By nnomadcchef | Thursday, January 26, 2023
Comment on this Review 

Good

By nta | Friday, October 2, 2020
Comment on this Review 

this was my 2nd try of an ashtanga class.

this class is difficult, but I am saving it to work at and try to improve.

By Nancy | Sunday, June 4, 2017
Comment on this Review 

I have been practicing this class for a few years now, and would like a class by the same instructor, except with less instruction and a more realistic breathing rate. Please? There is a real shortage of Ashtanga classes on YDL.

By salthewal | Saturday, April 11, 2015
Comment on this Review 

This is ideal for a beginner or as a refresher class.

I agree with previous reviewers - breaths are too short. And sometimes you are in a pose for a long time while Alik explains modifications.

He explains poses well and gives useful modifications. It would have been good to have covered chakrasana too.

It would be great to see Alik doing a 1.5hr led class on here with Sanskrit counting, longer breaths, less explanations and the closing prayer.

By Kathleen | Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Comment on this Review 

Challenging! I love the primary series, and very much enjoyed doing a "led" 1st series class at home. Very thorough instruction. If you are a seasoned practitioner, the pace may be a little slow as the instructor does detailed instructions for the first iteration of each posture. Great class, enjoyed it, will do again!

By Carb Nazi | Saturday, December 21, 2013
Comment on this Review 

very nice class for someone new to Ashtanga.
I ve been doing yoga consistently for for a couple of years, and Ashtanga is so far my favorite practice.
I appreciate the Sanskrit plus English name for each of the poses. with only a couple of years under my belt, those names can get really confusing! if I did Ashtanga class every single day, that would be different. but then, I wouldn t need the download!
I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the breath counts while holding the poses is a bit short. However, in the class at my previous yoga studio, the sun salutations & vinyasas between poses was much faster. we were taught on a 2 breath flow, and he uses more of a 3 or short 4 breath flow. that will just be something I will have to get used to. not a "problem" with the class.
my biggest problem was once we got into the seated poses, the long delay in getting into each final posture, due to describing the variations first. for an Ashtanga beginner, that is perfect! his descriptions moving into the poses are so efficient, and easy to follow. really beautiful!
for someone more advanced, I found myself getting out of focus while waiting for him to get to the final expression of the pose. so, of course, I started to move into my expression of the pose as soon as I heard the name, and I could use my longer breaths. but that had me holding poses for 15 or more breaths, and often holding the right side for longer than the left (since he didn t have to explain as much on the second side).
his voice is butter, and if he has an Ashtanga primary series that moves more quickly into the postures, and holds for just a tish longer, I think I would be in heaven!
I ll definitely keep looking for more classes by this instructor.

By Laura | Monday, October 28, 2013
Comment on this Review 

I have practiced Ashtanga in the past and loved it. I love the "moving meditation" aspect and the predictability of what pose follows another. I had been looking for a guided audio through the Ashtanga Primary series since often my discipline wavers when I practice on my own, or I am distracted by looking at a book to remember what the next pose is.

This class is perfect and exactly what I have been hunting for. Just enough guidance to get from pose to pose without being intrusive. I also found his instructions much easier to follow than some of the other classes I have tried from this site. Well Done!

One thing I would find helpful is for the pose guide to include time stamps where the switches occur from the Sun Salutations, to Standing Poses to Sitting Poses to Finish poses.

By YogaAngel | Friday, April 13, 2012
Comment on this Review 

I just finished my practice and I m in a state of bliss! New to Ashtanga, but with a strong foundation in other styles, I found his instructions bare minimum, yet sufficient to guide you through the Primary Series. I like the lack of superfluous talk, it allows you to focus on your own moving mediation. Having only purchased the play-once class, I ll be downloading this for repeat practice. Namaste ?

By KJ | Sunday, January 8, 2012
Comment on this Review 

I m clearly not meant to do Ashtanga (too contortionist) so it wouldn t be fair to rate this class down based on my being ill-suited. The only comment I feel qualified to give is that the "breath counts" are incredibly short, as his five count got me about 2 and a half breaths. That is not long enough to hold the 5-breath poses. Thus, I felt like I was rushed from one pretzel-like position to another without the ability to settle in and find my pose.

By Brianne | Saturday, December 17, 2011
Comment on this Review 

I started doing yoga purely because it felt good.

I have been practicing for about 4 years now and its mainly been about the physical aspect and benefit.
When I first got into this practice I was unsure. I tend to get anxious and fidgity with too much instruction and the start of this class I wondered if it would be that way....
I kept up with it and found myself completely taken away into the poses. His instruction is perfect and I found myself able to deepen my practice on a difference level than usual. It was almost like a spiritual connection with my mind, body and breath which has taken the way I connect with yoga to a whole new level.
I am deeply inspired by this class and I think my future yoga practices will be done in a state of higher consciousness .

More ashtanga by this man, please!