Yoga for people who don't like yoga classes

I don't like yoga classes. There I said it.

I have done "hot classes" (nearly passed out), done large regular classes (too pungent for my incredibly sensitive olfactory system) and done regular small classes (often carpeted rooms, making the air quality dodgy). In addition to this, I detest scented candles and scented body oils which are often de rigueur in the yoga world.

But the reality is yoga will keep us forty-somethings fabulous. Here's why. As we age, everything about us slows down, from our ability to recover from an injury to our ability to burn fat. And as we spend more and more time at a desk, all of our postural stability and balance goes to hell in a Pottery Barn hand basket. All that hunching over is bad for us. (Go figure.)

Yoga helps build lean muscle mass in the large muscle groups that power our everyday activities and strengthens small muscles groups, many of which are stabilizer muscles. Improved muscle mass gives us better posture and stability and this helps us maintain an injury-free body. Better posture helps us look better (younger) in our clothes. And the increased oxygen that is supplied to our bodies through yoga's breathing practices, helps boost our metabolism and generates a healthy glow.

Lots of good reasons to do yoga. Just no yoga classes for moi.

So I sought out alternatives to yoga classes like a yoga DVD or an online yoga video that I can play in the privacy of my own home. And a yoga instructor who isn't all airy-fairy. I don't do "free-your-mind-at-the-top-of-the-mountain" stuff. Jana Webb's Intermediate Yoga did the trick.

Jana Webb gets limber in her online yoga video, Intermediate Yoga.















Doing yoga at home is very different from being in a class. I was able to control my environment and mitigate any offensive smells or allergens. As a result, I was actually able to perform the focused breathing required for each movement. This was quite a coup for me. I'm a shallow breather as a result of life long respiratory problems and just opening my lungs with deep breathing is a very intense experience for me.

Jana is a great guide. She gives you very clear instruction and gently takes you through what I would consider a fairly challenging routine. To do this yoga video, you need some prior experience and you should be somewhat fit. Jana performs some movements with a block or a strap but you don't have to have any equipment other than a yoga mat. If you are interested in Beginner Yoga, Jana has that covered too.

Jana's intermediate yoga video is a challenging workout that leaves you feeling taller, stronger and more stable. I downloaded it to my laptop, hooked my laptop to my TV, and then did the routine in my living room. I did this because I travel, and instead of having to lug around a DVD or hunt around a hotel for a yoga class, I can just watch it on my laptop or upload it to my video iPod. I'm so darn hip.

And, yes, Jana is FABulous! Luminous and lithe, I give Jana Webb a 5-star rating and her Intermediate Yoga a 4 our of 5 stars.

*****