FORUMS > Flexibility Training Forum Rules

I've been looking to do some yoga on my own time to help gain flexibility and personal strength and awareness. I've been to a few yoga classes, but unfortunately my college budget doesn't allow me to go as often as I would like.

Does anyone know of any places online that give good advice as for yoga poses, in addition to movements/routines? Sort of like how this website lists workouts for specific body parts . . I'd like a resource to find out yoga that will work on specific areas. Thanks!

Any of the DVDs by yoga journals are good at walking you through. I had to stop taking classes for the same reason, but it is an amazing thing if you can keep up with it on your own. Im not to sure of any websites.

No one really responded, but I found a yoga video podcast, for those of you who want to try it out without having to pay for the videos or go to a class first.

http://www.yogamazing.com/podcast.html (Click on the "Click here" link in the second paragraph, ignore all the pay-for videos below it)

You can also find a lot of other health-related podcasts if you browse to that section on the iTunes store.

Sorry I never noticed this topic. First, my canonical reference for yoga poses, when I don't have my copy of Light on Yoga around, is the excellent Yoga Journal pose guide:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/

As for sequences, I don't know a ton of online sequence suggestions, other than a local Austin teacher, Devon, who has a handful online.

http://www.clearspringstudio.com/instructors/asana.html

Those are all for non-beginners, though, and incorporate inversions and whatnot, and are just short lists of the Sanskrit names. You'd have to look them up on Yoga Journal's list (or Light on Yoga, for the more esoteric ones Yoga Journal won't have) to get instruction on them. Certainly, there're no videos or anything.

Great! I really like how yogajournal.com allows you to search for poses based on anatomical focus or therapeutic application. Thanks!

Yeah, and their descriptions are very Iyengar-esque, anatomically precise and good about warning you off misalignment that could cause injury.

If you really want a good reference on yoga poses, the absolute canonical reference is BKS Iyengar's _Light on Yoga_; it's just a book of all several hundred poses, illustrated with photos of him doing them all, with a bunch of sequences in the back. I think he wrote it in the 60s, and he considers it a "dead" book at this point, but the rest of the world considers it a total masterpiece.

Find yourself an Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Iyengar yoga teachers are trained to work on specific areas of the body - creating alignment and well being.

Check out my general yoga sequence for athletes for some ideas of what the Iyengar Yoga approach is all about.

Wishing the best of all possible worlds,
tony
http://ynottony.com

To echo several of the other posters, get yourself a copy of Iyengar's Light on Yoga.

I would also highly recommend you invest in a few studio based classes with a certified Anusara or Iyengar instructor. These styles will help give you alignment instructions so that you don't injure yourself when you practice on your own. I would go so far as to introduce yourself to the instructor and tell them you'd like to start a home practice and tell them what your goals and intentions are so you get more out of the experience.

I take studio classes, so I don't know if there are any good videos with certified instructors in those styles. You can check on the Anusara website at www.anusara.com . I only take Iyengar occasionally, so I won't be much help there.

As far as actual online classes, my friend Elsie puts out podcasts at http://elsiesyogakula.com/