Ashtanga Yoga 'The Practice' First Series

David Swenson
Year Released: 2004

Categories: Yoga


I am a new practicioner of Ashtanga Yoga (also known as Power Yoga). In my research I found two choices: the more glitzy Power Yoga tapes and the more traditional teachers. I decided on the latter and went out and purchased David Swenson's two part tape series titled "Ashtanga Yoga 'The Practice' Series.

While lacking the glitz of other Power Yoga tapes, David's tapes are well done and does an excellent job of not only teaching yoga. David reviews the asansas (postures) in excellent detail. His style of teaching is friendly and thorough. First, David carefully demonstrates the asanas describing the form and movement and breath associated with each one. Second, he goes through the movements non-stop. Ashtanga yoga is complex since the asanas are meant to flow smoothly.

According to David, the key to this form of yoga is the breath. He continually emphasizes the breath as the foundation of yoga. And that is perhaps the neatest thing about David's tapes. The tapes are no-nonnense productions that emphasizes the fundamentals of a traditional, but still unknown and exciting style of yoga.

David is probably the most thorough yoga instructor around and it shows. He continually emphasizes breathing, which is the foundation of yoga practice. Ashtanga yoga, at least for me, is not the easiest practice around. I really wish he had a manual to go with this tape. But that's okay. In addition to being thorough, David's style of teaching is centered around slowly learning the basics of breathing and form.

Instructor Comments:
David Swenson is a nationally recognized Ashtanga Yoga (also known as Power Yoga) who studied with K. Pattabhi Jois. David's 26 years of practice show in his style of thorough yet simple teaching.

Jose Meras

12/05/1998