Product Details

• Actors: David Swenson
• Region: All Regions
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002444ZQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,991 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Energenic Flow!, October 20, 2006

By 

YogaKat "YogaKat" (Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: YOGA SHORT FORMS The Practice Ashtanga Yoga David Swenson (DVD)

This is a challenging program that consists of 3 choices:
15 Min: Quick practice, but I haven't used a whole lot
30 Min: Geared towards beginners, this is a great, quick practice.
45 Min: Intermediate practice, I love this one...quite challenging!
10 Min Relaxation: Add to any of the practices above, very nice!

I love the 45 min practice. Each of the shorter practices are very similar, but less postures are performed. Doug Swenson is a soft spoken, very clear instructor. He reminds you to breath and 5 breaths are counted at each posture. He also reminds you that this is your practice and don't go beyond your limit. In most of the postures he uses the Sanskrit name :o)

This practice is not for a newbie to yoga; it will definitely help the advanced beginners and intermediate level build rhythm, flow, and grace! He has many postures and variations that you will not see on other DVDs. I like to pace of the class and you'll feel like you got a great workout in a short amount of time. I would recommend practicing in a warm room to help with flexibility.

It is filmed at Mercer Arboretum in Seattle on a beautiful wetland boardwalk with bright green foliage and beautiful blue flowers covering the landscape.

The 35 min practice includes:
Standing Postures:
3 rounds each of sun salutation A & B (down dog is held for 5 full breaths)
Forward Bending
Triangle
Side Angle
Wide Leg Forward Bend
Standing Forward Leg Extension
Tree (with optional forward bend)
Vinyasa with Warrior I & II
Seated Postures (with optional Vinyasa between postures):
Forward Bending ...several lovely variations :o)
Twists
Boat
Butterfly
Wide Leg Forward Bend
Bridge
Optional Backbend
Forward Bend
Shoulderstand, Plough ....long hold, great!
Fish
Headstand ...I love this posture, rarely found on DVDs!
Child Pose
Lotus Forward Bend
Lotus Raise ...difficult
Savasana

10 Min. Relaxation
Lovely tense/release sequence of each body part.
Flute music by Jesse Kalu ("One in Spirit" CD) 2 min relax
Sitting, rubbing hands to warm and hold on your eyes.
This is a lovely relaxation

I also recommend his relax DVD which include an even better, longer version of this relaxation on the island of Maui

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I could do this every day!, April 28, 2005

By 

Caro "Fitness, yoga, cycling and cooking buff" (SF Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: YOGA SHORT FORMS The Practice Ashtanga Yoga David Swenson (DVD)

I love this video! I first owned it on VHS and did it at least once a week in addition to cardio and traditional strength training. I never got sick of it and it got me to love yoga, especially ujjayi breathing. This is just pure ashtanga with no fluff. David Swenson is a no-nonsense instructor who shows great modifications for beginners and gives tips for proper form. You won't hear any New Age-y talk if that turns you off from some yoga videos. The demo at the beginning of the video showcases the flexibility and strength he has gained from years of practice. There is no music during the main routine, but the 10 minute guided relaxation has soothing music.

The set is outdoors, at a beautiful garden in Washington state.

If you like this video, you should also try Eoin Finn's Power Yoga Vol 1 or Yoga for Happiness.

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to get a "quick" ashtanga session in, January 6, 2005

By 

James E. White (Oak Park, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: YOGA SHORT FORMS The Practice Ashtanga Yoga David Swenson (DVD)

Quick is a relative term. Normally the Primary Series takes about 1.5-2 hrs to complete, so 15-45 minutes is fast considering. In David Swenson's Practice Manual there are 3 of what Swenson refers to as Short Forms. These Short Forms are 15, 30, and 45 minutes respectively. They are geared for people who either don't have the 90 minutes required to complete the entire Primary Series, or people who are not ready for the entire Primary Series. Swenson's instruction is awesome. He guides you through the modified versions of the Primary Series in very reassuring and expert manner. Swenson also offers some modifications for some of the more difficult poses. This DVD makes the Primary Series more approachable. I would suggest watching the DVD (or at least the practice time you select) all the way through before doing it (unless you are familar with Swenson's book and have some experience with Short Forms already). Swenson has a great demo at the beginning of the DVD, very inspiring. To truly get the benefit of the DVD, order his book along with the DVD to get the best of both worlds. I think almost anyone could benefit from this DVD, as long as the person keeps in mind that this is a very physical style of yoga, and will make most (novice to intermediate especially) practioners sweat.