Recommendation Yoga w/o for beginner

WantFit

WantFit

Cathlete
Hi, All,

I worked very hard on running and weight recently, and felt my body was very stiff. I wanted to add Yoga to my downtime. I like SM. but think Yoga may open up another anvenue for me...

I borrowed some yoga dvds from my community library. Most of them either too advanced for me or too bored (the whole section might only have 3-4 postures). Could you recommend some good dvds that is suitable to me at beginner and also have to potential to develop to higher level? I would like the section broke down into 10-20mins so that I can still do it in the days I run out of time...

Thanks

ETA, I have never done yoga before.

WantFit
 
Two videos that I have that I really enjoy are the Ali McGraw Yoga tape (I don't remember what it's called, sorry) and I have the Yoga Journal Yoga for Energy and Yoga for Meditation tapes. Rodney Yee leads them - he is one of the best. Even better if you can get the DVDs because they are segmented so you can do just pieces of them and build up to the entire workout.
 
There's one by Patricia Walden. I forget the title of the video now, but it had "beginners" on it. The 6-dvd pack by Yoga Zone is also good for beginners, but I got bored with it pretty fast once I learned the poses. Another one is by bodywisdommedia, Yoga for Athletes, which has a great variety of routines for almost every sport in one dvd. I got it a long time ago from Sports Authority. You could check the bigger sports/athletic retailers in your area.

Pinky
 
Thanks, NY25 and Pinky. I am going to shop now...;-)

Pinky, I love your home page, very artistic. Correct me if I am wrong. I sense a little melancholy...But through those fog, I saw your strong, determined spirit. You have a lovely family, congratulations!!

When did you start your yoga practice? How long did it take you to the current stage?

WantFit
 
Body Wisdom's Yoga for Athletes would be a good choice. The Body Wisdom DVD's offer workouts of different lengths & emphasis. The cueing is quite good. Yoga for Inflexible People would also be a good choice. They are plain, straight forward workouts so if visual qualities are important to you, pass.

I did not find that Rodney Yee's Yoga for Athletes or any of his DVD's are great for beginners because of the poor cueing. I've read similar comments about Patricia Walden over at VF.

The Ali McGraw DVD is beautiful but it does not offer modifications for beginners beyond "rest in child's pose".

Suzanne Deason's misnamed "Yoga for Weight Loss" is a very good beginner workout & has 3 chapters. The setting is terrific, her form pointers are pretty good, & each of 4 exercisers shows a different level.

You might check at Video Fitness for more ideas.

Debra
 
Hi WantFit, thank you for your kind words.:) I started doing yoga about 2 years ago, very slowly and very sporadic. I liked lifting weights and stepping better than anything, and doing what I loved motivated me to keep chugging along. I'd throw in the yoga once every three weeks if I was lucky, and because my doctor kept reminding me about it. I thought that if I'd do yoga even just once a month, I wouldn't be lying to my doctor about doing it.

As the weights I used got heavier and heavier, my body felt tighter soon after lifting that I'd throw in a 20-minute yoga session afterwards. I didn't like putting in that extra time so I decided on pushing for one yoga session a week. It wasn't until I got P90X and tried its yoga routine that my interest greatly peaked. I was very challenged by it and just kept working at it. Until now, even with many yoga dvd's in my collection, it is still the one I reach for. I think it's because Tony Horton makes me laugh. See, I like fitness to be fun. If it's not fun, it wouldn't be worth doing.

A little melancholy? Yeah, it's there... but that's another thread.;-)

Pinky
 
Debra,

When you mentioned Body Wisdom's Yoga for Athletes, was it the one called "Yoga Complete for Athletes" - Interactive Yoga series. Instructor is Barbara Benagh, and Jason Gordon, an advanced practitioner, demonstrates the poses. Is it the right one?

Thx

WantFit
 
I have the Rodney Yea total body yoga workout. You can do parts of it or do the entire body. It really relaxes me and makes my body feel all calm and I even feel sore afterwards sometimes.


kim
 
>Debra,
>
>When you mentioned Body Wisdom's Yoga for Athletes, was it the
>one called "Yoga Complete for Athletes" - Interactive Yoga
>series. Instructor is Barbara Benagh, and Jason Gordon, an
>advanced practitioner, demonstrates the poses. Is it the
>right one?
>
>Thx
>
>WantFit

This is it: http://amos.shop.com/amos/cc/pcd/8253805/ccsyn/260 That is Jason on the cover.

I confess that I returned it unopened to Target because I didn't take to "Yoga for Inflexible People" at first. I've since purchased the Power Yoga DVD (with Jason) & really like it.

Debra
 
I recently purchased Sara Iavanhoe's 20 minute yoga makeover weight loss and I love it. It is a pretty outdoor setting and I love that it is only 20 min. long. I don't know that it is necessarily a beginner workout but I do not do yoga regularly and I did not have any problems with it and felt nicely stretched and challenged. I got it at Suncoast and had never seen or heard of this workout before. I want to get the rest of her DVD's. You can check it out at www.naturaljourneys.com.
Angela:7
 
I went to my local library to grap dvds you guys recomended. I did not finish viewing them all. However, after viewing some of them, I am wondering what's difference between Yoga and Stretch? I don't mind the pace in these dvds are slow since I need time to stretch and find the good form. However, it did not seem to me that it has big difference from Stretch Max. Is it because these are more for beginners? How should I approacth Yoga? Do I need warm up at least 5 min then start Yoga? Like doing the Stretch?

Thanks

WantFit
 
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