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October 12, 2005

Yoga DVDs Recommended By Request

A client wanting to explore yoga as an exercise option found a set of DVDs at our local K-Mart. Upon reviewing them, she found them to be too "new-agey" and asked me if I could help her pick out a few. So, Here are my picks based upon skill level and Amazon reviews.

Beginner:
A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners by Rodney Yee. Twenty- to 25-minute workouts that are easy but effective. I like Yee's screen persona. He is authentic, direct, and clear. He spares you New Age pretentiousness, self-aggrandizement, and any other affectations.

Yoga For Inflexible People by Michael Wohl. If you are getting started and don't currently have time to work with a teacher, I feel comfortable recommending "Yoga for Inflexible People" to you.

Intermediate:
Yoga Shakti by Shiva Rea. The feature of this DVD that allows you to choose which poses you want to do. Another thing I like, as a side note, are her reminders of when and how to breath.

Power Yoga - Total Body Workout by Rodney Yee. I would suggest this tape for anyone looking to establish an at home practice who has practiced for at least 6 months or better, and who wants to build endurance.

Rodney Yee Intermediate Yoga. The average person with 2+ years of experience would benefit from this DVD.

Advanced:
Iron Yoga. Combines hand-weights with yoga workouts. There are two female assistants on each side of him. The one on his left demonstrates beginner's modifications, while the one on his right does the intermediate versions. He leads the advanced poses.

Pregnancy:
Prenatal Yoga by Shiva Rea. This video was designed with your choice of three people to follow--one for each trimester.

Yoga Journal - Yoga for Your Pregnancy. It focuses on pregnancy and the problems linked with pregnancy. It also focuses on delivery with a couple of sections devoted to yoga and breathing in labor and delivery.

For the Kids:
YogaKids 2: Yoga ABCs by Marsha Wenig. In addition to learning about yoga poses, my kids are also learning their alphabet. This is the best use for TV... getting my kids some exercise on a rainy day.

Yoga Kids. This dvd is great fun. I have found my kids imitating the yoga positions even when not watching, just while playing together.

Posted by linda at October 12, 2005 8:53 AM