AshtangaNews

I asked Dominic Corigliano if he could give us more details on how the Sharath Primary Series DVD was made (buy it here or see my review), and he kindly obliged:

The DVD’s back cover

“Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series with R Sharath was created with the intention of showing an actual Yoga Practice, not a staged or edited event. When Sharath and I originally discussed the concept of an Ashtanga Yoga Video our intention was to convey the essence of Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga Yoga, continuous movement and the breath driving a ‘no-nonsense’ practice. We wanted to show the strengths of the practice rather than the individual.

Ashtanga Yoga primary series with R. Sharath is a continuously filmed, three camera, practice DVD. Mary Wigmore and Caroline Laskow (Set Direction), and Ku-Ling (Cinematography), all of whom also made Ashtanga NY (see the AshtangaNews review), did an incredible job with camera setup and lighting. I love the colors, rich and beautiful. I brought along my Sony 900 Series for the side sequences and a Canon for the stills. You can see all three cameras in the three scene sequences. I edited the video and created the DVD menu in Mysore with graphic art assistance from Saskia Vidler. Saisha (my partner) and I rented a top floor, four story, light-filled condo in Gokulam. There are a few extra shots, like an overhead and a few close ups, to flesh out the content. I also designed the DVD menu so you can view each asana individually. This DVD took four years of effort. Sharath was patient through it all.

Sharath could have easily done handstands throughout this DVD. He also has an extremely flexible lower back (great backbends). Yet he chose to simply, elegantly, and honestly do the Primary Series. It is a refreshing video that truly represents the practice of Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga Yoga. Here there is no ‘glorification’ based on an individual’s physical strengths.

Yoga videos are often formulaic, outside sets like a travel video, Yogis showing their best “take” at each Asana, makeup, often times a coach standing nearby correcting out of camera, on set. That is one style, yet it deviates from Ashtanga Yoga’s most important strengths. Breaking down Ashtanga, detailing it, takes away from the continuity of movement that is Ashtanga. Pattabhi Jois doesn’t talk much in his practice room in Mysore. Ashtanga is not talking, it is doing!

Sharath insisted on a minimum of edits throughout the editing process…”

Copyright 2006 by R. Sharath and Dominic Corigliano

Anybody can practice yoga…

Ashtanga, NY

Except lazy people. Lazy people can’t practice yoga.

That quote was from R. Sharath Rangaswamy, Sri K. Pattabhis Jois’ grandson, in the documentary, Ashtanga, NY.

This 60-minute documentary about Ashtanga yoga is a must-see for Ashtangis. It’s not a practice DVD. Rather, Ashtanga, NY presents the story of the Ashtanga practice and Sri K. Pattabhis Jois along with a handful of New York Ashtangis, including some quite famous ones, describing what the practice is and what they get out of it.

Mike D from the Beastie Boys
my favorite talking head

I was not too impressed with the talking New York heads’ take on Ashtanga. After all, what Pattabhis Jois always says is “practice and all is coming.” We don’t talk about Ashtanga; we do it. (Plus, I’d like to know who those people are.)

For me, the value of this film is in the tangible and direct — footage of Pattabhis Jois, Sharath Rangaswamy and their families, the light in the practice room during the World Tour and the juxtaposition of scenes from 9-11 versus the gathering of Ashtangis in the Puck Building.

Ashtanga, NY also provides some excellent footage of R. Sharath Rangaswamy practicing. This is truly special (as Philippe describes in his review of Sharath’s new Primary Series DVD).

Guruji assists an Ashtangi in Ashtanga, NY

Three times while watching this film, I wrote in my notes: smile. If practicing Ashtanga can make me smile with the authenticity and warmth of Guruji, Saraswati and Sharath’s smiles, then I want to practice and help spread that smile all over the place (my thinking being that if it makes me feel this happy, then it must make everyone else feel that happy, too).

The scenes of World Tour practice starting with the dark room and then the sun rising higher in and Guruji’s calling out the postures really brought back memories of the World Tour for me. I could really feel the sun rising in those scenes. I wonder if other Ashtangis feel the same?

The beautiful Ashtangis of NY

But the really big impact of this film —which surprisingly felt even bigger on my second viewing — was the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, right in the middle of this month-long stop in the World Tour and on Saraswati’s birthday. The juxtaposition of scenes from Saraswati’s birthday, the bombing and the practice was really powerful. Despite the tragedy, Guruji carried on with the World Tour.

But the Tour was changed and it’s this part of the film — including talk from the New York Ashtangis — that really makes the film.

“Fierce and compassionate”
Sri K. Pattabhis Jois in Ashtanga, NY

One other lovely bit about this movie is the music. A great score performed by guitarist, Chris Cunningham, and percussionist, George Javori. The music really adds to the experience!

Ashtanga, NY is widely available. You can even rent it at Netflix. So, take a look and let us know what you think!