Sometimes I freeform my home yoga practice, but often I use DVDs as a starting place. They get me to the foot of the mat, the hardest “asana” as David Swenson, I think, has joked. They provide structure, even though I might swap in preferred poses or hit pause to add extras or slow down.

Why do I practice in general? Yoga makes me feel good, inside and out, more than any other activity I’ve found (and can do alone!). Neato muscle definition is also a plus.

I’m often asked to list my favorite DVDs, so here they are for the record:

BEGINNER:
Max Strom’s Strength, Grace, Healing
Bar none, the best beginning yoga DVD on the market; beautiful, gentle, and challenging all at once.

Seane Corn’s Vinyasa Flow Yoga - The Body And Beyond
Includes a 90-minute version and a 45-minute version. Reasonable pace with comprehensive instruction. Seane Corn teaches with a unique Type-A-fueled compassion.

INTERMEDIATE:
Shiva Rae’s Yoga Shakti
Customizable DVD with great music and a movement-based approached to asanas. Good blend of vigorous practice with breathwork and relaxation.

Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga - Total Body Workout

I’d like to dismiss Yee as the wife-dumping huckster that he is, but I can’t help it: I return to this DVD again and again. It’s no frills, utilitarian, and moves almost too quickly, but it focuses me on my practice like nothing else. I’ve used it so much it’s starting to skip.