July 2011
Could you recomend some videos for a beginner? I have purchased a few videos but they aren't very instructional and I do not want to be doing the poses incorrectly. Thanks!
I get beginner DVD questions all the time.
Here’s the list as of today.
1. Yoga Journal: John Friend’s Anusara Yoga Grand Gathering (3 DVD Set) - i would say this is more advanced beginner (and many intermediates would like it too). i really like john friend’s style of teaching! i might be posting this for my own benefit and not for the benefit of a beginner seeking a good instructional yoga dvd … i’ll check my intentions on that …
2. if you’re looking for something more tutorial-ish and breaks the poses down pretty well, I’d go for Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Beginners. it has 20 minute routines and you can play different audio (pose only, more instructional, more inspirational) along with those routines. and then this video also breaks down the poses (not INCREDIBLY in depth, but will touch on the common mistakes people make).
3. Ashtanga Yoga - Introductory Poses - Master the Essentials - nicki doane. this is not for ashtanga yogis only! you do sun salutations in MOST yoga classes (the ones at your local gym included …). great dvd for a beginner! edit: this dvd might be repetitive … i personally think the repetition is ideal for a beginner. if you’re looking for something “fun” this might not be for you (and if you youtubed her you probably wouldn’t go with nicki in the first place).
4. Yoga Journal’s: Beginning Yoga Step by Step Session 1-3 (For Beginners, 3 DVD Set) you’ll probably need blocks for this one … (natasha rizopoulis is the main instructor). probably the least amount of personality in this dvd but great instructional.
5. Crunch - The Perfect Yoga Workout: The Joy of Yoga & Fat-Burning Yoga i like sara ivanhoe! this dvd is ideal for someone who might get intimidated by shiva rea, nicki doane types. yoga for the every person!
also, google rodney yee, nicki doane, sara ivanhoe, etc and see if you like their teaching styles! and, if the dvd brushes through a pose too fast, there are plenty of instructional youtubes to check out later.
here are 5 suggestions. hopefully that’s a good start!
(right now, as i’m writing this, i personally think that shiva rea and tara stiles have better post-beginner yoga dvds … that’s why i didnt list them here)
June 2011
About a year ago, I took a basic yoga class. We did a pose that took several steps, but in the end we were in a pretzel-like pose, balancing just on one hand. Do you have any idea what this pose is called? I'd like to try it again!
Wow, I have no clue.
Was it a plank variation? Most beginner classes don’t get too crazy with arm balances!
You can go to the yoga journal link of arm balances and maybe you can find it listed there.
“You and your partner share a unique kind of intimacy — you’re in tune with that person to the point that you breathe together. That closeness makes it more comfortable to be physical with people in a nonsexual way. You realize that your bodies can connect without a feeling of tension or awkwardness, and you carry that lesson with you when you leave class.”
—Mitch on partner yoga.
