(sorry for the long-winded title)
Now that I’ve finally got up the post about the non-scientific Reiki and energy healing; I guess it’s time to pick up the science behind pattern-changing yoga. This is something wonderful called Shivanata.
And you’ve heard me mention it about five MILLION times so far. I love and believe it so much, I now teach it. Feel free to take a look at my class list or find out how I began.
I’ve written this review post about 15 times in the past year; never quite making it to publish. I am an affiliate for this one, because I believe that EVERYONE can do it and would benefit in some way from it. So. Here goes.
The Review
What: Dance of Shiva Starter Kit
Used For: Just over a Year so far
Price: 72$ or £45
Rating: 5/5
Shivanata, or Dance of Shiva, is a dance based on principles of yoga and neuroscience.
Yes; I did say neuroscience.
If you’re not interested in science; please skip the next paragraph. For those people who want the background information, here we go.
The Science [an analogy]
If you cross a field; at first it’s hard going and you trip over the molehills while falling down the surprise ditch and weave around the dog poo and broken glass. It takes effort and time to watch out for danger and keep in line with your destination – a tiny gap in the fence at the other end which takes you onto the pavement.
After walking the route for 5-days a week, for 2 years; the grass is flattened where you walk; the molehills are squashed down and you automatically hop over the ditch without even thinking. It takes you 5 minutes less time to get across the field than it did before.
In your brain, there are little pulses of energy which travel down wires. In between two wires; there are ditches. If they use the same route enough; the neurotransmitter is increased; creating a bridge at the ditch so you save time; not even having to jump over it.
Shivanata strengthens these connections. It makes you walk the paths over and over. And each time you use the path; or move your arms – it flattens a molehill and adds another clump of mud to your ditch-bridge.
Analogy over!
Shivanata uses mental [numbers], spatial [planning movement] and physical [limb movement] energy. The brain usually does one, or two of these at a time. Not three. By using all three; you’re strengthening the wires between those three areas of your brain. The wires cross the “corpus callosum”.
In biological terms, this is called Long-term potentiation; if you’re interested in looking it up. It creates new bridges/synaptic ends and keeps the synapse-growth chemicals in large supply.
In a nutshell: Shivanata strengthens the wires between left and right brain hemispheres. This means the two sides communicate faster and more efficiently.
This has some pretty awesome side-effects.
The Results [positive side-effects]
Core strength. As it’s a yoga dance; you’ll gain physical fitness. My arms are stronger and toned thanks to this process. I can even stand up for a while without back pain; which is something I couldn’t do before.
Cognitive Skills. Because you’re creating stronger and faster connections across your brain, it allows you to do things faster – problem solving, learning, fast reactions & memory.
Brain Health. Every day something like 6,000 neurons [wires] break down due to the aging process. The synapse-growth chemicals deplete with age. Long term potentiation causes the wires to add new bridges [in case one wire breaks, you can still get to wire B via half way up wire A if the bridge at the end breaks]. If you can help add new bridges as part of your life; you’ll be healthier than lost who’re only losing.
Bing Insights! This is something that isn’t scientific. Except that every practitioner I’ve ever spoken to gets these moments of “Bing”. I assume that in making these connections; it allows our brains to connect two previously unrelated ideas and make a strong link. People have had £1,000 ideas because of this practise.
Habit changing. The main aspect of this process is that it helps you to understand yourself, and your habits. This makes it easier tochange those habits. To build new bridges and strengthen new wires – the new habit’s path.
Why Havi’s Kit?
Contains:
- DVD by Andrey Lappa
- Teleclass
- Mp3’s about sustaining your practise
- Help sheets
- 2 eBooks
- Access to the SECRET LAB -dun dun dun!-
In order to keep strengthening Different wires; you need to mix and match the levels. If you master a level; you’re wires are at optimum for those movements and habits. So step up a level. If you want the brain-building effects, it’s important to challenge yourself and get things wrong. If you’re able to do it without mixing it up; you’re no longer helping your brain or challenging your muscles.
The whole process of getting it wrong, mixing the planes and how to forget earlier levels is talked about in Havi’s kit. These are not included in the DVD; which in my mind makes it almost useless without her addition if your goal is habit-changing and brain-rewiring.*
Because of this, you can never finish it. It really will be a practise you can do for decades. I’ve been doing it a year and Level I is easy, bits of are Level II do-able and the ideas of Level III are so far beyond me. There are 8 levels… Havi is one of only two people in the world to ever reach level 7.
The Catch?
Practise can be done in 30 seconds if you wish; but the more time you spend on it; the stronger your results will be. Doing 3 minutes every time I boil the kettle helps my day flow so well.
However, I did find the positions very hard at the beginning. Please stick it out. It’s such a good practise and the challenge shows you that it’s helping. If you’re struggling; it’s re-wiring your brain and strengthening your arm muscles.
Also – the DVD doesn’t mention that you’re not meant to get it all right. So it can be challenging to stand there getting it wrong while he’s standing there getting it all right. Gosh darn!
My Personal Practise
Personally, I don’t use the DVD much. I use it to get the basics and then I write out the numbers or look at the patterns in the information sheets. I find the DVD too fast to begin with and I live in a house with people who’d probably think I was crazy doing yoga-brain-training. However, it’s very useful to see an actual person doing the moves; especially with the vertical plane. Some of the diagrams don’t make it clear where your arms should be; I remember thinking Vertical position 1 was impossible – until I saw how he moved into and out of it. Then it became second nature.
If you have the DVD, by the way, you can upgrade to get Havi’s kit without the DVD; making it cheaper for you to access the extra goodies.
To Conclude
There are so many other reasons – I haven’t begun to talk about what’s in the eBooks or how we get 15% off her book when it’s finished or how I incorporate it into teaching meditation and dance. But this post is getting long and rambly now, so I’ll just leave you the link and say that this practise has helped me to revise for exams, make connections in essays, understand my own patterns & become physically fitter.
It’s challenging, never-ending, gives brilliant results and for everything you get; it’s so under-priced.
What more could you want?
Havi’s Dance of Shiva Starter Kit
If you buy directly from this link, I get a little bit of money to support my own practise. Thank you so much for that.
*This is just my personal opinion and the DVD is certainly amazing as a yoga/dance practice.
In light,
Rose
