Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good beginner to intermediate level ashtanga workout, October 27, 2003
I found this to be one of the best beginner/intermediate ashtanga workouts that I've seen. This DVD cuts right to chase, no special features tabs, about the teacher tabs, etc. There is a brief introduction by the Baron, and then he gets right into it. Baron and his class (composed of 4 women and two men of various skill levels) stay pretty true to the warmup and standing poses section of the primary series (Sun Salutations A & B, forward bends, balance pose, etc.). The only adjustment is the half bound lotus forward bend is modified so that you can either grab the foot and hold it to the inside of opposite thigh without having to "bind" the foot and bend forward, or do tree pose if that's too difficult. Baron then gets into the floor exercises, he pretty much performs the beginner and few intermediate level floor poses (eastern plank, one-legged forward bends A and B, Marichyasana A, etc.). The more advanced poses are left out (i.e. tortise, sleeping tortise, rooster, headstands, etc.). He then goes into a modified closing sequence, and ends the class with the corpse pose. Overall, I think this DVD is a great intro to ashtanga yoga. It makes the Primary Series accessible to either yoga newbies or beginner/intermediate level students who are trying to ease there way into ashtanga yoga. This tape is a great building block towards completing the Primary Series. This DVD could also be used (along w/ attending regualr classes) as a stepping stone towards more advanced DVDs like Richard Freeman's Primary Series DVD which teaches the entire Primary Series with no modifications, see my review for details (not for the faint of heart ;-)). Overall I enjoyed this DVD and would suggest it to anyone looking to start learning the Primary Series without being intimidated by the some of the poses it includes. The advanced practicioner of the Primary Series however, would be grow bored easily.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Shorter Intro to the Ashtanga First Series, June 24, 2004
By A Customer
This disc presents a 45 minute routine which introduces the Ashtanga Yoga first series. (The full first series, which usually runs 90 minutes, is not presented on this tape.) Unlike Baron's other video presentations, Baron cues and instructs in this disc on more advanced and traditional elements such as where to focus your eyes, the techniques of breathing, and the internal "locks" or muscular alignments which form the basis of more advanced yoga practice.
This routine is not as physically demanding as level 2 in Baron's power yoga series or the "Soul of Strength" session, but it does present a nice balance of detailed pose instruction and vigorous vinyasa or flowing linkage of poses. It is active and challenging all the way through, unlike some routines which start vigorously and wind down toward the end (this doesn't mean it's better or worse, just different).
It is a power yoga session, which means that the more arcane poses found in Ashtanga are not included in the interest of continuing the flow of the practice - if you are interested in a more traditional presentation of Ashtanga in a 45-minute session, the obvious choice is David Swenson's Short Forms. Some people feel, however, that the traditional poses may place more torque on the joints than is appropriate in a 45-minute session, since you don't have as much time to get warm and loose before working on these poses.
I like this tape quite well, and it is my wife's favorite because of its detail, moderate length and excellent backbending and inversion series.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great No Frills Workout, November 7, 2003
I liked the workout. The DVD is not packed with special features or an aesthetically pleasing set (if you want that, check out Power Yoga with Rodney Yee), but I got a great workout that left me centered but also made me sweat. More importantly, even though I've used several yoga dvds before (Rodney Yee, Crunch Yoga (one of my all-time favorites), Bender Birch (difficult, I've only tried it once)), I actually felt like I was learning a new approach to the practice. The moves, taken by themselves, are not new. But his cueing and instruction flow and make me think about emphasizing different techniques as I go through the standard sun salutation poses. Worth a try!
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