I've been thinking about trying yoga on some of my rest days in order to get a good a good stretch, improve my flexibility and thus increase the effectiveness of my lifting. I'd like to buy a DVD, something pretty basic, and not an intense-type yoga. In other words, no bikram/power/weightloss yoga, etc, since I won't be using this as my primary form of exercise. Just a little something for light activity, maybe about 30 minutes, to help me recover better. Any ideas?
I don't do dvds, but I've liked the OM yoga in a box stuff (can get at bookstores). CD, cute little cards to show you the poses, the beginners one is broken into sections so you can do a full hour or just a morning sun salute or whatever. Comes with incense and yoga strap. Is nice cuz ripped and put on a shuffle or the like and you'd have it anywhere you'd like.
Have some Rodney Yee (I think, something like that anyway) DVDs that seemed ok, I just don't do yoga in front of the tv so is useless to me.
There is a dvd called "Yoga for Every Body" that is exceptional in that there are dozens of 'workouts" to chose from. It's broken down into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Then within those categories there are time categories. And within those there are different types of sessions, i.e. twisting, back, standing poses, etc...
I'm not a big fan of yoga videos with ocean waves and "calming" music. I just want a good mix of poses that are held for a decent period of time and well-explained.
Speaking of holding poses for a decent amount of time....most videos do not offer this, which is important for increasing flexibility. Which is a definite advantage to doing what Aoife does, making up your own practice sessions. That's more difficult in the beginning though, when you need someone to explain the poses to you. Little details in the pose can make the difference b/w it being effective and you getting hurt and frustrated.
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I would recommend a class every now and then if you can manage it. There's a lot a person offers that nothing else can, esp to a beginner.
Also, check out itunes (or the web) for some podcasts… there used to be a number of them and one or two were even in the "not completely annoying" category. (I have a thing against certain kind of guys that seem drawn to yoga, and their voices, heh.)
The best one that I've done is the yrg series. It's not as traditional as some of the others, not spiritial or any of that but it's entertaining and after doing it a few days a week I noticed a big difference in flexibility and general feeling of well being.
I really like the 10 minute Solution - yoga. There are (I think) six ten minute workouts, and you can build a custom workout based on what you want to do that day.
I'm a pretty big fan of DVDs. I also enjoy ballet workout DVDs, since it's smooth movements are similar to yoga, it works you just as hard (sometimes harder!) and there's fewer floor exercises.
For a very long stretch to move oxygen and blood into the muscles and to help rev down the body try Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga. It is WONDERFUL! You hold the limited number of poses much longer and the idea is to help stretch fascia as well - just a bit.
Go to www.pranamaya.com to find his dvds as well as ANATOMY FOR YOGA which is a wonderful illustration of why different people do the same exercise differently.
I have dozens of yoga dvds. When I want something basic and soothing that's good for flexibility, I usually reach for one of Rodney Yee's. Yoga for Energy, Backcare yoga, Yoga for Athletes, these are all wonderful.
I would recommend Anna Forrest's Strength & Spirit also.
I love love love Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga, but I wouldn't call it easy or beginner! It's pretty extreme to hold a pose for several minutes like that, but I'm a pretty extreme person, and the most flexible person I know :-)
The best one that I've done is the yrg series. It's not as traditional as some of the others, not spiritial or any of that but it's entertaining and after doing it a few days a week I noticed a big difference in flexibility and general feeling of well being.
I just stumbled upon this thread. Have you done yrg? Leigh recommended that I only do activity that is not as intense as even low impact cardio/aerobics, because I am eating 950cal/day x 5 and 1800cal x2 days. She suggests walking, not power walking.
What does your heart rate get up to? How intense is this? It looks interesting (on the website), but I can't get a sense of how intense it would be. I think my heartrate needs to stay around 100.
I love love love Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga, but I wouldn't call it easy or beginner! It's pretty extreme to hold a pose for several minutes like that, but I'm a pretty extreme person, and the most flexible person I know :-)
I think it's a matter of degree, Nancy - any form of yoga can be made harder or easier. I love Grilley's videos because he has people with different body structures doing the poses from the easiest to the hardest interpretation. You get to see how the same pose looks different on each differently constructed body. This is what I love so much about Yin yoga!
Many libraries have his videos - do an interlibrary loan to check them out and see if they work for you. If he comes into town near you check out his seminar and see if you like him. I think you might actually like his approach - if not for the yoga then for the wonderfully complex anatomy lessons.
Does anyone do yoga and can you recommend a DVD?
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