Customer Reviews

Yoga Breathing and Relaxation [VHS]

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Richard Freeman is a long-time exponent of K. Patahbi Jois' Astanga Yoga, and this tape is a one-hour preparatory series for Freeman's series of Astanga videos. Freeman is lucid, articulate, and incredibly accomplished. He communicates calmly, clearly, and simply. This is not yoga for sissies or people mainly wanting relaxation or an easy stretch. It's disciplined, precise, detailed in the manner of B.K.S. Iyengar, but Astanga is famously rigorous--a great workout for weight loss, strength, flexibility, endurance, mental clarity, health--you name it. This is an excellent video.

While this is probably not a tape for stone beginners (closer to early intermediate I think) it is VERY clearly explained so that someone who is already in very good shape and has a little yoga experience could certainly follow it pretty easily.

Richard Freeman is one the premier Western Ashtanga Yoga Teachers. Freeman's mastery both as a practitioner and teacher clearly comes across in this wonderful video. He's got a very soothing voice which helps ease you thru the tape and helps create a very meditative quality to the practice.

This tape is certainly thorough and challenging but it moves at a nice relaxed pace. Considerably slower than David Swenson's "Short Forms" (another excellent tape) which would make it easier for those new to this style or those who take a little bit longer to "get moving" in the morning (such as myself:) ). I found that I wasn't having to "huff and puff" to try to keep up which let me flow at a pace that was much more meditative and safer because I felt I was able to be more aware of my movements and maintain smooth transitions rather than rushing from one asana into the next.

He starts with a thorough explaination of breathing and the bandhas. Breathing is emphasized throughout the tape as well as reminders to engage the locks throughout the practice.

The asana routine is nicely balanced and he gives lots of ways of modifying the poses as he goes thru them. He holds the poses for a a long enough time to really move deeply into them. He also starts with "Half" sun salutations before moving into three Sun Salutation "A" series (he doesn't do the "B" salutations, which is fine since this isn't a primary series tape but more of an intro to ashtanga).

He does a lot of vinyasa (which are inserted between the longer poses, these connecting flowing movements which consist of Chaturanga (yogic push up from plank pose) into Up Dog and Down Dog) which helps maintain heat in the body and keep your heart rate up).

Noticeably absent are pure balancing postures though many of the asanas certainly do require balance. This is not a fault of the tape, just an observation.

I would highly recommend this tape for those with yoga experience already who would like to venture into the waters of Ashtanga but aren't yet ready for the primary series.

I would also highly recommend David Swenson's "Ashtanga Short Forms" which has 15, 30 and 45 minute routines along with a nice long relaxation sequence at the end.

Also for those looking for less traditional but Ashtanga influenced routines I would highly recommend Bryan Kest's Power Yoga Series as well as Baron Baptistes Hot Yoga Series (the third Baptiste tape in that series IS more traditional and also a primer for the Ashtanga Primary series, similar in style to Swensons 45 minute routine from the short forms tape).

For those looking for a less intense Power Yoga experience than I would recommend Yoga Zone's "Intro to power yoga" which is a great starting place for those really new to a "Flow" style of yoga. Also it's got two 20 minute routines which is nice for those who are new to yoga and those who are more experienced but want some shorter routines to follow on days when they have little time or aren't feeling up to doing a longer routine.

Another excellent flow yoga tape is "Total Yoga" with Tracey Rich and Ganja White which is as good as it gets! It's a very well balanced routine, pretty long (about an hour or so) and has very interesting variations on the Sun Salutations that I've not seen anywhere else. They also have a three tape set "The Flow Series" which is incredible!

Last but not at all least, there is a new 4 tape set by Rainbeau Mars which is really great called "Sacred Yoga" which is based on a vinyasa flow style also. Particularly challenging are the 3rd and 4th tapes in the series (Pure Power and Pure Sweat). The first (Beginners) tape is a nice and very gentle but effective routine that is a wonderful place to open up your body if you are new to yoga, or can be used as a gentle tape for more experienced folks. The 2nd tape (pure tranquility) is more of a meditation in motion (a wonderful sequence of asanas done in a meditative fashion, somewhat along the lines of John Friend's "Yoga For Meditators" which is also excellent).

Namaste.

I have been practicing yoga for the past six months. Richard Freeman gives excellent, explicit instruction guiding the viewer through each step of the poses. The result is a video that is the next best thing to classroom instruction. Freeman takes the viewer through an extensive and varied series of poses. This is a video one can use endlessly.

This video is basically a preparatory video for the more advanced asthanga workout videos. I strongly recommend this video for beginners. Mr. Freeman did a masterful job in presenting the yoga poses. This video will definitely to what the title claims.I have been practicing for two years now faithfully and this video is a definite must have item .This video will open you up in more than one way. Joe

This is a timeless and intelligent yoga session for Ashtanga style home yoga practice. Note: This is the same exact video as Freeman's "Intro to Ashtanga". This is a beginner/intermediate ashtanga series led by a beautifully gifted teacher who gently guides us into and through the essence of yoga on the physical and metaphysical levels. He calls our attention to the most amazing and subtle parts of the practice. Each time you'll learn something new (not just from yourself, but from Richard). He doesn't talk over the practice, rather he says just enough to lead you into discovering it for yourself. It takes place in silence and a no frills studio, with Richard as both guide and practitioner. Level will be gentle (yet deep and soothing) for advanced students, and for beginners, you will be challenged and learn the basics from the best. Pace is perfect, almost leisurely, and session is about 1 hour. VERY well rounded sequence (not many backbends). I recommend this teacher/video highly for those interested in exploring the Ashtanga form of yoga and the subtle, internal aspects of yoga. His other yoga video "Primary Series" is also excellent, but quite advanced. Other recommendations: For variety and for the ability to creatively sequence your practice with matrix DVD format, also see Shiva Rea yoga DVDs (Shakti, Fluid Power, Yoga Surf Soul). I also recommend highly Erich Schiffman's Yoga Mind and Body with Ali MacGraw, esp. for beginners. Drops of Nectar, a calming lunar practice that includes Yoga Nidra, by Shiva Rea, is also not to be missed.