Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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List of Free Yoga Videos and PodcastsI was as stiff as a board after baby. I was recovering from a C-section, so my
abdominals were severely weakened. I had tendinitis in one wrist and arm, and also plantar
fasciitis, which rendered me incapable of doing any high impact-related exercises. I felt physically totally broken.
I started doing yoga once or twice a week at home. It helped me immensely in regaining strength and flexibility. If you were thinking of giving yoga a try, here's how I started out, and I also have a list of free yoga videos and
podcasts below. The great thing about exercising at home is you can do it anytime and pause and come back to it if necessary. If you skip a week, or even two, don't feel guilty, just pop that DVD back in and get to it!
I started with Crunch: Yoga Mama: Prenatal Yoga
(which I had also used prenatally - it was reassuring to know that what I was doing was safe for baby). This video was a nice, gentle introduction for my body to gain back some flexibility.
My next video was Bryan Kest's Power Yoga
, which was MUCH more difficult (Bryan Kest and his group does some incredible super-human-looking poses). I was able to keep pace using the lower level poses. I noticed some major improvements with flexibility after using this video only two or three times. Beginners may find this video difficult to follow.
Then I found Eoin Finn Yoga, which I picked up on sale for $9.99 at London Drugs, and it's become my staple yoga DVD - it's just the right pace and difficulty for now.
With all exercise videos, it's best to watch the entire video once before trying to do the exercises, so that you will know what to expect. You should practice any exercises or yoga poses that are new to you before beginning the exercise video.
Here is a list of sites where you can get some free yoga videos podcasts:- Eoin Finn's website offers free podcasts for download. There are also 21 videos of yoga poses - these videos explain in detail about each pose, they are excellent for beginners! Check them out here.
- PrenatalYogaCenter.com has three pre/postnatal videos to help expectant or new moms target problem areas such as back pain and hip flexibility.
- Sportskool.com has 16 short yoga pose videos, including one Spanish prenatal (but there is no English one for some reason).
- YogaJournal.com has 118 yoga poses, with detailed information on the anatomical focus of the pose, benefits, therapeutic applications, how-to instructions, and more.
- Also on YogaJournal.com, 12 free episodes of The Yoga Practice Show, plus another 12 episodes from their archives (scroll to the bottom of their page).
- If you prefer the motivation of exercising with others, FREE YOGA CLASSES are held at Lululemon locations across Canada. The classes are usually held on Sunday. Check the locations near you for exact day and times.
Namaste!
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