Yoga is effective for stress relief. Really any form of yoga practice helps to relieve stress, but there are some asanas and sequences that are particularly effective. Stress relief DVDS, such as Susanne Deason’s Stress Relief Yoga incorporate poses known to reduce stress.
I have this DVD in my collection and it is effective for relaxing and reducing stress, particularly at the end of a crazy day. the movements are slow and relaxed, so you may not like this one if you are looking for an intense workout.
The practice is not very long, only about twenty five minutes for the actual practice. Some would say this isn’t long enough and I agree, in theory. However, in practice, as a mother of four, I can say this one is a lot easier to squeeze into my day than a 60 or 90 minute practice.
The instructor begins with an introduction and a nice feature is this can be skipped, if desired. Other DVDs in my collection don’t have this option, so you are stuck listening to the commentary every time you practice. This gets extremely annoying after the first few times.
There are special features included in the DVD that some students will find helpful. Beginners may enjoy the demonstration of props and interview with the instructor. If you aren’t interested, you can skip directly to the practice.
Beginners looking for an easy to follow, slow paced practice should try this DVD. Props are used, including straps and blocks, which is good for the beginner. More advanced students who just want a relaxing workout can easily ignore the cues for using the props and perform the asanas without them.
The practice includes a good balance of different types of asanas. Standing poses, twists, backbends, forward bends and relaxation are included in the practice. If you are holding tension in the shoulders and back, you will find almost immediate relief when you use this DVD.