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Are you tired of the same old yoga tapes, that tell exactly what to do and how to do it? Do you yearn to break
free and inject some spontaneity and creativity into your practice? Then you'll find Spontaneous Movement interesting. It
provides no specific asana instructions; instead we get a steady stream of suggestions for visualizations and mini-meditations,
investigations of feelings and attitudes, body experiments, movement themes and variations, even singing and chanting.
Mirroring the spontaneity of the practice itself, there is no particular order to the cues, which seem to
flash forth from the presenter's authentic self. You can work the traditional postures within this loose framework, or invent
some new postures and give them names of your own devising.
But even if you choose not to use the tape as it's intended, there are some very intriguing ideas here you
can bring into your more formal practice. These two sessions will inspire experienced students who understand the possibilities
of the practice and want to fully express their own unique spirit with devotion and joy.
- Yoga Journal May/June, 2000
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We reviewed an audiotape from Paresh about two years ago. Titled Spontaneous Movement, the instruction on
that highly creative effort consisted entirely of an unstructured stream of suggestions for visualizations and mini-meditations,
body experiments, movement themes and variations, even singing and chanting. Now California-based Paresh is back with a presentation
that swings to the other end of the spectrum. Rather than encouraging improvisation and shunning all fixed positions as he
did earlier, here he tells you exactly what traditional postures to do, though not how to do it. The tape is divided into
four 15-minute segments, which can be performed individually or variously sequenced for up to an hour-long session. The segments,
in order, focus on Sun Salutation, forward bends and abdominal work, standing poses, and backbends. Each segment is fashioned
as a kind of "flow" series, where the postures blend one into the next (appropriately, the instruction is backed by the sound
of ocean waves) or oscillate back and forth between two complementary or opposing positions, like a forward bend and backbend.
The instruction is liberally seasoned with suggestions for varying the postures to make them either easier or more challenging.
The audiotape isn't accompanied by an illustration booklet-there are far too many postures for that-so in order to follow
along you have to know the names of the postures (English renditions only, no Sanskrit) and what they look like. I got lost
once or twice (quick: what's a "half-circle"?), but mostly I could keep up. This is a tape for experienced students who want
a challenging practice without having to figure out what to do.
- Yoga Journal September/October, 2002
3. WALL POSTURES by Paresh
This is the third audiotape under the general title Sun/Moon Yoga to come to us from Northern California-based
yoga teacher Paresh. Wall Postures is, not surprisingly, devoted to poses performed on or near a wall for various reasons
- for example, to brace for a position that would otherwise be difficult to hold, to provide resistance in a pose in order
to intensify a movement, or so the wall can just "be there" like a trusted friend in case problems arise.
The poses on the two sides of the tape are arranged in loose sequences. The work is heavy on the standing
poses, but you'll also find baby backbends, groin openers (including a wide-leg split), a few forward bends, yoga sit-ups,
and wall- supported relaxations. There's a lot to do here - each 30 - minute side includes roughly three dozen poses - all
of which is, for the most part, accessible to all levels of students. You'll probably want some minimal experience with asana
in order to follow along, since the tape isn't accompanied by illustrations.
From what we have seen in the three tapes he has released so far, Paresh has certainly shown himself to be
an innovative instructor. In the best tradition of hatha yoga, he champions experimentation rather than a rigid "do this,
then that" kind of practice, and offers a continual stream of suggestions for making poses either easier or more challenging,
depending on your needs and capacities. His instructions are straightforward physical cues, and the long sequences are presented
at a snappy pace. You can either tag along with Paresh or use his ideas as a guide to devise your own wall practice. However
you use this tape, Paresh will have you climbing up the wall in the best possible way.
-Yoga Journal August, 2003
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