Prenatal Bellydance, with Naia - Traditional Belly Dance in preparation for childbirth, Belly dance instruction for expectant mothers

The Perfect Pregnancy Workout Bellydance: (two stars) This DVD was $25, and was by far my least favorite workout. The moves are so simple and basic that I found it boring, and only did it a couple of times. The workouts are both half an hour and are virtually identical, with only a few very minor changes. Had there been a totally different workout for the "level two" I definitely would have given a better rating. As it stands, I think throwing in that second workout was misleading, because it's pretty much the same thing. The higher cost put my expectations higher, and the dvd simply did not deliver.I used to work out regularly, but haven't since my first pregnancy (I didn't exercise at all then, because I was sick the whole pregnancy), and my daughter's birth. We walk a lot, but that's pretty much been it (she is a little over two years old), so I am not some fitness guru or dance expert. I only recommend this if your fitness level is zero, and you are already over six months pregnant before you decide to try a Prenatal workout. If by the end of my pregnancy (I'm a little less than six months now) this is the only workout I can handle, I'll come back and up the rating.Bellydance Prenatal Fitness with Naia: (four stars) if all you are looking for is a quick thirty minute workout, this is a good pick. The movements keep rolling along, and nothing is super complex, but there are great strengthening moves in here that will certainly help tone all the right muscles for labor and delivery. There's not a ton of talking or any filler either; this DVD is a flat thirty minutes of focused exercising. The segments get combined into a sort of choreographed dance, but some of the moves aren't all that "dancey" to me compared to other DVDs that I have. Still, all in all I like this DVD, and choose it on days when I'm not up for a longer Prenatal workout. It goes by quickly, and I don't get bored.If you get impatient when you can't follow along with a workout immediately, skip this one. She doesn't take a lot of time doing the moves super slowly. Unless you are an experienced dancer, or have done tons of bellydancing, it will take you some practice to get parts of this workout down perfectly. I'm still a tad clumsy at certain parts of it, but I could care less. I keep it moving regardless of the "quality" of my dancing ability, and manage to enjoy myself. Watch it once before trying it, and slow down parts that seem confusing. You CAN get it over time.The only thing I don't care for about this dvd is the bizarre counting. She does an eight count, and her tone is odd and distracting.Amira's Bellydance and Yoga for Pregnancy: (four stars) Ok, overall Amira put together a very thoughtful and effective Prenatal workout, however, over time a few things about this DVD grated on my nerves. Maybe it's because I am six months pregnant now? There are little snippets about the history of bellydancing and childbirth mixed in with the workout. While these are interesting to watch a couple of times, it then becomes a minor irritation having to skip over them every time you want to work out. I want to stay in my workout zone without being interrupted, and I felt all the history/ trivia snippets should have been combined into one segment that was completely separate from the workout.Another thing that bugged me is that the cool down comes after a "Labor Exercises" segment that cannot be done by women 32 weeks and after. It would have made more sense to put the cool down before this part, so that women 32 weeks and on don't have more to skip over.Apart from that, I thought the workout was very well done, and incorporated many traditional belly dance moves (hips circles, rib slides, bicycle hips, infinity circles, etc.) The whole workout is about eighty minutes long total, but is easy to break down if you don't have that much time.Goddess Dance Prenatal Bellydance with Sera Solstice: (five stars, in spite of a few minor issues) This is the longest Prenatal workout that I have done, but I love the thoughtful extras like the standing and seated meditation segments. Sera Solstice is a good teacher, easy to follow, and good at breaking down the moves. This entire workout moves at a slow and soothing pace, and teaches you two different dance combos that are then combined at the end in a nice performance dance.There is a six minute warm up, and then the first combo is 22 minutes, and the second combo is 31 minutes. The two combos are combined afterwards in a six minute dance segment. If you don't have time for both segments, do the warm up with combo one on some days, and then the warm up with combo two on others. It's a great way of breaking down the dvd into multiple workouts, and your body will thank you.After the dance portion of the workout there is a slow standing sort of dancy meditation to help you connect with your baby and body, and following that is a seated moving meditation section. These are very relaxing, and definitely put me in a calm place. Both of these sections combined take about 22 minutes. I like to save them for right before bed time to help me sleep.In total, I think if you go through and do the whole DVD it's roughy an hour and a half.My only small complaint is that some of the moves are done for way too long. The repetition of certain movements got to be dull to me, and I'd get impatient for the next one to come. Not a huge deal, just an observation.I will definitely recommend this teacher to other women though.Other Bellydance DVDs that aren't specifically prenatal, but I am enjoying them while pregnant:(Note: vigorous hip shimmies and fast turns aren't recommended at 28 weeks and after. SLOW it down, and be mindful)Foundations of Belly Dance with Sera Solstice: I can still do most of this at six months pregnant, and I love the combinations. I slow down the sections with shimmies (chapter five and chapter six which take up about 17 minutes total), or sometimes just do my own thing while they play. Eighty minutes total. This has my all time favorite warm up and moving meditation with stretches (that part alone is 30 minutes, and I'm loving it while pregnant)Bellydance East Coast Tribal with Sera Solstice: What can I say, I'm a fan of her teaching. I did this workout for the first time today, and had no problems with any of the movements. (Not that I can do them all well, mind you...) the Twenty minute warmup is great, and then ten minutes of drills, all totally doable during pregnancy. Following that is a seven minute dance routine that is fairly slow paced, and I still have no issues with it even with my giant baby belly. For some reason the entire dance segment comes before the instruction of each combo instead of after, and that's weird, but it's a good workout. Don't worry, she DOES show you how to do all the stuff in the dance routine.Luscious, Sensual Goddess, and Love Potion Bellydance Workout with Neon (three separate DVDs): These may be a bit harder for some to follow, but I still consider myself a beginner, and I'm enjoying these workouts while pregnant just to keep some variety. Love Potion is the most difficult one for me to follow, because I'm not spectacular at footwork, but I still pop it in and give it my all. Luscious is my favorite of the three, but I enjoy the other two as well.This has to be the longest review I have ever written, but I started bellydancing at fourteen weeks of my pregnancy, and it has been so empowering for me!!! I'm working out four times a week (along with plenty of walking), and feel like I'm in better shape than I was right before I got pregnant. I highly recommend trying these DVDs for yourself!!!!!(I'm happy to answer any questions about these DVDs if you have any)

This video was fun, but it was not designed for a beginner. I was barely able to keep up with the instructions and movements, especially since I was a bit rusty. The movements were really great though. I've been having quite a bit of round ligament pain and stretching in my abdomen since I'm showing quite significantly. My diaphragm muscles are especially tight. The movements really helped with that. The stretching also helped relieve a tension headache that's been lingering for a few days. I would not recommend this for a beginner, but if you have a bit of experience and are looking for a nice dvd to dance with, this might be the one for you. I don't think this would be challenging enough for an advanced belly dancer, but for someone who dabbles or is intermediate, I'd recommend this.I've belly danced before. I took classes in college and had kept up with it here and there when the fit took me, mostly when I was bored and goofing off. I'm fairly familiar with the movements, terms, and finding a beat. I am 13 weeks pregnant, was cleared by my doctor for exercise, and just tried this DVD. My doctor said that belly dancing was low impact enough for me to practice during pregnancy (as long as I don't do any of the crazier moves ;) ).If you're a beginner and contemplating purchasing this dvd, I'd suggest you watch it a few times to familiarize yourself with the dvd. I just jumped right in and would have been lost had I not already known how to isolate those muscles. There is some instruction as to how to position your body but it moves so quickly that unless you know what you're doing with your body position, you'll be left behind trying to figure out where your body should be.

OK, it's true that this workout isn't the most newbie-friendly--Naia does only a so-so job of actually breaking down and teaching the steps and movements, and cueing, especially in the last segment.But I don't think this means it's a bad workout. I've bought bad DVD workouts (including Middle Eastern dance workouts) and this isn't one of them!I'm of the school of thought that if I master the workout on the first go, it's not going to hold my interest. I can handle having some workouts that I miss a few counts...so what? I suppose if you're the personality that gives up if you don't get the steps and/ or movements right the first or second time, this workout isn't for you.I disagree it's not "beginner"-level, although if you're looking for an introduction to Middle Eastern dance, I'd recommend other workouts. Naia could do a better job breaking down the steps and making the counts and cueing simplier.Also, I feel that for the money, it would be nice to have more features for the DVD. I like the "music only" feature, but besides that, there's not much. For the money I'd like more than one 30 minute workout, for one. Or a segment going into detail the various movements (always a good idea!) or SOMETHING MORE.I actually DO like this workout. It makes me feel looser, less cranky, and one of the few workouts that I feel graceful doing as I go into my 3rd trimester. I think it's worthwhile having in your pregnancy workout, even if there are some flaws. Give it a chance; not every workout is nailed the first go-round, and learning is a good thing!

This is the second belly dance pregnancy dvd I have bought (Amira's was the first one) and here's how they compare:-With Amira you get much more instruction for every move as well as many strengthening exercises, but the total duration is rather long so you won't get full benefits if you don't have much time. This one is short so you get your day's workout over with in just half an hour.- I think Naia doesn't give as many explanations on the moves, so if you're not familiar with bellydancing you might get confused, whereas with Amira the description of every move is very detailed.- This is basically a choreography, so you do get the feeling of dancing (with Amira you just feel that you're doing bellydancing-based moves and exercises, not a real dance).- Amira includes information about the history of bellydance and childbirth, seems to be well researched (also includes interviews of childbirth professionals and women bellydancers who have given birth). Naia is not that in-depth, you get just the choreography and nothing else, no nice extras.All in all, if you don't have much belly-dancing experience I would recommend Amira (which is also a good workout with moves specifically targeted for easier delivery). If all you want is to do a half-an-hour dance and have a good time, or are looking for a second bellydance prenatal dvd, then get this one.

I used this DVD during 2 pregnancies and found it a fun way to prepare for birth. I have never done any belly dancing before using this DVD but found the instructions quite easy to follow. The routine is interesting and not too hard which is important, especially towards the end of the third trimester.

It is a pleasant way of excersising. I think it will feel better in the later stages ofPregnancy. I am in my first trimester and i still domt have a y pains or discomforts.

Die Choreographie hat mir Spaß gemacht und ist eher etwas für diejenigen, die schon Erfahrung mit Bauchtanz haben. Die einzelnen Bewegungen werden höchstens kurz erklärt und um ein gutes Körpergefühl beizubehalten, braucht es etwas Kenntnis der Bewegungen.Die Musik ist in Ordnung, nur der Hintergrund langweilte mich etwas auf Dauer - aber da ich meist sowieso mit Abschauen zu tun hatte, tat dies der DVD keinen Abbruch!Schade, dass sie nur 20 Minuten dauert mit 4 Unterteilen, die entweder einzeln oder nacheinander folgend ausgewählt werden können. Ein zweiter Tanz oder grundlegenden Übungen hätten mir noch viel Spaß gemacht, aber für den Preis der DVD ist die Darbietung gut. Schade, dass es so wenige DVDs dazu gibt.

This is a great workout for the expanctant mother but it is just as good for anyone else. The moves are graceful and calming, to be done on those days where you need to be "nice" to yourself. I will also be using a lot of the combinations for my "mature" women classes. Thanks for the beautiful video and the great musical references.