Yoga DVDs that aren't fast and have modifications

Nedra19455
Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have begun doing yoga twice a week. Every yoga routine I have tried has the words "for Beginners" in the title and every one of them is hard for me for two reasons -- (1) all of them are too fast with complicated transitions, and (2) I can't do the poses and don't know how to modify them appropriately. I have been inflexible all my life -- even when I was a preschooler in ballet classes, I was the least flexible little girl in the room. Many years of doing nothing about it hasn't helped any either . . .

I am looking at a DVD set that is specifically labeled "Yoga for Inflexible People" but thought maybe I should ask on here too. Anyone have recommendations for how to modify yoga poses for someone who is very inflexible? For example, when I do downward dog, the person in the video always has their feet flat on the floor and their body in a perfect A-shape. I, on the other hand, need to either bend my knees, lift my heels, or both. I don't know which modification would be better, or if I shouldn't be attempting downward dog at all and should instead be doing different poses until I increase my flexibility.

I am considering taking classes, but I can't afford one-on-one classes and I think I wouldn't get the help I need if I did it in a group setting. I quit a pilates class after the second session because I felt like I could never get any guidance from the instructor and had no clue what I was doing without help.

Anyone on here know what to prioritize when modifying yoga poses?

Anyone have suggestions for DVDs that are slower and have more modification demonstrations?

I tried the one for menopausal women, thinking that something geared for older people might help, but those ladies are hella flexible.

Replies

  • sealionwoman23
    sealionwoman23 Posts: 42
    I would highly recommend taking some classes at first if possible. The yoga studio that I go to has a TON of different levels available and there are often just a handful of people in the class, which means the instructors are able to make plenty of adjustments. Even when there are more people there, it's nice to have someone watching your form. (It also depends on who the instructor is!!) When I first tried yoga, I was using DVDs and I was surprised when I finally went to some classes what a difference it made! As far as things to try, there is a free yoga video podcast series called "Yoga Today" that I like! Good luck!
  • Nedra19455
    Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
    I would highly recommend taking some classes at first if possible. The yoga studio that I go to has a TON of different levels available and there are often just a handful of people in the class, which means the instructors are able to make plenty of adjustments. Even when there are more people there, it's nice to have someone watching your form. (It also depends on who the instructor is!!) When I first tried yoga, I was using DVDs and I was surprised when I finally went to some classes what a difference it made! As far as things to try, there is a free yoga video podcast series called "Yoga Today" that I like! Good luck!

    Thanks! When I tried to check back and see responses to this thread, I couldn't find it for some reason and so I thought maybe I hadn't actually posted it. Just saw your response now. I will check out the Yoga Today podcast and investigate classes in my area.
  • GenePurdum
    GenePurdum Posts: 1 Member
    I would second the recommendation by the other commenter that you seek out a class. Look for a "Gentle Yoga" class. I go to a class like that, and I'm guessing that 80% of the class does a down dog with heels not touching the ground. It doesn't matter. Do what you can and create your own modifications. I've been a runner for years and have super tight hamstrings, so there's no way I can do a basic forward fold like the instructor shows. But I do what I can, feel the stretch, and know that if I do the pose often enough I will eventually acquire more flexibility. Don't forget the purpose of yoga: as Bryan Kest says in his yoga video, "the goal is not to do a perfect pose, but to reach the muscles and joints that need attention." Also remember that everyone's physique is different, and what the yoga instructor is demonstrating may not even be anatomically possible for everyone in the class. The yoga instructor is offering a suggestion for working certain parts of the body, but the instructor can never know what works for you individually. Do what you can, modify as you need to. And don't feel shy about modifying (or abstaining from) a yoga pose. Any pose that doesn't feel good is pointless. Yoga is not about comparing yourself to what others are doing, but just doing what you are capable of and accepting those limitations for what they are.
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    I went to a few yoga classes and spent most of my time feeling really self-conscious. This was a few years ago, and my teaching schedule has conflicted with the class my campus offers since then. If you have Comcast cable, you can find excerpts from some yoga DVDs in the health and fitness section of their on demand catalog. I tried a few different ones, and when I found a workout I liked, I ordered the DVD. This is the one I use: http://acacialifestyle.com/yoga-for-beginners-with-desi-bartlett/p/51614/

    I like it because she gives you some options. If you're doing a stretch involving your leg, she tells you to reach for your ankle if you can but also says the calf or the thigh is okay, as long as you're not grabbing a joint. There's a more energetic workout meant for morning and a gentler one with deeper stretches intended for evening. There are also instruction segments for both workouts.

    I need to get back to doing yoga at least once or twice a week again. I've been working out more intensely lately, and I think it would really help with the soreness I've been feeling in my hamstrings.
  • flfelice
    flfelice Posts: 5 Member
    Has anyone checked out the yoga on the daily
    burn app? I will look into it and see what they have.
  • ginncjb
    ginncjb Posts: 44 Member
    A good starter for me was the DVD "Yoga for the Rest of Us" from Peggy Cappy. I believe you can only find it online from E-Bay, Amazon, etc. I have not tried any of her others (& one of them is simply a documentary telling how beneficial yoga is), so I can only recommend this one. When she gets to the Sun Salutation, she is quite fast, but I used "pause" & "slow motion" to pick up the moves, then did them at my own speed, rather than trying to follow her step by step.
    She has 4 students doing the moves with her that range in age from approx. a 25 year old man to a woman who is a flexible 70 (my guess). They each do a modification of each of the moves. Even if you move onto a class, the long warm up section of this DVD is great for improving overall flexibility (particular if you have arthritis or haven't been very mobile prior).
  • joansjourney
    joansjourney Posts: 110
    When I first started with Yoga I used Yoga for Dummies.. it was actually pretty good. I might break it out and do it tonight.
  • saralukies
    saralukies Posts: 24 Member
    I have been taking yoga through my community center for a little over a year now, and I still can't get my heels down on a down dog. As the previous poster said, it really doesn't matter. Do what you can. Our teacher always says "It is called Yoga Practice, not Yoga Perfect" which is exactly what you need to internalize. As long as the instructor, in real life or in a dvd, tells you what muscles you are supposed to be targeting, you can figure out your own modifications. I second the suggestion to take a class, though, because it is really great. Of course, having a great teacher helps.

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