thinking of getting rid of 7 minutes of magic. Because the main deep sleep program is so focused on upper body, I ended up trading the original upper body one, because I found Deep Sleep worked better for me in that regard.

The only other Lee Holden I might suggest to you based on my own experiences is the Qi Gong for Seniors one. I also really enjoy the Water program on Matthew Cohen's Qi Gong Fire and Water DVD - it's very relaxing. Like you, I sometimes have difficulties following the breathing on yoga DVDs. Two VERY relaxing options which focus on breathing in an accessible way are Daniel Hickman's Yoga Beginnings (available from Fitnessorganica.com) and Eoin Finn's Pure and Simple Yoga (with the "tidal breath" option - there is a very consistent breathing sound cue - the whole practice is very even and measured since it was set to a metronome). You also might want to look into Max Strom's Learn to Breathe DVD. It has instruction and activities on improving the quality of your breathing and includes practices moving with the breath. It ends with meditation, and is extremely relaxing to me - I often do just the practices minus instruction immediately before bed.

Eibhinn- do you mean that you like the short floor sequence on Deep Sleep more than the 7 Minutes of Magic? Thanks for all of your suggestions; they all sound really good.

Originally Posted by ardnas

My favorite LH DVDs are Stress, Deep Sleep, Deeper Flow, and Digestion. The only one I don't really care for is For Beginners. I had his smaller kit for healing and got rid of it, it caused me much pain and I didn't think I'd ever do it again. But I did just get his larger kit for health & healing, which includes everything in the smaller kit + more. I am going through that (5 DVDs, 6 CDs, workbook, and cards) and am doing all the steps in order with meditations, workouts, and the recommended journaling to see how it benefits me. So far I am impressed (but haven't got to the accupressure yet - this time I will do it ever so softly!).
For other methods of stress relief have you tried Raviana's Meditation DVD? I really enjoy that and use it often. I also highly recommend the CD Experience Yoga Nidra: Guided Deep Relaxation by Swami Janakananda Saraswati.

Sandra- Maybe I should take look at the kit. I have not tried Raviana's Meditation dvd. I have been trying to meditate but I am out of practice and it can get frustrating. Yoga Nidra is amazing. I think it does something to my brain waves; it can put me right into a catatonic state. Sometimes when I am feeling anxious I try to call up his voice in my mind. Feel the body on the floor.... Feel the whole body on the floor...

[spotted zebra]

I found 7 Minutes of Magic far too rushed to be enjoyable, too. It's the only Lee Holden dvd I've seen (out of almost all of them) that I didn't care for at all. Setting also makes a difference. Not all of them are filmed outdoors.

[Eibhinn]

Originally Posted by lorajc

Eihibinn - can you describe the Seniors one? So you say the low back one is very good then? I've been eyeing that as I have horrid low back problems and stand for 10 hours a day.

I only did it the one time, but what I recall is that it was a bit of a grab bag including lots of useful stuff that everyone should do, including flexibility and balance work, joint mobility, fluid and relaxing Qi Gong stuff and Qi Gong self massage, which I love. I also like that it had the option to do it either standing, or sitting on a chair, although I only did it standing. I remember telling my parents that I loved what a functional routine it seemed to be, and that it was wonderfully designed to include everything a person might need.

The low back one is very nice, although it has more of a yoga feel than a Qi Gong feel to me for the most part. It's one of the few programs I have where I see a very noticable increase in my flexibility by the end of the program. My low back pain is no longer very bad (improved by using a buckwheat pillow and doing yoga regularly), so I use this more for flexibility.

Originally Posted by kathys

Eibhinn- do you mean that you like the short floor sequence on Deep Sleep more than the 7 Minutes of Magic? Thanks for all of your suggestions; they all sound really good.

Yes - the only sequence I've used any amount from 7 minutes of Magic is the 14 minute long PM sequence. I occasionally did the 7 minutes for health sequence, but didn't like the AM at all. But I far prefer the short floor sequence on Deep Sleep to the PM sequence, so I pretty much don't use 7 minutes of magic any more.