The various postures of yoga have long been used as a basis for the stretching moves that are prescribed for athletes or used in other forms of exercise. It’s no surprise, then, that a flood of yoga tapes is hitting the market.
There are tapes for Olympic-level athletes and tapes for rank beginners. There are tapes that will challenge your strength and endurance, and tapes that will lull you into blissful relaxation.
Here’s a look at four yoga tapes, from the most difficult to the most basic. The only thing you need to get started is comfortable clothes and a non-skid surface like a sticky mat.
Embracing Power Yoga This tape, led by Los Angeles instructor-to-the-stars Mark Blanchard, is the yoga version of boot camp. It’s 85 challenging minutes of constant movement designed to build strength and endurance, with Blanchard leading a class of 13 men and women.
The tape is billed as appropriate for all levels, and there’s a 5-minute segment at the beginning that offers a quick summary of how to do many of the basic yoga poses in the tape.
But that’s not enough for novices, and the rest of the tape is far too...