Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on some good yoga dvds worth picking up. Cant make all the classes Id like to at my normal place so having a couple of good dvds lying around wouldn’t hurt. Thanks for any input.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your practice so that we can make more informed recommendations, ok?
I’ve bought a fair few DVDs over the years and most haven’t been a good fit with my physical condition or what I was looking to practice.
Im still fairly new to yoga but I think anything intermediate level would be good for me. I like getting a good sweat going, and love my chaturangas. I heard Mark Blanchard is a name worth checking into, and have found the yoga x dvd in my old p90x to be a good time. A couple restorative dvd recomendations would also help. Thanks in advance!
These are the DVDs in my current library and my opinion of how they work for me. I guess I would classify myself as a practiced beginner to intermediate in asana practice - but truly…who knows. 
Breath-centered yoga by Leslie Kaminoff - I return to this one time and time again. Choose from 4 tracks or combine them.
Ashtanga Yoga - Intro & Primary series w/Richard Freeman. Too difficult for me - and not enjoyable to me so I avoid it. Keep in mind I’m a middle-aged curvy woman.
Shivea Rea - Lunar Flow & Trance Dance. Fun. Energetic. Can modify to any level. Can also pick and choose different tracks.
Relaxing yoga w/ Trish Smyth - just ok for me.
Radiance Yoga w/Jessie Chapman - too intense for me. Totally for the intermediate or advanced yogini
The pursuit of happy hips - I [I]want [/I]to like this one and I keep going back to it. It is somewhat intense - maybe because I have hip issues? Gorgeous DVD though and 4 hours of practice.
Just my Size Yoga w/Megan Garcia - again, this suits me because I am a curvy woman. However, it can be challenging - as with anything, it’s what you put into it.
Beginning Yoga w/ Jill Johnson. This is a beautifully shot video on the banks of a river in South Dakota. A great gentle introduction to yoga. Most likely too easy for you but for someone starting out, I think it’s great. It’s also gentle on your mind and senses - if that makes sense.
Hope that helps. Perhaps someone who is more to the intermediate level will chime in with their suggestions.
If you can rent some DVDs or borrow (through friends or library system) that’s probably best because there are so many DVDs out there and we all have our preferences.
Seems you enjoy a more vigorous practice than the dvds I use and can recommend, but… the library is a good place to check some out, try a few and see if you like them. Also collagevideo.com and totalfitnessdvds.com have video clips of the yoga dvds they sell, a great way to watch the clips online, read the descriptions & reviews and see what appeals to you, see if you’ll like the instructor etc.
I really like “Yoga Shakti” by shiva rea. The reason is because it has a “yoga matrix”, whereby you can pick and choose different poses and sections of the dvd, and create your own session based off of what is on the dvd. In addition, it has 4 different sequences in it of various levels. (On that note, does anybody know of any other dvd’s with this option?).
For example, I could pick, in any order that I wanted:
- meditation
2)classic sun salutations
3)rhythmic vinyasa - basic standing pose
5)backbend flow 1
6)shavasana
… there, its even easier to do on the dvd than it was to type it out, and there are many, many more options than what I posted…that was just an example. Times for each sequence are also listed, so you can determine how long your session will be before you start.
I have others, but this one is by far superior. As others have already said, check out your local library. In our state, all the library’s are connected, so we actually have access to dozens of different yoga dvd’s… as long as your patient to wait for it to be transferred between library’s. 
Maybe not the most popular answer but I do like Rodney Yee’s DVDs.
I will also recommend staying away from Eischens Yoga DVD
David swenson ashtanga dvd - shows ashtanga primary series, variations etc. Worth getting if you like vinyasa style
I have really enjoyed Natasha Rizopolous’ Yoga Step by Step 1-3 series. They are not a substitute for working with a qualified instructor, but I have had much success with these. She breaks down each pose into easy to understand steps, and modifies them for you if you are less flexible.