If your DVD matches your skill and fitness, if the philosophy and instruction are the same, then why go to all the trouble of going out?  If you see, hear, and feel no difference between your DVD and a real-life class, then why get dressed and undressed, pack a bag, drive, search for just the right spot, and feel completely self-conscious for an hour?  And why, after all of that muss, fuss, and bother, would you want to shower in a strange place with a whole bunch of people you never have met?  The best yoga DVD beats a regular class like a royal flush beats a pair of eights.

You want to select the video with a reliable instructor who balances exercise and meditation, breathing and balance, leading and guiding both your body and your spirit.  And you want all that substance delivered in a pleasant, encouraging tone of voice.  Selecting the best yoga DVD, you enjoy the luxury of choosing the setting, your companions, the music, and all the other features that determine your workout’s ambience and mood.  If you go out to the gym, you roll out your mat amidst the exercise bicycles left-over from “spin” class and the abs machines that will not fit anywhere else.  At the gym or studio, whether or not practice meets your physical and emotional needs, you acquiesce in whatever the instructor has planned.  And for all this inconvenience, you pay more for one session than you spent for your DVD.  For what you spend on a month’s gym membership, you can buy at least a 3-pack of excellent yoga DVDs.  Why would you want to go to the gym?

Of course, the best DVD is the one that sustains your motivation and engagement.  Most yoga DVD’s belong to series, so that, once you have found an instructor you like, you can stay with him or her as you advance from stage to stage.  The DVD allows you to practice in your own home, in your own time, free from self-consciousness about what you wear or how you perform.  Practicing at home with the DVD’s guidance, you remain free to repeat your favorite parts or review the poses and breathing with which you struggle.  Many of the best yoga DVD’s correlate morning and evening practices, so that you may attend class twice a day without ever leaving home.  Frankly, you have no good reason to visit the gym or studio, because you have more than enough expert yoga guidance at home.

Price is not necessarily an indicator. Some may think that you have to pay an arm and a leg for something that’s of a high quality. This isn’t true. If you’re not careful you can end up paying an inflated price for a DVD that is, to put it bluntly, a piece of rubbish. Video tutorials are a big business and there are many less than scrupulous people who are all too willing to cash in. Anyone with a little bit of knowledge can make one and try to sell it to you at an exorbitant cost. Just do a little research online and you’ll see how many scams have been uncovered thus far. Most of the best yoga DVDs will put you out about $12-25 and you shouldn’t really be paying more than this unless you’re getting a series as opposed to one video.

A great way to weed through the worst and best yoga DVDs is to check out the reviews. This will also give you a feel for knowing if this yoga DVD is best for you. Some people make the mistake of reading one five star review and assuming that the product is great. Reviews on Amazon are good if you want a broad cross-section of opinions.

Ambition is usually a good thing but, in the case of choosing the best beginners yoga DVD for yourself, it can get you into some trouble. Just because the video instructor can get into the positions doesn’t mean that you can without risking injury. You have to know yourself and what you are capable of, and this is where some people falter. It’s easy to convince yourself that you can do things which are more advanced than you can handle. If you are a beginner then you should stick to DVDs which are specially designed for you. The best yoga DVDs will have some indication of the level of student that they are intended for.

One thing that you need to recognize from the start is that yoga is not just about doing poses and tending to your body. A true yoga disciple knows that a healthy body is nothing without a healthy mind to support it. Someone looking for the physical benefits may not be attracted to the meditation side of yoga and that is ok.  But please remember you will never truly reap the full benefits of yoga unless you also try these techniques. The best yoga DVDs will include some component of aspects such as meditation and relaxation and will provide a competent introduction.

Not all studios will teach the downward dog yoga pose automatically (don’t ask me why) so it’s important that you know to get into position on your own. The easiest way to visualize this pose is as an upside down V, with the feet and hands on the floor. If you already have some level of flexibility, you may be able to get into the posture by stretching, bringing your hands to floor and working your feet back a little. For safety, you may want to start off with your knees bent though, and then try to straighten your legs as much as possible. This is the challenging part of the exercise so don’t push if you can’t get your legs completely straight or you may end up pulling your hamstrings.

An important point to note with the downward dog yoga posture is that the hands should be fully extended, fingers pushing into the floor and making firm contact with the floor. This will help to avoid your wrists taking too much weight and becoming strained. Your feet should be a hip width apart and parallel to one another. The pressure exerted on both your upper and lower body should be as even as possible. If you feel that either your legs or your arms are taking more of the strain then you may not be in the proper position. There should be no arching of the back or contact between the knees. This can cause excessive tension in the relevant muscles and that’s the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.

Some beginners starting yoga may be thinking to themself that there’s no way they can get their body into an upside down V shape and they’d just as well ignore the position altogether. That would be a mistake. The downward dog yoga pose is one of the most beneficial postures that you will ever come across and it can help to:

·                    Strengthen the muscles of the arms, shoulders, legs and lower back.

·                    Decrease back pain.

·                    Reduce spinal tension and any associated headaches.

·                    Increase circulation throughout the body, but especially to the brain (since the head is in an inverted position).

A lot of people consider the biggest benefit of the downward dog yoga pose to be the effects on the back. The number of individuals who suffer from back pain has increased dramatically over the years, in part due to changes in lifestyle. Chiropractors are making a ton of money from office workers, to drivers, to housewives, and everyone in between. The downward dog yoga posture stretches out the muscles of the back, thereby reducing the tightening that arises from being in one position for a long time.

As with any exercise though, there are some individuals who should take extra precautions when attempting this pose. Those suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome need to be especially careful since the wrists do bear some of the body’s weight and this can exacerbate the condition. Also, women in the late stages of pregnancy should avoid the pose as it can bring on abdominal pains for certain individuals.

How do inverse positions help the body? Well, gravity is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to the internal organs. Because of the high water content of our bodies, we are very susceptible to the effects of gravity. What gravity does is compress the body and this causes the organs, and the associated systems, to essentially become constricted. This can lead to countless health problems, from cosmetic concerns such as sagging fat to more serious conditions such as varicose veins. By inverting oneself, you are releasing this pressure and this causes the organs to function better. This is not just a theory as studies have shown the effects of maintaining an inverted position for a few minutes every day. There are four main systems which can benefit from your practicing these advanced yoga postures.

The Endocrine System

When you think of the endocrine system, there are two main things which come to mind: the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. These are crucial in maintaining the hormonal levels in the body, especially in women. Problems in these areas can have devastating effects on a person’s physical and mental health, leading to conditions such as growth defects, excessive weight gain and mood fluctuations. Inverse advanced yoga positions improve the circulation of blood to these areas, thereby allowing them to be immersed in a fresh supply of oxygen. This helps them to remain healthy and maintain the chemical balance in the body.

The Digestive System

This is one of the systems which experience the most compression by gravity. Inverting oneself not only relieves some of this pressure but also encourages the diaphragm movements consistent with deep breathing exercises. This serves to massage the internal organs and we all know how effective a massage is. The blood flow to the organs is also increased so they have a larger supply of oxygen available.

The Circulatory System

Your heart has a lot of work to do. It is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body and this is a tough job. Inverted poses take some of the strain off. These advanced yoga positions strengthen the muscles of the heart by bringing more blood to it in much the same way that aerobic exercise does. The advantage is that it doesn’t have to do as much work to get oxygen rich blood to the brain because gravity does that naturally. By supplying the brain cells with even more nutrition, you are minimizing tissue degeneration and fatigue. Daily yoga practice rejuvenates the brain and helps you to think with more clarity. If a yoga DVD will help you with this, it is advisable to play the Yoga DVD as often as needed to get your motivation and technique up to the level you would like.

The Lymphatic System

It is a well known fact that fluid accumulation in the lymphatic system can lead to painfully swollen lymph nodes. This is especially prevalent in the lower body. Inversions essentially flip the flow of the lymphatic fluid, thereby reversing the build up. Since the lymphatic system is associated with the immune system, this gets a boost as well from daily practice of these advanced yoga postures.

When done properly, yoga inversions are extremely effective at tackling a number of health problems. It is best to do these advanced yoga positions for a few minutes each day to gain the full benefits. It is essential though that you have a qualified instructor and you should consult a doctor if you have any pre-existing conditions such as hypertension.