|
|
| Has anyone else checked out David Swenson's primary series vids on youtube? I haven't looked at them all but it seems like the whole of the primary series in 10 minute chunks.
What a fantastic resource, to be able to check them out anytime you like for free!
Ian |
|
| |
|
   
Location: London, England | iandicker - 2009-03-11 1:24 PM
Has anyone else checked out David Swenson's primary series vids on youtube? I haven't looked at them all but it seems like the whole of the primary series in 10 minute chunks.
What a fantastic resource, to be able to check them out anytime you like for free!
Ian
Hi Ian
Bet David's not too pleased Absolutely brilliant though
Nick |
|
| |
|
| Love his teaching and his personality. |
|
| |
|
| As far as David not being pleased, maybe he should release those videos on DVD. I honestly don't feel bad about having downloaded them years ago - unless I'm terribly mistaken, they were only ever available on VHS, and have been out of print for years. I´d gladly pay for an official DVD if it was available.
I'd pay double if said DVD featured multiple angles, because some of the postures in the 2nd and 3rd series are somewhat hard to fully understand... But I guess that would be asking for too much. |
|
| |
|
| I'm new to this forum but have been doing yoga off and on since the 1970s. I discovered the David Swenson videos on Youtube last week while searching around for videos on power yoga. This is quite possibly the best thing I have ever found on Youtube. Incredible resource--hope they never take it down--what an great teacher. After watching the whole thing, I looked for DVDs by Swenson, but they not readily available--either only on VHS or out of print. As someone who has no power or ashtanga studio nearby, I have to rely on videos and books which can be expensive. This series was extremely helpful to me. |
|
| |
|
| If he knows about it, and is not pleased, he could probably have YouTube pull the videos. (I'm assuming he owns the copyright, which may be a faulty assumption.) |
|
| |
|
| You can go to www.ashtanga.net and order the DVDs off of David's website. Also, Amazon.com has them. |
|
| |
|
| You are right--the primary series is available. I will definitely be purchasing it. Hoping to get it used, as the recession is hitting me pretty hard right now. All the more reason to do more yoga! |
|
| |
|
| Totally lame that someone into yoga would infringe on David Swenson's copyrights. He's one of the nicest, most humble and absolutely accomplished yoga teachers you're likely to meet. A great guy who doesn't deserve to be screwed. In fact, he's such a nice guy he probably wouldn't even do anything about it, but I feel inclined to let him know if no one else has. Let's all show some solidarity by NOT patronizing these YouTube vids. |
|
| |
|
| If he objects, then I agree the videos should be taken down. He seems like an awesome person in the videos. However, allow me to suggest an alternative viewpoint: copyright infringement is a gray area. At some point in time, intellectual property spills over into a different realm where it becomes more communal, and yoga practice is certainly in this category. I truly hope that Swenson makes all the money he wants to make in this business since he's one of the good guys. But if good yoga practice and knowledge is not in the public domain, perhaps it should be, or more of it should be. Perhaps good yoga should be available to everyone, whether s/he can afford it or not (and one can certainly spend a lot of money on yoga, judging by some of the prices that fancy studios charge--also, finding a particular kind of yoga practice is difficult unless one lives in an urban area which not all of us do). Yes, books and videos can be found at the library but selection can be quite limited. Instructors like Swenson may see themselves as getting screwed, but alternatively or at the same time, they might be pleased that more people have access to their knowledge. Also, since yoga is awareness and wholeness, they may be aware of the global situation realizing that in bad economic times, people are even less able to afford this knowledge. At the same time, the need for psychologically healthy practices is increasing.
In any case, I would still like these videos to stay on youtube but I would certainly prefer to have David's blessing. Perhaps if you are going to notify him, you might also tell him that at least one person experienced his knowledge for the first time and felt very enlightened by it, and is going to purchase one of his videos when she can afford it. |
|
| |
|
| With all due respect, I’m no expert on this, but I don’t think copyright infringement is a grey area, and federal laws provide extremely stiff penalties for violations. Ironically, I agree with you though that yoga instruction should be free or inexpensive. But it is what it is, and in reality the few dollars needed to purchase one of David’s DVDs is a pittance compared to the lifelong value one will get from them. I for one have not attended a yoga class in over ten years, but have kept my practiced alive all that time by frequently consulting the DVDs and videos of David and Richard Freeman. When looked at in that light I think it is fair to say that David is already providing a very reasonable resource for those interested in studying Ashtanga. I think one DVD is something like $25. Less than the cost of two yoga classes at a typical over-priced yoga studio. Furthermore, not to sound too didactic, but I would gainsay that yoga is about more than just sticking your legs behind your head: it’s also about ethical behavior, and theft is not ethical. Patronizing the pilfered material of another person is a form of theft, plain and simple, and such behavior cannot but hurt your yoga practice in the end. |
|
| |
|
| It's funny how studios can be "over-priced", and yet yoga teachers seem to be chronically underpaid. I guess the studio owners must be making out like bandits.
Edited by Duffy Pratt 2009-03-29 10:43 AM
|
|
| |
|
| To be clear, I'm not suggesting all yoga studios are overpriced. But some are. In New York, where I lived and studied for many years, yoga studios seem to use a "what the marked will bear" pricing philosophy. When some of your students are Sting and Madonna this means the market will bear very much indeed. I’ll never forget seeing the owner of a particularly famous yoga studio driving through the East Village in his Mercedes SUV. Smacked of the Bhagwan. But there you have it. And his teachers were, and still are, paid very poorly. |
|
| |
|
| Here is a follow-up: I did contact David. He is not pleased and wants the videos removed. |
|
| |
|
Location: London, England | Hi Andrew,
Well done-I guess he should just be thankful that you can't record off youtube very easily, otherwise there would be so many pirate copies.
Nick |
|
| |
|
| Oh I'm sad that he is going to have them removed, however I certainly understand the reasoning. Its just that I've sent the link of that 9 minute one to all my non yoga friends that think yoga is not strenuous. Let me say they have been amazed.... his "flow" is just unreal.
Because of that video I've had a few non yoga friends come to the yoga classes i've been attending, so it did open up new doors.
Again I understand the reasoning BUT I'd like more people to be exposed to yoga and that video was instrumental in opening the eyes of some of my friends.
Susan |
|
| |
|
| I think you'll find a lot of non-pirated ashtanga videos on YouTube if you look. Maybe you can forward those to your friends. BTW: It's no certainty that the vids will be removed. It's really up to the poster, unless David takes legal action, which I doubt he will do. And I doubt YT will do anything about it, given the millions of illegal vids already there . . . |
|
| |
|
| How about sending him some cash, say $15 or what ever you can afford? That's about what many schools charge for a drop-in. If you watch the videos as a study material it would be nice & civil to offer the "Guru-Dakshinaa", which is an offering representing our gratitude, like flowers, to the Guru, and not a commercial transaction. |
|
| |
|
| Actually, it's not up to the poster - if Swenson contacts Youtube, the video will be taken down in a heartbeat. I still wish the videos were more easily (and legally) available. I just checked Amazon.com and all I found were used copies. Asthanga.net doesn't even carry the 2nd/3rd series video. |
|
| |
|
| If there was a place on his web site where you could "rent" some video's I would surely do that. I can't tell you how many times at free websites that have a "donate" button I've donated.
I wasn't trying to say I think his, or anyones videos should be free. I was just trying to make the point that its nice to have some video "clips" of various kinds of yoga out there, as examples of what yoga is.
I often have read around the internet that people want to involve more people in yoga but so many people don't know what it is, so having clips like that to send around was just fun for me. As I said, I sent word out to my non yoga friends to view the clip (I had no idea it was illegal) and they were all blown away. So just that one clip made a lot of people stand up and say wow. And I know for a fact got someone actually taking yoga classes to see if they like them.
That was my point, I don't feel I should have to send him money cuz I watched a video on YouTube. If I was using that video as a yoga class I would be happy to do that, I'm not. You Tube is filled with a ton of amazing videos and I thought that was one.
Anyhow, peace.
Susan |
|
| |
|
| Here is a final chapter to this thread. I took it upon myself to contact the YouTube poster, simply to mention to him that I had contacted David. His response was that he would take down the videos if David asked him to, which I thought was very reasonable. I informed David of this, and his response was that for now he will just leave them up.
Like I said, he's a very nice guy. And anyhow, I'm sure these videos are causing more people than ever to attend his excellent workshops: an experience I would recommend to everyone on this list.
So, for everyone who is and has been enjoying these wonderful videos, well . . . enjoy! You can now do so with a clean conscience.
Regards,
Andrew
|
|
| |
|
| Oh thats good to know... he's a sensation among my non yoga friends (and yoga ones too of course). I'd love to go to his workshops, I have to check the schedule for the Boston area!
Susan |
|
| |
|
| Incidentally, all of David's DVDs are available on his site (tmarques said they were not). Please look here:
http://www.ashtanga.net/xcart/catalog/DVDs-orderby0-p-1-c-251.html
|
|
| |
|
| ahubbard - 2009-04-06 6:15 PM
Incidentally, all of David's DVDs are available on his site (tmarques said they were not). Please look here:
http://www.ashtanga.net/xcart/catalog/DVDs-orderby0-p-1-c-251.html
Gee, I feel dumb now. I had clicked on "shop" and assumed what was shown was all that was available - I now realise it's just a "featured products" page. Ordered. |
|
| |
|
New User
Posts: 1
| We were lucky enough to have David teach a workshop in our town. BUY the video, BUT attend his workshop and learn the deeper knowledge and a better approach to life..... There is no preaching... just knowledge and refections ..... just lots of laughs
These guys don't need the money ...... Rest assured that David and his broth Doug will do good things with whatever you spent
Check there websites ..... amazing schedules covering the entire world
|
|
| |
David Swenson youtube
