So last night as I was falling to sleep I realized I was coming to hate doing all the DVDs I've been doing. I feel like I'm stuck in an rut and I want to change it up. I remembered trying yoga in gym class once and it wasn't all that bad. It would certainly be a good change. I've heard that yoga is both a cardio and muscle workout, is that true? And I like DVDs, so if someone could suggest some. I know that the BL and JM DVDs aren't necessarily the 'full' yoga experience but are they worth buying?

I for one LOVE Jillian's yoga meltdown! It doesn't have the traditional type yoga but she adds her own spin. I think it works for me anyway. Also I have the Biggest Loser one - it's a lot harder than any other yoga I have ever done. lol I have looked for other yoga DVDs but so far not much luck.

I love Yoga Meltdown too! I was a little hesitant to buy it because I wasn't sure how Jillian's personality would translate to yoga, but I was very pleased with how it was put together.
It's definitely not your traditional yoga, but it's a great workout and I'm really enjoying it.

Hm, may I ask how exactly does it like play out? Like what types of moves are involved? That sounds weird but I just want to know before buying it.

Well, the basic premise is doing repetitions of power poses and then holding the pose for 15 seconds. I've only done the level one workout so far (level 2 has more balance challenges). The workout is done circuit style.

One of the first moves is moving in and out of crescent pose--you rise up and lower down into the pose (arms too) to get the heart rate up and then hold for 15 seconds. The next move is a variation on camel where the repetitions are done with your arms extended in front of you and then you alternate each hand reaching back to touch your heal/ankle before holding in camel. That's one circuit--done twice to get both sides.

I think there are 4 circuits in Level 1--other moves include leg extensions coming out of down dog, chatteronga (sp?) push-ups (tricep pushups), sun salutations, moving in and out of Warrior 2 and Warrior 3, side planks, and dolphin pose (which I cannot for the life of me get).

I can't remember the moves in Level 2 since I've only previewed it.

It's a pretty intense little workout, but totally doable. And for the price, it's excellent.

That sounds pretty cool, actually. I think I'll try and find that DVD. Thanks for the help =].

You're welcome! I got mine off of Amazon for 9 bucks, which is pretty good (I think). Good luck!

I'm interested in yoga too. I kind of want a hippy yoga dvd though, with ommmm music and all that good stuff lol.

Yoga is more for relaxation and flexibility, but if you do the vinyasa (sp?) type of yoga it's a cardio and muscle workout. JM's are probably very cardio-ish. She could seriously turn a trip to the toilet into cardio somehow.

I like Rodney Yee's DVDs: http://www.yeeyoga.com/

Unfortunately, I've never done JM's yoga dvds, so I don't know how they compare.

I do yoga on my wiifit. It is a good way to learn the poses.

You'd probably like Shiva Rea, she's vinyasa with the hippy dippy stuff thrown in.

I've been doing yoga at my local studio the past 4 months. My arms are so toned, I remember looking down one day and thinking "wow, there's definition there!" and then I bumped into my quadricep which had popped out.

My yoga classes aren't all about relaxation and flexibility, although there is that. My teachers focus on alignment (Iyengar style) so there is a lot of strength involved, and we're doing head stands, back bends, etc. in class which build a ton of strength. I couldn't do some of the poses in the beginning, but with regular practice I can do so much more now.

Jillian Michaels isn't a yoga teacher, so while her workouts may incorporate some yoga poses, they aren't yoga (which may not matter if you are just looking for a workout.)

I love Rodney Yee... I have his Yoga Burn, awesome workout and he ain't bad eye candy either

Lmao! That made me laugh so hard.
Thank you for all the suggestions, as well. I think for the time being I'll stick to JM but eventually I would like the full on yoga 'ommm' experience.

Rodney Yee is the absolute best! I probably own 50 yoga dvds, kept trying to find someone who knew what they were doing, did true hatha yoga and not power yoga, was motivating to continue every day and improve each posture, and you could stand to listen to everyday. His voice is very low-key, very instructive, very soothing, he is the real deal. The A.M. yoga dvd is great for getting started - about 20 minutes a day, different routines for 5 days of the week.