# yoga tape review



## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

Sent on behalf of Carol <carolwxyz99###yahoo.co.uk>YOGA FOR ME TAPE, CD AND BOOK REVIEWBy CazzawYoga tapes/CDs designed for people with ME or CFSThe tapes in this section have all been designed for people with ME orCFS. Each tape gives a complete yoga sessions comprising of gentle yogapostures, relaxation and breathing exercises. The sessions are moregentle than a normal hatha yoga class and you would be unlikely to findthe sequences from a book. Most postures are done lying down, there isno standing and only a little sitting. In the yoga for ME class which Iattend my teacher tells me to do only half of what I think I can do so Idon't push myself too much and relapse, so when there is a posture Icannot do I just relax and visualise the posture. Initially, I only didone or two postures on a tape, rather than all of them as a full tapewas too much for me. When I was able, I gradually incorporated morepostures into my session until eventually I could do a whole tape. WhenI was too unwell to do any movements I still found just doing therelaxation and breathing exercises on their own invaluable. In fact, Ialways do a relaxation tape once or twice a day. My teacher also toldme that anyone with additional medical conditions on top of ME, such ashigh blood pressure, epilepsy, heart disease or anyone who is pregnantshould consult their yoga teacher, doctor or practitioner before doingany yoga as there may be a posture they should not do.ME Yoga Class at the Yoga for Health Foundation, by Renee East (75 min tape)This is a tape recording of a live ME yoga session at the Yoga forHealth Foundation a few years ago by Renee East who was once aresidential teacher there. It comprises quick relaxation and breathing(7 mins), breathing with arm movements (10 mins), gentle postures (35mins, of which 2 are sitting), colour breathing, relaxation and rainbowvisualisation (25 mins). This tape has more breathing exercises thansome of the other tapes. Cost ï¿½5.00 (incl p & p) from Mrs Renee East,Church Cottage, West Knighton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8PF, UK.Yoga the Gentle Way, by Angela Stevens (35 + 15 min tape)Angela Stevens is a remedial yoga teacher who takes a yoga for ME classin the South and runs training courses for yoga teachers to teach yogafor people with ME. This tape is designed for people moderatelyaffected by ME. Side 1 consists of a quick relaxation and breathing (6mins), breathing with arm movements (2 mins), gentle yoga postures (18mins of which 3 are sitting) and relaxation (9 mins). Side 2 contains apleasant 15 min visualisation. Cost ï¿½7.00 (incl p & p) from AngelaStevens, Laminga, Southview Road, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6TL, UK,Email: angela.stevens###lamwad.freeserve.co.uk . Web:www.angela-stevens.co.uk.Energise and Relax with Yoga, by Angela Stevens (42 + 36 min tape)This tape is designed for people with ME who spend much of the time inbed or have very low energy levels, but is also suitable for others whojust want a very gentle tape, and can be practised lying on a bed or onthe floor. Side 1 consists of an introduction, breathing andvisualisation of the emotional centres (14 mins), very gentle movements(17 mins) and a visualisation/relaxation on the energy centres (chakras)using colour (11 mins). Side 2 consists of a positive visualisation (4mins), very gentle movements (21 mins), breathing and relaxation usingsound (11 mins). Angela suggests that the movements should be doneseparately initially and only put together when strong enough. She alsosuggests just visualising any movement you cannot do. This tape wasunavailable when I was bedridden, but I think it would have been useful.In some parts of the tape you are asked to tense your muscles then relaxthem to achieve greater muscle relaxation, and although I know ofseveral people with ME who really like this common yoga technique, whenI was bedridden my muscles went into spasms when I tried this so I justvisualised relaxing the muscles instead and that worked really well.Includes an information sheet.Cost ï¿½7.00 (incl p & p) from Angela Stevens, address above.Gentle Yoga Exercises for ME, by Diana Lampen (65 min tape)Diana Lampen is a yoga teacher experienced in remedial yoga. This tapeconsists of a quick relaxation and breathing (7 mins), gentle yogapostures (36 mins of which 9 are sitting), breathing and relaxation (20mins). I found this tape slightly more demanding than most of theothers. The relaxation is immediately followed by music. Cost ï¿½5.50(incl p & p) from Diana Lampen, The Hope Project, 21 HeathfieldGardens, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 3YD, UK. E-mail:lampen###hopeproject.co.uk. Web: www.hopeproject.co.uk.ME ï¿½ Follow up tape, by Diana Lampen (45 + 35 min tape)This tape is a follow up ME tape for people who have practiced DianaLampenï¿½s yoga for ME tape for a while and have increased energy. Side 1starts off with the Savitri breath (in an 8:4:8:4 ratio) which is acalming and tranquilising breath and some visualisations. Thisbreathing technique is then applied to a selection of postures. Theexercises can all be mastered separately. Side 2 starts off with someforward /backward bending postures which can be done in your own timefollowed by a polarity practice. The polarity practice, which is like arelaxation exercise, uses the Savitri breathing and visualisationtechniques to balance energy. I have only listened to the tape once andI found the breathing very energising. Cost ï¿½5.50 (incl p & p) fromDiana Lampen, address above.Gentle Yoga, by Linda Sole (44 + 20 + 23 min tape)Linda Sole was a residential yoga teacher at the Yoga for HealthFoundation and currently takes classes for Sheffield Yoga for ME/CFS.Side 1 is a 44 min session consisting of relaxation and breathing (5mins), breathing with arm movements ( 6 mins), gentle yoga postures (25mins) and relaxation (8 mins). Side 2 consists of breathing exercises(20 mins) and a long relaxation (23 mins). Cost ï¿½5.00 from Linda at theclasses or with an extra ï¿½1.00 p & p from Linda Sole, 16 Mount Pleasant,Riddings, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 4BL, UK. E-mail:LS###sole91.fsnet.co.uk. Web: www.soleinsights.co.uk .Linda will soon be releasing a CD with 2 short sessions on it.Yoga for ME, by Joy Mankoo ( 30 + 30 min tape)Joy Mankoo is a yoga teacher at the Yoga for Health foundation. Side 1is a 30 min session consisting of relaxation and breathing (4 mins),breathing with arm movements (7 mins), gentle yoga postures (11 mins)and relaxation (8 mins). Side 2 is a 30 minute session consisting ofrelaxation and breathing (2 mins), gentle yoga postures (20 mins ofwhich 7 mins is sitting) and relaxation (8 mins). Side 1 is a littlemore gentle than side 2. Cost ï¿½5.50 (plus p & p) from Yoga for HealthFoundation, Ickwell Bury, Biggleswade, SG18 9EF, UK. Tel: 01767-627271. Web: www.yogaforhealthfoundation.co.uk. Note that this is a fairlyrecent tape and is not in their catalogue.Joy is hoping to do a folllow up tape, for those with increased energylevels, by winter 2003/2004.Yoga Breathing TapesBreath to Live (for ME), by Angela Stevens (tape)This tape is designed specifically for ME and starts off with anintroduction and advice on correct breathing. The breathing exercisesare divided into small sections which should be mastered individually.Some of the techniques can be performed lying down, while others areperformed sitting or standing and some require arm movements. There isadvice on correct sitting posture, some passive neck and shoulderexercises to help the breathing muscles and a meditation on the breath. Includes an information sheet. Cost ï¿½7.00 (incl p & p) from AngelaStevens, address above.Other Yoga TapesI had practised yoga before I was ill. Sometimes, when I'm having abetter patch, I do some of the normal hatha yoga postures I'd learntpreviously rather than do the more gentle remedial yoga for ME tapes. Ihave found the tapes reviewed in this section a good stepping-stone fromthe remedial tapes to doing normal yoga as they are short. There areplenty of other beginners' hatha yoga tapes and videos advertised inyoga magazines, but most are longer. Please note that these tapes arenot designed for people with ME, contain standing postures and are notas gentle.Daily Yoga Practice 1, 2 and 3, by Howard Kent.Three tapes with 2 x 20 min sessions on each suitable for beginners inyoga. Can be bought separately. Cost ï¿½5.50 each, (plus p & p) from theYoga for Health Foundation, address above.Four Short Yoga Practices, series one, two, three, four, five and six,by Diane LampenSix tapes each with four 15 - 20 min yoga sessions. Can be boughtseparately. I've only used the first one, but I think the others aresimilar. The tapes pre-suppose some previous yoga experience. Costï¿½5.50 (incl p & p) each from Diane Lampen, address above.Yoga BooksBeat Fatigue with Yoga, by Fiona Agambar: ISBN 0-00 713302-2. Price ï¿½10.99.The author, Fiona Agombar, is an adviser to and trustee of Action for MEand has had ME herself. The book is aimed both at people with generaltypes of fatigue and those with chronic fatigue syndrome. It includes asummary of possible causes and chapters on energy and your energycentres, breathing, meditation, traditional yoga postures and FionaAgombar's story. The revised 2002 edition contains two new chapters onChronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). These include information on what CFSis, why yoga helps CFS, advice on pacing and setting limits, suggestionsfor postures for different levels of CFS (from mild to very severe) andsomeone's story of how yoga helped her CFS. I think this is anexcellent book with some very useful things in it. Most of the yogapostures can be found in many yoga books but there is some good adviceabout balancing your energy centres (chakras) and some breathingexercises which I haven't seen anywhere else. It does not include themore gentle remedial variations of some of the postures which are usedin specialist yoga for ME or CFS classes and tapes. These remedialvariations are very useful for those with moderate and severe ME or CFS.Yoga for Common Ailments, by Dr R Nagarathna, Dr H R Nagendra and Dr RMunro: ISBN 1-85675-010-8. Price ï¿½8.99.One of the authors is from the Yoga Biomedical Trust. It coverstraditional yoga postures, breathing and several relaxation techniquesat the start of the book. The rest of the book gives details of whichyoga exercises should be emphasises or avoided for specific ailmentssuch as digestive disorders, back pain, asthma, sinusitis, diabetes,stress, headaches and arthritis. There is no section on ME or CFS butthere are some useful things in the book. It is a shame it does notdetail more techniques that can be done lying down and the remedialvariations of the postures.This review has been written by someone with ME who practices remedialyoga regularly.September 2003DisclaimerThe information in this review does not imply a recommendation orguarantee of accuracy. You are advised to consult your practitioner ordoctor before trying anything new. --------------------------------------------- Too much mail? Try a digest version. See http://www.co-cure.org/digest.htm Send posts to mailto:CO-CURE###listserv.nodak.edu Join or leave the list at http://www.co-cure.org/sub.htm ---------------------------------------------Bada


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