Any advice on doing yoga solo?

[ztigerb]

Hi all,

Before returning to my college last week I went to a couple of free yoga classes at a yoga center near my hometown. I really enjoyed the experience and I'd love to continue practicing and learning yoga, but unfortunately there are no centers near my school and I am busy during the few yoga classes available on campus. Do any of you have experience with doing yoga without an instructor? Do you have any book or website recommendations? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[aggie]

i have always wanted to do yoga classes, but alas have only done it alone at home with tapes/dvd's.

"the Method" has some good ones, at all levels.

my problem is time and wanting to do things fast and having too many distractions at home, so i have temporarily switched over to faster moving dance/cardio routines. still love my pilates crunches and stretches though.

but if you have the concentration, even though it may feel strange at first after classes...i would think you could successfully do it solo.

[ginkgo]

A teacher can point out what you are doing wrong. So make sure to pay attention to details. Here is a book that teaches you Bikram yoga. I decided to learn it after reading an article on it where they said that it was the most athletic yoga.

I think that this is the best yoga. He has patented the sequence of his yoga postures so no one else (not authorized by him) can teach it. At his studio there are pictures of him with lots of celebrities like President Clinton, John McEnroe and even Senator Ted Kennedy, who just passed away.

Here is the link to it on amazon.com:
Amazon.com: Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class (Second Edtion) (9781585420209): Bikram Choudhury: Books

Oprah's doctor (Dr Oz) has his patients learn yoga. Here is a book about yoga as medicine by an M.D.:
Amazon.com: Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing (9780553384062): Yoga Journal, Timothy McCall: Books

After learning the Bikram yoga, you can go to a class once and ask the teacher to point out anything that you are doing wrong. I know a message therapist who goes to a Bikram yoga class every day. I do fine not heating up the room as much as they say, but sweating a lot is very cleansing.

After graduating college, if you like the area, maybe you will open a yoga school. I am near UPenn which is ranked by U.S. and World News as the 4th best university in the country. It has a yoga studio there as of about 4 years ago. UPenn became the first university in the country when they created the first medical school in the country. Harvard is the first college in the country. Princeton and Harvard are tied as best university in the country. I have been doing yoga since age 12. Here is the article about him on Yoga Journal. The book that he wrote on Bikram yoga costs only $13 from link above. Unlike what is said below, you cannot learn this Bikram yoga online since his yoga is copyrighted and he has sued people for violating this. He says that he does not want the quality of it diminished.

Here is what the article above says about his book, "According to Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class (Tarcher Putnam, 1978), 'the twenty-six exercises systematically move fresh, oxygenated blood to 100 percent of your body, to each organ and fiber, restoring all systems to healthy working order.' Bikram believes his unique system not only restores any afflicted organ, but also maintains general health throughout the body." Here is an online video on it.

[Dimond]

You can learn everything about yoga on the internet. Websites show the various poses. There are videos on the yoga websites and on youtube. Then if you want to take it further, you can buy the DVDs.

I don't do anything formal as I find paying attention to what works for my body and feels good, works best. Anyone can stretch and move in any way they want without rules.

[joanmhe]

Hi,
I like the dvds with Rodney Yee or Barbara Walden.
Enjoy,
Joan

[padawan in training]

I would suggest Scott Sonnon's "Prasara Yoga" for a more mobile version of standard, static Yoga. I tried "Flowfit" and am still having a blast with the program. His products might be a bit expensive though. Try not to get intimidated by all the hyping he does regarding his products. He is a bit odd in many ways...

[Kasha]

Hello, and congratulations on taking the best step possible to a healthier mind and body!

If you don't want to invest in dvd's just yet, you can find free yoga workouts here:
ExerciseTV

I like this yoga/fitness fusion one based on Ashtanga Yoga. Its 20 minutes and covers everything:

Cardio Yoga - Workout Videos - ExerciseTV

If you want to try out Kundalini, a totally different kind of yoga, here's a nice workout from google video:

YouTube - Introduction to Kundalini Yoga

I love both styles, but Kundalini more :-) Yoga is the best, it frees the mind, tones the body, unites our inner and physical aspects and brings focus and happiness. Enjoy your journey!

[ztigerb]

Thanks for the responses, that last one was very helpful

[ArthurHung]

Do any of you have experience with doing yoga without an instructor? Do you have any book or website recommendations?

Yes, to both, but I would rather not answer these questions, especially since there have been wonderful answers already in this thread. So just to play devil's advocate

I suggest... not doing yoga solo. Manifest one through your college, connect with someone who does it and simply do it somewhere together. Who knows, you might bump into that person today