Yoga dvd without the hippy stuff? :-)

[austenozzy]

Hi there

I've been running a lot recently, and have torn a calf muscle twice in a few weeks. I'm seeing a physio to help me manage its recovery, which is going well.

However it means no running for the foreseeable. The physio has suggested a 'power yoga' type dvd to do at home, together with stretches and a bit of cycling.

Can anyone suggest a good beginner's yoga dvd that is long on action and short on the meditation/ommmmm stuff, please? :-)

Thanks!

Hmm... They are normally without "the hippy" stuff. Any meditation is to help you relax and not really intimidating/overly philosophical. Did you try Pilates?

Thanks for the quick reply, be. I've literally just got back from the physio in the last hour, and had a quick scoot about on Amazon.

I know nothing about yoga or pilates. I'm just looking into the physio's suggestion. Pilates does look pretty good, from my limited googling. I might have a look for something along those lines.

(For yoga, I did find this one: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0009J2QOK
It looks like the sort of thing I might be after. )

Thanks again.

I found this one. www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Yoga-Total-Body-DVD/dp/B0000A2ZQE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1376051081&sr=8-6&keywords=yoga+dvd but tbh yoga and pilates should be really done with a teacher to start with even if it is a group session in a local gym. I used to do Pilates for 5 years 1-2-1 and now attend a gym group as DVDs never worked for me

I have his other dvd from a few years back, I can send it to you to try out if you promise to send it back in a couple of months time. PM me if you want.

Yoga is the hippy stuff. You won't get the physical benefit without involving your mind. Going deeper into postures is letting go. Find a class with a good teacher (Hatha yoga is a good place to start) and go with an open mind.

I guess this also depends on the definition of the "hippy" element. I agree about open mind. You will find the correct breathing will facilitate focus and that will help will balance and better posture and feed back onto focus,breathing and relaxation. Yoga is amazing.

this

Hi again - thanks for the replies.

Sorry if I've sounded dismissive of the meditation side of things, and I mean no offence referring to them as 'hippy'. Poor choice of words on my part. I simply meant that that kind of thing isn't really 'me'. I would certainly lose focus with that, but not the physical side.

I'll look into local classes, but they all tend to be in the evenings which is when I mostly work (main client is in California, so time zones overlap at that time).

bemybebe - that's very kind of you to offer to lend your DVD. I certainly promise to return it if you're kind enough to send over. I can paypal you a few bob to cover p&p if you like. I've never tried PMing before, so I'll take a look shortly. Thanks!

I know you asked for a dvd Austen but there's loads of stuff on youtube, I think the yogatics channel is very good:)
www.youtube.com/user/yogatic

Oh no worries OP, hope my response didn't sound snarky. It's just you say you don't know much about yoga.... yoga is actually the act of meditation, in that its goal is the peace of the mind. The physical postures ('asanas') are an essential part of the practice, as essential as the body is to health. But when you practise yoga you're working to bring the body and mind together... I'm not explaining very well but it's a wonderful, revelatory thing and it would be sad to avoid it. Anyway it makes no sense just in terms of the physical, because as you'll discover, often the block to the body opening and moving freely IS the mind, and emotional energy.

All that said, as another poster said, the way yoga is generally taught and practised now, the hippy stuff (not remotely offended by the term, use it myself!) is pretty low key - in that there isn't chanting or some of the more involved practises. The postures that you move through will open up your mind just through the movement of the body. It's fascinating.

That, and most classes (and all practise) should start and end with sivasana, the relaxation pose. You lie on your back, and try to calm your mind. (That is the goal with all of the asanas, ultimately, so that you're not straining or pushing, but have the lightest awareness of your body.) I will always remember one of my teachers saying that sivasana is the hardest pose. I agree! Even attempting that will set you on a journey, if your mind is open.

Hope I haven't scared you off with these nonsensical ramblings

Jillian Michaels has a Yoga DVD. That's as far away from hippy as you can get! I've only done some of the workouts on YouTube - not the full thing - but it's quite different from a lot of the hatha / iyengar yoga that is at the hippy end. It's got a lot of movement / cardio.

I find yoga very useful for preventing sports injuries, stretching and as a form of self massage.

I'd say that the Jillian Michaels 'workout' approach is quite far from the original spirit of yoga...but then again one great thing about yoga is it's versatility, the assana's can be used in many ways.
(I'm a bit sceptical about the bikram approach though )

How about Barbara Currie? Loads of her dvds on Amazon, I relied on her after a few years away from yoga classes, I go it alone nowadays but I found her style very unhippy and great for novice/intermediate. it's all about the poses and breathing without being bogged down by the 'spiritual' side.