Best yoga video on Netflix?

May 18, 2005 1:17 PM

What's the best Yoga video on Netflix for beginners?

After reading a couple of threads about how great Yoga is, I'd like to try it out. A Netflix search produces 163 results, but I can't tell what's good. I'm in good shape and fairly flexible, but I've never done any Yoga.

Even if you don't have Netflix, I'd like to hear what your favorite Yoga video is.

posted by exhilaration to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

My first instinct is to tell you "Get thee to a yoga class!", as it is the bestest way to learn yoga, but barring that, I feel eminently qualified to answer this, as both a netflix customer and a yoga beginner. I have Basic Yoga Workout For Dummies" in my DVD player right now.

The title is a bit of a misnomer, because it basically teaches you the poses, in detail, which is very good. Get it to learn the poses, then maybe some Yoga Zone ones to put those poses together. After that get some yoga audio CD's to guide your daily practice, so you don't have to strain your neck staring at the TV in Downward Facing Dog.
posted by willmize at 1:23 PM on May 18, 2005

AM yoga with Rodney Yee is a great start, and then Power Yoga (for Strength, Flexibility, etc) are excellent intermediaries. They all use the basic Sun Salutations, quiet settings, no gimmicks, and wonderful explanations of poses and breathing.
posted by annathea at 1:34 PM on May 18, 2005

163 results is a lot to sift through. I will second the vote for AM Yoga with Rodney Yee. Rodney Yee's video are very good- I did hit one of the "Power Yoga" videos that he did where he does terrifically difficult poses and makes them look easy, so not all Rodney Yee is appropriate for beginners. The Ali McGraw "Yoga Mind & Body" is also pretty good.

Since you're doing this on Netflix, try a few different ones and see what works best for you. I'm not an expert, but my gut tells me you might want to steer clear of the yoga videos put out by fitness industry types like Denise Austin and The Firm, and stick to people who just do yoga first and foremost.
posted by ambrosia at 1:50 PM on May 18, 2005

Also check out this thread which had some suggestions
posted by darsh at 2:02 PM on May 18, 2005

Do a search for kundalini yoga and givre those a try.
posted by vronsky at 2:57 PM on May 18, 2005

Rodney Yee is great, but a little fast for a beginner. I'd like to second the "get thee to a class" line... it can be pretty painful to teach yourself poses without an instructor to show you the correct way to do things. Maybe supplement a beginning video with a book or some basic advice from a friend who knows.
posted by hamster at 2:57 PM on May 18, 2005

As has been said many times before (mostly by me):

Don't learn yoga from a video. You need an instructor to help you make sure you're in the proper posture, or (not to sound alarmist) you can damage yourself. Plus, you'll learn bad habits.

Take classes for a couple of months. Then start using a video for your own practice at home. Of course, by that point, you won't need the video, because you'll know, to a point, what you're doing.

Seriously. Class. Not video.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:30 PM on May 18, 2005

I hear an echo??? Find a yoga class. Find a yoga class....find a yoga class class class class.....

I tried videos with my wife for a while, then I found a yoga class and haven't done the videos once since. I love my yoga class.
posted by snowjoe at 5:49 PM on May 18, 2005

Yoga class first. Try a few and stick with the one that seems to understand your needs best. You'll know that through the type of individual attention and corrections you'll receive. Every body is different - and a good instructor can help you move into a pose correctly and within the limits of your body's structure and limitations.

After some classes, then use a video to accompany your home practice.
posted by trii at 8:55 AM on May 19, 2005

I started doing yoga in 1975 with a PBS television series called Lilias, Yoga and You,"with Lilias Folan. I couldn't afford to take yoga lessons then (still can't!), but I did buy some of her books and video tapes. The lessons I learned from Lilias have lasted me all my life - I still do yoga, having learned it from her and will always be grateful for her as a teacher. She has teachings for all ages and abilities; this Google search will give you some idea of what is available. I highly recommend Lilias Folan and I hope her stuff is available on Netflix!
posted by Lynsey at 9:58 AM on May 19, 2005

I introduced myself to yoga with the VHS version of Total Yoga. It's about an hour long and was fairly difficult for me since I am extremely inflexible, but I was able to learn all the poses with no problems. It's a traditional, basic Vinyasa practice so I think it was an okay way to learn.

I'm still searching for the BEST yoga video on Netflix myself, but I quite like AM/PM yoga with Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden, they are short (~25 min.) workouts and very gentle but hey sometimes that's all I'm up for first thing in the morning. Rodney Yee's Power Yoga is also good but probably moves too quickly if you're unfamiliar with the basic poses. Hemalaya Behl's Yoga for Urban Living was interesting and different, and focused on breath more, which I like.

Do take a class if it's an option. I've attended classes at a gym before, but given the comments here I'm wondering if I should seek out my local yoga studio.
posted by Webby Hippums at 10:47 AM on May 19, 2005