October 15
A review of the Dance of Shiva Starter Kit
[Yes, some of these are affiliate links. Why? Because I plan on telling as many people (who I think it will help) as possible about Shiva Nata and Fluent Self and some have been kind enough to want to say thanks for my bringing these awesome practices into their awareness. Don't like it? Feel free to go direct to LearnDanceOfShiva.com or Fluentself.com - no hard feelings.]
About the creator
Havi Brooks, the #2 World Expert in Shiva Nata (Dance of Shiva), is the creator of the Dance of Shiva Starter Kit. Havi also runs FluentSelf.com, where she uses the amazing insights she got from Dance of Shiva to get us all destuckified and biggified. If you’re a creative person you will want to check her stuff out.
About the Starter Kit
If you’re even thinking about having a go at Shiva Nata then The Dance of Shiva Starter Kit is a great way to get a taste of this crazy, brain training, pattern-dissolving, epiphany producing practice. Even if you’re not sure you want to take it any further, the kit is cheap as chips and totally worth trying out!
Starter Kit = DVD + Downloads
The DVD is available on it’s own, but to be honest, you will want to upgrade to the Starter Kit given all the great stuff that Havi has thrown together for you. If you already have the DVD you can even get Havi’s stuff on its own (scroll to the bottom) – so either way, there’s no excuse!
The DVD
I found the theory part of the DVD a little difficult to understand until I got used to Andrey’s accent, though once you get used to his voice, it’s actually is very relaxing. There are a few times when what he’s saying pops up on the screen for clarity (e.g. “neural connections”) but it’s rare and to be honest, the guy’s lecturing in what is a foreign language to him – pretty darn impressive!
When it comes to the practice it’s set in a few different spots halfway up a Nepalese mountain and I couldn’t help but think about how cold his feet must be. I soon forgot about that when I started practising though. It’s actually quite helpful to see that (occasionally) Andrey himself stumbles or has had to record the sequence in more than one take. Even the master does not produce perfect work at the basic levels!
These different levels are broken up into stages so you can work your way up to a full understanding of the technique. This makes it a fairly simple process to get the balance right between total incomprehension and finding it too easy – particularly with the support of Havi’s work.
Havi’s information pack
It is Havi’s work that really makes the Dance of Shiva accessible through this starter kit. One of the best parts is that you can get it straight away (a big boon given that I’m in the UK and it took a while for the DVD to get over to me). So the first thing you will probably find yourself doing is going through Havi’s reports, worksheets & recording to familiarise yourself with the basic arm movements and prepare for your practice sessions.
The two reports serve to really set your expectations as to what is going to happen with your practice. So there’s no upset or disappointment when you get the DVD and don’t work through it all in one go. The amount of acquired knowledge condensed into these two reports makes them totally worth reading and re-reading before the DVD arrives to really get grounded in how to get the most out of your practice.
Havi’s wonderful destuckification techniques are also provided as part of the pack in the form of a recorded tele-seminar as well as an invitation to the next live one. The recording helps to ensure that any worries or concerns about having a daily practice are not going to get in the way of enjoying Dance of Shiva and getting the most out of it that you can. Havi is an expert at ‘meeting you where you are’ and this recording is excellent for getting the Dance of Shiva to come to you, rather than the other way around, for maximum benefits and progress. It’s called ‘Dust off the DVD’ but even after I started a regular practice I found advice, and questions from fellow Shivanauts, that helped me.
The last of the downloads is a couple of worksheets so you can have everything ready and prepared when you get the DVD. Of course, not everyone will but that’s ok – that’s what the recording is for! I did struggle to feel confident with the vertical arm positions from the worksheet, but as soon as the DVD came I was able to tweak my understanding and get started with the minimum of fuss – and that’s what this starter kit is all about.
Even more goodies
Last, but not least, are some of the bonuses that Havi has included in the starter kit as well. Havi is working on a Dance of Shiva manual, and anyone who’s bought the starter kit automatically will receive 15% off the book when it is finished! Also, shipping for the DVD is included in the price – so what you see is what you pay. As the final cherry on the icing on the cake it’s all covered by Havi’s “I’m a yoga teacher goshdarnit I always tell the truth” buy-back guarantee. Check out all the details on Havi’s website.
[...] to relax, calm down and focus on just my breathing (I use one of Havi’s suggestions from the Starter Kit) I actually managed to turn it around, which was such a freaking awesome feeling! Oh yes, I am in [...]