Customer Reviews

Ashtanga Yoga - Introductory Poses - Master the Essentials

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'm a beginner to Ashtanga yoga and I liked this video very much. The editorial review above says it all. Nicki Doane's slow, steady pace and her stern voice help me concentrate on breathing and work deeper into each pose in Sun Salutation A & B. I tried and liked Rodney Yee's "Power Yoga" before, but his pace was a little too fast for me.
With Nicki's instruction, I can inhale and exhale to my full lung capacity, and I can have the time to fully appreciate my body's reaction during the practice. My body is fully stretched, generating a lot of heat, and I feel very refreshed, peaceful and strong after every workout.
You shouldn't expect to get into other poses than in Sun Salutations, since this video is aimed to build up the foundation for further yoga practice through repetition of these basic movements. So, if you are already familiar with Sun Salutes, you might want to start with her "Ashtanga Yoga Beginner's Practice," which includes some standing poses in addition to Sun Salutations. Or, if you want more variety of poses packed in shorter time, David Swenson's "Yoga Short Forms" would be very helpful.
But personally, I believe that a serious beginner should try this Nicki Doane video first. She doesn't talk much about yoga's spirituality, but you'll find it through the practice yourself, which I think is the way it should be.

...and yoga has changed my life.

OVERVIEW
This DVD is a great place to begin if you know nothing about Ashtanga yoga. Nicki Doane is a very thorough teacher with a soothing voice, and this disk contains a lot of information that you will need to absorb by watching/practicing it over and over. The actual practice runs one hour, and the rewards far outweigh the cost of fitting this routine into your busy schedule. I purchased this DVD (used from amazon) as an absolute beginner, and this was the start of a yoga practice that I believe has been one of the best things I could have done with my time. The key to success is consistency... with regular practice you will amaze yourself.

CONTENT
The routine itself consists of:
*opening invocation
*Sun Salutation A
*Sun Salutation B
(Sun Salutations are approached from a beginner level with step-by-step warm-up before doing each in its entirety.)
*half of the standing poses of the primary series
*relaxation in corpse pose

Other features include:
*pose guide: During the practice, you may receive additional instruction on the proper alignment for each posture by pressing <enter> when the pose guide icon appears on the screen. After this instruction, you will return automatically to the point from which you left the program.
*advanced Ashtanga yoga demonstration by Nicki Doane
*interview with Nicki Doane

I practiced this routine 4-6 times a week for about 5 weeks before I felt comfortable enough with these poses to move on to the entire primary series (I chose David Swenson's primary series DVD). I wanted to buy another Nicki Doane DVD, because I became very attached to her as an instructor, and I actually contacted her via email to let her know that I would be the first to buy an entire primary series DVD were she to make one in the future. I keep my copy of this DVD and I pull it out to practice with anyone that I can lure onto a yoga mat!

If you buy this DVD as an absolute beginner, you should know the following: 1) Your focus should be on your breath. Do not sacrifice your breath for a pose. 2) Practicing may seem difficult in the beginning because you may have never used your body like this before. *Everyone* starts at the beginning. 3) If you are starting your yoga practice as an adult, you will probably need to modify the poses according to your abilities, and you should not be discouraged by this. Move as far into a pose as you can... tomorrow you will be able to move a little further. Ashtanga yoga is a system in which you do the same series of poses in the same order each time. Contrary to what you would think, you will find that your practice is incredibly dynamic, because *your abilities* are changing. 4) Success in your yoga practice will come if you are consistent, so make time for it.

The routine on this DVD is a stepping stone to practicing the entire primary series, which is designed to re-align the skeletal system and to cleanse and purify the internal organs. I can vouch for the alignment of the skeletal system part, because I am 3/4" taller than when I started! (I have had a curvature of the spine since I was a child, so I have some room to straighten out.)

If you google "yogadotcalm manual", you will find an excellent in-depth instruction guide (in Adobe Acrobat format) for the entire primary series.

Once you have been practicing for a while, I recommend that you read *Yoga Mala* by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who says, "Do your practice and all is coming."

i had to give this dvd 5 stars because it really is good and just what the editorial review said it was...niki's voice is calm and soothing but a little stern almost as she takes you from one position into the next...however, it is not easy and if you are looking for a dvd to practice simple yoga this is not the one...this one will make your heart beat a lot faster and you might even break a sweat!! i have been doing yoga for about 18 months now and i am determined that i will get through this dvd...i have to say that when i finish what i am able to do (which is about 35 minutes) i feel exhilarated! i would also advise you not to do what i did and buy the two dvd's at the same time (the beginner's practice is the second dvd in the series) until you are sure this is a yoga practice that can work for you...

If you don't know what Ashtanga Yoga is, this is not your DVD. If you understand that Ashtanga includes a very difficult, set series of poses and would like to get off to a careful and serious start, this is terrific. If you know you'll never be able to do the Ashtanga Primary Series, but would like to do what you can, this is a great DVD. It only includes the two Sun Salutations, building them up bit by bit. Each one is 20-25 minutes long, repeating the salutation by steps until it is complete.

This DVD will let you get a solid footing in the salutations. If you know them cold, you could probably skip to Nicki's other beginner's video.

The additional features are well worth watching. The sample of the full Ashtanga program is amazing, and the interview makes Nicki Doane very accessible. I love her straightforward, to the point tone.

This is an amazing Ashtanga introduction for beginner's. If you have been avoiding Ashtanga because it is a hard workout and requires significant body strength, this dvd will gradually help you make the transition from easier forms of yoga to Ashtanga practice. The instructor is wonderful and the scenery is gorgeous while not being distracting. The single best feature of this dvd (esp. for the beginner) is that it includes a real-time, pose-by-pose, explicit breakdown of each pose and transition to that pose as you go along in the workout. There is none of this having to look at the break-down of the poses after the tape is over and when you are out of the sequence and mindset. Also - this great feature is optional so you can turn it on or off per your needs. This dvd is a wonderful foundation for further practice and a arm-strength builder in itself! whew!

This DVD is excellent. Nicki Doane is a wonderful instructor who is inspiring without being preachy. This is the first time I have ever attempted a yoga workout, and I must say it is more difficult than I imagined. Nicki walks you through every step and uses repetition so you feel as if you have memorized every step even after the first viewing.

I bought this DVD with the Beginner's Practice DVD and now realize I was WAY ahead of myself. The Beginner's Practice DVD is much faster and more difficult and introduces new poses, but the first 45 mins or so are great if you want to do the sun salutations at a faster pace.

All in all I do not regret buying this DVD at all. I have tried many different work-out DVDs and this is one that has kept my attention.

This is exactly what it says it is, an introduction to Ashtanga Yoga poses. For someone who has been practicing Vinyasa or Ashtanga for a while, this DVD will be too basic, But if you are curious about what Ashtanga yoga is, this gives you a beginner's insight into the practice and technique in doing Sun Salutations.

I was really surprised to read complaints about the instructor's voice, because it sounded normal to me, not abrasive at all. I say this with the best intention, one important thing about practicing yoga is letting go and trying our best not to judge others. If you don't let something bother you, it won't.

In closing, the best way to learn yoga is with a good instructor in a class, but if you want to get a taste for what eight limb yoga is all about, this is a good start.

I found this to be a very helpful introduction. Whilst I have started yoga classes at a studio, this video helped me learn correct breathing and transitions. Very slow and deliberate -- it's great for building a foundation to further practice, and a good workout in itself. Nicki Doane is a no frills but solid instructor. I look forward to moving to her next video.

I've been practicing yoga for approximately 10 years, but only casually and have not really devoted myself to it. I have quite a few yoga workouts on video & DVD. I give this DVD 5 stars because this is the first time I have seen and heard an instructor unapologetically portray yoga in it's authentic form, leading us into a traditional sanskrit chant, using the sanskrit words for the poses (asanas), and openly acknowledging and honouring her yogi. Traditional yoga in India is much more about breath and meditation and attaining spiritual equilibrium and balance than about the moves themselves, and this DVD is a great introduction to the essential roots of yoga practice.

In all the other videos and DVDs I have, yoga is merely portrayed as a form of exercise, but it is so much more. Even though I am a typical lazy westerner and don't have the patience or discipline to devote my life to anything, I really appreciate learning yoga from people who really understand the core essence of yoga and live it, as it is a demanding (and probably very rewarding) way of life.

As for the workout itself, it is challenging! And yes, you do need to develop strength (especially upper body strength) and stamina before mastering these simple, yet challenging poses. I find that the more slowly I do the poses, the more challenging they are and the more I feel the heat coming from within that Nicki talks about, and the better I feel afterwards.

Thank you Nicki! Namaste .....

I loved the advanced Ashtanga demonstration. It's something to watch and a beautiful performance. Also Nicki Doane's interview explaining Ashtanga is very good. I've given this DVD a three because of these two sections. The actual practice was disappointing. There are no submenus for the Salutation A and B, you just have to skip forward through the practice if you want to do a portion. When I did practice straight through I found Nicki's voice quite abrasive. I'm sorry to say that because I think it is a good practice and in time I'm hoping her voice doesn't irritate me. I doubt I'll be bringing this one out a whole lot. A softer voice and better music would have improved this practice.