There seems no better time to share this than now, Pattabhi Jois leading Sharath through the full Ashtanga Primary series, Sydney 1997. I've only ever seen parts of the Advanced demonstration section before, which along with a short Q and A makes up the last twenty minutes of the second video.
Thank you to BDProffey for posting these.
Note: The original demonstration below only includes the one Sury A and one Sury B. I've copied them both and pasted in another four of each to my own version of this using Quicktime to practice along with. I made this for my own use but have added it to the post in the appendix below the originals. The full practice (with the additional sury's A and B) comes out at 57 minutes, much faster than I usually like to take my own practice but we shouldn't forget this is a demonstration. Practicing along with this video I'll tend to take two or perhaps three breaths to Pattabhi Jois' count of five. Occasionally Pattabhi Jois only counts three quick breaths in an asana in other places a quick five. Sarvangasana only gets a count of five but padmasana gets a much slower count of ten. This being 1997, a savasana (note that hands held flat against the hips) is taken before sarvangasana and again it is savasana rather than 'taking rest' at the end of the practice.
Sharath Jois Primary Series (part 1) from bdproffy on Vimeo.
Sharath Jois Primary Series (part 2) from bdproffy on Vimeo.
Thank you to BDProffey for posting these.
Note: The original demonstration below only includes the one Sury A and one Sury B. I've copied them both and pasted in another four of each to my own version of this using Quicktime to practice along with. I made this for my own use but have added it to the post in the appendix below the originals. The full practice (with the additional sury's A and B) comes out at 57 minutes, much faster than I usually like to take my own practice but we shouldn't forget this is a demonstration. Practicing along with this video I'll tend to take two or perhaps three breaths to Pattabhi Jois' count of five. Occasionally Pattabhi Jois only counts three quick breaths in an asana in other places a quick five. Sarvangasana only gets a count of five but padmasana gets a much slower count of ten. This being 1997, a savasana (note that hands held flat against the hips) is taken before sarvangasana and again it is savasana rather than 'taking rest' at the end of the practice.
Video 2: Demonstration ends at 11.25 and is followed by an advanced series demonstration.
Video 2: Sharath's Advanced series demonstration ends at 26.35 and is followed by a Q and A.
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Videos Part 1. and 2.
Videos Part 1. and 2.
Sharath Jois Primary Series (part 1) from bdproffy on Vimeo.
Sharath Jois Primary Series (part 2) from bdproffy on Vimeo.
APPENDIX
Home Practice Version. The original version of this demonstration of Led Primary above is split over two parts and includes only one each of suryanamaska A and B. I've pasted in an extra four of each and spliced together the two parts of the video to make a full primary to practice along with at home.
Why go to led classes, workshops or practice along to Led videos?
This question came up in a chat with a friend this morning, we were talking about Sharath's led tour but no doubt it also goes for occasionally practicing along to videos of a led practice, especially taken at this pace.
I guess our practice, this discipline, needs different kinds of support at different times. A week of Led with Sharath, a workshop with Manju or somebody else can perhaps give us that extra bit of support that we may feel we require occasionally (in a similar but different way perhaps to practicing with others in a shala).
It's an exceptional thing we do each morning. Here in Japan, Yoga is becoming more popular but people tend practice once or possibly twice a week, few (except for the Ashtangi's) seem to practice everyday.
How many outside of a seminary pray for ninety minutes each morning, or outside of a temple Sit for sixty minutes. This discipline we construct and feed in our different ways is quite remarkable, it's a support but we also need to support it, in turn. I've written before how the discipline of practice supports us in our daily lives, supports whatever form our yama/niyamas take, prepares us for dealing with the curve balls to come but the yama/niyamas (again - whatever they are perhaps that we inherit from our culture or choose) also support our practice, prop it up at times and Svadhyaya, can take many forms. It could be silent practice alone, a turning inwards but can no doubt also be a turning outwards reflecting ourselves through suitable texts and contact with others.
While I currently prefer a slower take on practice ( see my Proficient Primary page) I ldo ove Sharath's practice as demonstrated above, just as I loved his own Primary video that I practiced along with for a couple of months back when I first started Ashtanga. It's so unaffected, lacking in flourish or artifice, it may be lacking in alignment too for many but for me it's lacking in ego and an excellent reminder in this glossy age of self promotion that this is a simple practice that we so often over think.
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