Meditative Stretching

I now own a few stretching DVDs by Finis Jhung and each one is unique and irreplacable. Each one offers an experience that is refreshing for both body and mind and that offers precious benefits. The title of this DVD is perfectly chosen for the experience it gives. This truly is movement as a kind of meditation, a contemplative series of moments in which the viewer/participant is able to slow down and reconnect with her (or his) own body. In today's hectic world, where the body too often is sedentary while the mind is overloaded, this is a crucial gift.Years ago, when I first recognized that I had to do something to counteract the effects of a desk job and of aging on my body, I sampled a stretching tape from my local library and was frustrated by two things: first, the instructor (a very young and very fit individual from a modeling rather than dance or fitness background) clearly could not grasp how *truly* inflexible many people are. Even more disappointing, although paying lip service to the idea that stretches should be held for a long time, the tape itself rattled through at breakneck speed. Why? I have no idea except perhaps to speed up the filming process and save money.In these areas, as in all others, Finis Jhung's DVDs rise above the norm of stretching/fitness productions. First, although Mr. Jhung (at 75!) is still more flexible and fit than many people decades his junior, he clearly has the experience, the knowledge, and the empathy to understand the limitations of others. He consistently provides full, clear, thoughtful, and helpful instruction, explaining exactly what to do and what to expect, and always reminding the viewer to work within his/her present range of motion, building carefully to increase flexibility in a safe and responsible manner. Deep thought has obviously gone into every aspect of this presentation, including a superbly paced sequence of hip-loosening exercises that gently guide the viewer into gradually deepening the stretch.This is also the ONLY stretching instruction I have received (*including* instruction I got during "in-person" group classes) in which the stretches were actually held for the length of time that stretching experts recommend. In that long-ago VHS tape I mentioned earlier, the only option was to scramble up from a stretch in order to "pause" the tape if I wanted to hold the stretch for the length of time the instructor recommended (but didn't practice). Mr. Jhung creates a system that is both efficient and wise by having an instruction section for each stretch in which the viewer learns how to do it properly and then a demonstration section in which the viewer can simply follow along, relaxing into the luxury of long, body-soothing stretches. No scrambling up and tape-fiddling is necessary! :>) The DVD is set up so that viewers can choose to have an unbroken series of the demonstration sections once they've fully absorbed the instruction, and on hectic days viewers can even choose a twenty-minute version of selected stretches to help them prepare for a packed day or unwind from it. I'd love to think that I will always do the full version but, to my chagrin, I suspect I will make extensive use of the "morning wake-up" version also. :>)Finally, I just have to say the beautiful music and thoughtful, wise comments from Mr. Jhung are part of what makes this DVD an aesthetic and emotional experience as well as a physical one. This DVD leaves you feeling better in *every* way. At a time when almost all of us spend most of our day sitting and when stress seems the normal condition of people's lives, this DVD is a necessity at the same time that it feels like the most pleasurable self-indulgence.

BACKGROUND: I was interested in the “Meditative Stretching” DVD from the moment I saw it, because of the unusual combination: stretching and meditation. Yet, I was hesitant to buy it at first, because of the conflicting reviews on Amazon. Now that I have used it, however, I am glad to say that I could not have been more wrong in my hesitation: both the stretching and the meditative aspects of the DVD are right on the mark, and bringing them together renders a result that is truly more than the sum of its parts.STRETCHING: What distinguishes this DVD from other stretching DVDs I have used before is not really the single exercises by themselves, but the way they are “developed” and “assembled.” For example, the familiar “pelvic tilt” is transformed by Finis into a full-circle rotation—and, having done the regular pelvic tilt for years, I can attest that Finis’s version gets my sacrum unstuck far more effectively. Similarly, the series of “stretch your knee, hamstrings, and hip”-exercises appear to be deceptively simple; yet, the gradual progressive release that Finis worked into them not only stretches the hamstrings, but enables them to retain that stretched state better (this is something I could never get with other hamstring stretches, whether standing or lying on the floor). Still more, the seemingly small “elongate your torso and rotate your feet”- intermission after each exercise really helps to integrate the individual movements into the whole body posture and alignment. Finally, even though the DVD’s two “do-along” tracks—the complete 45 min program and 20 min morning wake-up—share the exercises, the order in which they are arranged is different, and I noticed that the complete program has a relaxing effect on me, while the morning wake-up leaves me energized.MEDITATION: As a long-term practitioner of meditation, I am particularly impressed in Finis’s ability to help the viewer engage the body in such a way that it becomes a guide for the mind. Specifically, his guidance on the use of breath and pacing, as well as the well-chosen background music, provide unobtrusive but immensely helpful means for slowing down and entering the state of calm, alert attentiveness. (In all truth, I am baffled by the Amazon reviews that called it “boring,” though such evaluations make me wonder about the unfortunate tendency of the contemporary mind to favor action over contemplation.)RESULTS and RECOMMENDATIONS: It is clear that deep intentionality and knowledge undergird both stretching and meditative aspects of this DVD. Yet, the most surprising outcome of working with it for me was general strengthening. I have an auto-immune condition, and I cannot do a lot of strenuous exercise without injuring myself. There are times, when my daily exercise consists only of stretching and walking. Yet, even my rheumatologist observed that my body as a whole is becoming stronger. (And for those, who, like me, are adult beginners in ballet: this DVD really helps with loosening of hips and hamstrings, making regular ballet leg stretches easier and more effective.)Most often I practice this DVD in the evening, after a hot shower. When I have time, I follow it up with ballet-specific leg and hip stretches, and then work out the remaining aches and pains with specific massage tools (foam roller, teracane, Franklin textured balls). This last addition merits a special notice: I learned about these tools, and the specific muscle groups that they work on, from another Finis’s DVD, “Self-Massage.” Together, these two DVDs have been a godsend to me and I strongly recommend them to others—as a matter of fact, I am going to send a copy of each to my aging mother!

Purchasing workout videos is always a crap shoot for me. Many are so cheesy that they're irritating to listen to…so I don't end up using them. But this one was just what I was looking for. The instructor is a nice, normal guy who gives good instructions and has a calming demeanor and voice. (Love the vibrant orange sweat pants he's rocking too! LOL) There's one section where he explains each stretch completely allowing you to get comfortable and learn the technique, then you go through a few reps of it before moving to the next one. The stretches aren't complicated, so the next time I did it, I did the section that eliminates the detailed instructions and just does the reps. If you sit a lot at work or have soreness in back/hips, this is great. It's all floor work, and afterwards, I'm very relaxed (the meditative part is nice slow stretches with deep breathing) and aches and stress are gone. After only watching 3 times, I was able to repeat all the exercises on my own while watching regular TV. Even without the calming music of the video, the stretches and deep breathing still help relax you. Obviously it's not aerobic so you won't work up even the slightest sweat, but if you want to get some exercise and chill out, this will do the trick!

This is a disappointment from his earlier CD's. It was difficult to determine the correct positions and proper alignment of various body parts based on his directions and camera angle. I am an admirer of his expertise and unlike the previous discs I have this was a waste of time and money. I hope future releases from him will be better.