Customer Reviews

Yoga With Richard Freeman: Ashtanga Yoga: The Primary Series [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga video.It can be used to practice with or in watch and learn mode.Richard gives good instruction to the poses and a good introduction to the basics like Ujayi breath and Drishti (gaze).The flow from posture to posture (Vinyasa) is also breathtaking (especially appreciated by those who have stumbled through it themselves).Richard Freeman is an excellent practitioner and teacher, and while no video can substitute for a good teacher, this is still as good as it gets for Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.It might prove daunting for beginners and the uninitiated.The best use of this video would be to reinforce what you learned from your workshops or your regular teacher.

I'd like to recommend this video to everyone who's interested in real Yoga -- not simply some cool postrues for self-entertainment. Richard is elegant in teaching and every minute in this video is worthwhile -- no show-offs and gimmicks. He adopts simple background and gives clear explanation, and the simplicity amounts a kind of elegance that makes other yoga videos that I have appear to be a little bit too commercialized. Just by listening to his explanation and watching him doing the postures, I gained a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. I learned the essence of breathing from the first 15 minutes of his video which I had tried but failed to get for many years. For short, Richard teaches REAL Ashtanga in this video in a effecient and elegant way.

If you really want to learn yoga from a master who can teach you the essence of yoga, there is no better video out there--except for Freeman's other two videos. Simply said, Freeman is by far the most profound and knowledgeable teacher of yoga in the world today. His instruction is clear and concise, and his demonstration of the poses is nothing short of inspirational. Freeman isn't some glamorous model who used to do aerobics and now does yoga--he's the real thing, a true yogi, which is very rare. He also happens to be extremely graceful, kind and funny. This video is recommended for experienced practitioners, or for beginners who have the patience to work their way through the ashtanga series slowly and wisely--as it's intended to be learned. And for anyone of any skill level who wants to see real yoga demonstrated by a master--this will blow your mind!!

I practice Ashtanga Yoga as well as Jivamukti and enjoy vinyasa flow. However, Richard Freeman, while clearly a major force in Ashtanga yoga, does not do it for me in this video. I found his tape torturous to sit through, uninteresting and lacking in any connection with his audience. David Swensons' series in my opinion is much more successful in relaying the overall "feeling" of Ashtanga yoga as well as providing encouragement and an understanding of how yoga might best be practiced. My Richard Freeman tape gathers dust while Mr. Swenson's tapes are rewound daily. Peace and Love.

Richard Freeman is one of the foremost teachers of Ashtanga Yoga in the tradition of Pattabhi Jois. His graceful presence in this videos, an in-depth study of the Primary Series, are an inspiration to most Ashtanga practitioners.

*Freeman comes at the practice as a mystic, and not as a physical fitness trainer. He was for several years in Asia studying a variety of spiritual traditions and traveled as a sadhu (holy person), so his teachings have a strong philosophical grounding.

* This video is for those who are seeking to deepen their spiritual practice of yoga. If yoga is meerly a way for you to get in shape, David Swenson's Yoga - short forms might serve your purposes better.

*Be aware also that this is not a beginner's level video. This video is for people who are already familiar with the primary series and are looking for a guide through the poses. If you've never practiced before, this may still be a good place to start, but it's unlikely that you'll be able to get through the whole tape.

*My only criticism is that, because of intense focus on the breathe and the gaze, some aspects of allignment may not be as carefully explored. However, it is my understanding that he is coming out with a new video that will focuss more on alignment.

* Richard says, "This is an exciting time because there is great potential for reframing the internal teachings into a contemporary context. But there is even a greater potential for turning yoga into a farce by stopping our inquiry, thinking we have comprehended things that are subtle and deep, or by feeding our narcissistic obsession with self-promotion."

I have been practicing the ashtanga sytle of Yoga for 4 years. I have recently moved to a new city and given birth to my second child so getting to a studio to practice has become a challenge in itself. I really enjoying hearing Richard's calm voice and his tips as he guides me through the practice. It is also helpful just to watch him flow through the poses as there is much to learn from his example.

I would highly recommend this video to those who have already had some exposure to the ashtanga style of yoga.

I have been practicing yoga for about a year both in the studio and at home with video tapes. I own about 15 tapes and this is the only video that I have ever done which comes close to the experience with a live instructor. Richard Freeman has captured what Ashtanga yoga is all about and has successfully brought it into my home.

If you are looking for a yoga video that captures the heart of Ashtanga yoga without distracting music or instructors who are more aerobics instructors than true yogis, than this video is for you. Richard Freeman is just great!!

This video moves very slow so if you are looking for a power yoga tape that is short and sweet but gets the job done this is NOT for you..After doing Steve Ross Inhale and some other Power Yoga classes,then watching this dvd, I found myself impatient,tired,and very frustrated at my lack of ability..The floor series is extra difficult and could take YEARS to master as I understand.However,I dont think this tape is a bad invetment..my friend who is a yoga instructor swears by Mr.Freeman,and this tape shows the REAL practice as it is SUPPOSED to be done..If you have an hour and a half,a healthy ego,and a desire to master Primary Ashtanga in its purest form,then this tape is for you..Otherwise,I would recomend Baron Baptistes condensed Ashtanga Tape as its only about 40 minutes long,and doesnt have the many "pretzel" postures in it..

I am writing this review in response to the one "Mr. Freeman you must be joking".


1. Ashtanga is a difficult, style of yoga. If you are not familiar with it but want to start this style, it is best to take a class, not use a video. (a video can be great for getting an idea of what to expect, but you will not get the correction and instruction that meets your individual needs from a video)

2. Each series in Ashtanga(first, second, third, etc) is always the same sequence of poses. It is designed that one masters each pose and then moves on to the next, eventually completing the series. When one masters the first series (and this might take many years) one moves on to the second.

3. Three months of yoga, no matter how many days a week you do it still makes you a beginner. One of my instructors has said you are a beginner until you have 10 years of consistent daily practice. Maybe that is a bit of an overstatement...but maybe not. Part of yoga is letting go of ego and being present where you are, wherever that is.

So, yes, this is not a video for someone brand new to yoga. But if you are familiar with Ashtanga and want a tape to practice with at home, between classes, this might be exactly what you are looking for.

Thankfully I checked this video out from my local library. This video is supposed to be for people who are already familiar with the Primary series, but it is very instructional. This video seems to go very very slowly... maybe it is just Richard Freeman's voice, which drones on and on and on... I seriously could not finish past sun salutation "A". I don't know how anyone could actually finish the whole hour and a half. As for the other reviewers who say that Richard is much more "spiritual" than David Swenson, I don't know where they are coming from; there is nothing spiritual about "opening up your buttocks" or "pressing your pubic bone forward", or "open the groin with enthusiasm?" Maybe he is trying to sound spiritual or relaxing, but his voice would irritatingly put me to sleep. If you are looking for a good primary series, go with David Swenson. He is enthusiastic, instructional and doesn't do too much chattering. Not to mention, he is very good at what he does as well as inspiring.