"The morning is a precious time," says the narrator of A.M. Yoga for Beginners. "Just as the sun rises and falls, so do our natural rhythms. The morning is perfect time to open our bodies and center our minds." This 20-minute yoga practice with supple instructor Rodney Yee is the perfect way to start your day by energizing your body and calming your mind. Filmed on the beach at Maui at sunrise, the video starts with a 4-minute Conscious Relaxation focusing on breathing, then glides into a 14-minute series of yoga poses that are simultaneously relaxing and energizing. It ends with a 2-minute seated Guided Meditation to center your body and mind. Yee's instruction is detailed and gentle. The video is beautifully filmed: you watch the waves roll in as Yee demonstrates yoga poses on a sandy beach. The yoga practice awakens and stretches your muscles gently, leaving you balanced and focused. "Yoga is the foundation of my day," says Yee. "A few minutes in the morning will help give meaning to your day."

Anyone wanting to get in shape like the stars need go no further than Bryan Kest's home-video workouts. Kest teaches wildly popular yoga classes in Santa Monica, California--so popular that stars like Rhea Perlman, David Duchovny, and Elisabeth Shue willingly sweat alongside the hoi polloi in Kest's packed, ancient loft studio. If you don't happen to be in the neighborhood, not to worry: Kest's yoga videos are nearly as good as being there. Volume 1, Energize, is a beginner-level class that nonetheless is smartly designed to provide challenges for all levels of users. Kest's Jersey-boy voice at first seems in contrast to the serene environment and inner-peace objectives, but it gradually becomes soothing and hypnotic in its own right. Stretches and strengthening moves are alternated with just enough repose to keep even first timers on track. After mastering Vol. 1, practitioners can go on to Volume 2, Tone, in which Kest turns up the intensity, holding a variety of twisting poses for long stretches of time. It's OK to take it easy, rest, or modify the routines to your ability, which is part of the reason the tape is so useful. You won't be turned off as a beginner-to-intermediate practitioner, but there's plenty of room to challenge yourself as an advanced athlete, too.

Volume 3, Sweat, is a slightly shorter version of the challenging class Kest teaches in person. There are still all the gentle, firm admonitions to listen to your body, not to feel competitive with anyone else in how you do the pose (and as long as you heed them, you'll do fine). But Kest combines the classic warm-ups and longer-hold poses with a rapid succession of sun salutes, which will be gratifying to the advanced yoga student, but may make a first timer feel as though he dropped in to a Rockettes rehearsal by mistake. But if you keep at it, the workout is very easy to follow, and Kest's gentle, gruff voice is so soothing you find yourself relaxing even as you're pushing your body to its limits. As long as you keep in mind his personal mantra--"If you're doing the best you can, you're doing this class perfectly"--you and Kest should have many satisfying years of workouts together.

The best thing about this prenatal yoga program is that there is a model for each trimester. Instructor Shiva Rea demonstrates each of the stretches and exercises for the first trimester, and two pregnant women show modifications for the second and third trimesters (they're even dressed in different colors for easy reference). This removes the self-doubt home-exercisers often have about the safety of certain moves--especially in that cumbersome final stage of pregnancy. Using gentle voice-over instruction, Rea and her assistants take viewers through a half hour of meditational stretches using blocks and chairs for support. She follows that up with 16 minutes of floor work: lunge pose, bridge pose, child's pose, plank pose--all with the necessary adjustments. She winds things up with a four-minute guided relaxation on her back--the traditional position--with the second-trimester woman on her side and the third on her side with one leg up on a chair. By including the different adaptations, Rea has made a program with the flexibility to carry an expectant mom through her entire pregnancy--and beyond, if she wishes.

Power yoga "demands your attention," says instructor Rodney Yee. He leads a challenging, constantly progressing series of poses, one flowing into the next, integrating breath, movement, tension, and relaxation. The poses include Sun Salutation, standing poses, forward bends, back bends, twists, and arm balances. The first poses are fairly easy, and with each repetition of the series, Yee adds on more difficult movements, extending the series without pausing. You're encouraged to do as much of the series that fits your level, up to the entire 65-minute workout if you're an experienced yoga practitioner. Although you can begin at any level, some familiarity with yoga is recommended. The Hawaiian setting is gorgeous and inspiring. This is an excellent yoga workout that you can grow with, adding on more as you get stronger.

Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond is quickly becoming one of Ravi and Ana's most popular titles. This effective daily maintenance workout features two 25 minute sets which can be done individually or together. Set one, Rise & Spine, will help you maintain a healthy back and raise your energy high! Set two features the 'Five Tibetans,' exercises to keep you supple, youthful and vital for life! Also included: breath primer, meditation, deep relaxation, and a great soundtrack by Tom Carden. Discover why Ravi & Ana's client lists includes Madonna, Donna Karan, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the Red Hot Chile Peppers. This conveniently chaptered DVD has everything you need to give your life a total boost!

Yoga isn't just for people who are already supple--it's a way to become more flexible. Yoga for Inflexible People presents modifications and props to make traditional poses accessible to people who could not otherwise perform them comfortably or correctly. You get more than 35 workouts and about four hours of instruction and practice in all. Choose a general workout, focus on an area of the body (shoulders, legs, hips, and back), or select a peaceful or energizing workout. Within each category, you have a choice of several different 15- to 75-minute series (some seated), much more variety than most videos offer. Some of the poses are beginning level; others are not. Leader Judi Rice demonstrates well, instructing by voice-over, though her expressionless face lacks warmth and personality. You'll need a yoga mat, blocks (or large books), a long strap or belt, a chair, and blankets.

Title notwithstanding, Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss isn't likely to promote weight loss any more than lots of other videos will. But that's not a knock--it merely reflects the fact that anyone who practices yoga regularly and conscientiously can both shave off some extra pounds and significantly reshape his or her body. With four different instructors simultaneously demonstrating a single program, each providing different modifications of the same poses, Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss delivers a thorough, well-organized practice that can be undertaken by users at all levels of experience, fitness, and flexibility. After a gradual warm-up sequence, Suzanne Deason and her fellow instructors lead you through a series of standing asanas, back and forward bends, twists, and so on, with the proper technique and function of each pose explained clearly and concisely. The result is a workout that's challenging but not overwhelming and that should stand up to plenty of repeated use. All in all, another good offering from Living Arts.

Ravi and Ana's Kundalini Yoga DVD's are an all-in-one yoga system. They are designed to bring balance to your mind, health, and emotions, and imbue your life with inspiration and fearlessness.

A flexible body is a youthful body. In some cultures age is not measured chronologically, but by the flexibility of ones spine.Flexibility enhances the energy flow in the body. When energy flows our life flows. For instance, when we free up our hips, we free up our possibilities and we can move forward in life, towards fulfillment. This DVD begins with a warm-up followed by an invigorating all encompassing workout, deep healing relaxation and a moving meditation to leave you blissful. Features superb production values and an inspiring musical soundtrack including a mantra meditation sung by the renowned recording artist, Wah!

A workout that balances both the body and the mind can be found in the Basic Yoga Workout for Dummies. Fundamental postures are explained and demonstrated slowly with an emphasis on breathing and motion. Sara Ivanhoe teaches 12 basic poses that are termed the "daily dozen" and offers challenges and modifications to each of these moves. Ivanhoe presents these concepts in an approachable and calming manner that adds to the overall relaxed feeling that this session exudes. Newcomers to the practice of yoga will learn jargon, essential postures, and focusing techniques. Experienced participants may find some information redundant, but Ivanhoe offers such thorough explanations about each posture that you can't help but expand your existing knowledge of yoga. As the mountain pose, standing forward bend, and downward facing dog are explained (not to mention the nine other poses within the "daily dozen"), proper body alignment becomes the focus. Meticulous attention is given to the connection between breathing and body movement with several reminders to keep the spine in "neutral alignment." This session ranks great for safety and content and makes yoga accessible to anyone who "always wanted to, but never did." This is a substantial program that can introduce the basics and build your understanding of yoga.

The connection and interdependence between yoga and belly dance are explored in Tribal Fusion, a reasonably comprehensive and intense program drawing on both disciplines and demonstrated by the remarkable Rachel Brice. Practices of three different lengths (15, 30, and about 40 minutes) are offered; elements in the shorter practices are repeated and expanded on in the longer ones. The yoga portions include some basic sun salutations, lunges, backbends (specifically the locust pose), and such; the more extensive belly dancing exercises and undulations focus on the hips, the chest, and shoulders. Brice's instructions are efficient, if sometimes a bit on the brisk side (it's one thing to exhort students to practice ujjayi pranayama, the deep, audible nostril breathing style used in yoga; it's quite another to do so without even saying what it is, let alone showing how it's done). Whether or not any of the female users for which this DVD is intended will be able to replicate Brice's belly dancing moves is open to question, as her technique and amazingly toned body make things look easy when, in fact, mere mortals may find them baffling, to say the least. Moreover, although Carolena Nericcio, one of Brice's mentors and the "hostess" of this program, stresses that "the main attraction (of belly dancing) is delight," Brice doesn't seem to be having much fun, never so much as cracking a smile. Little matter. When you're this good, there's no need to kid around.

Help your kids feel healthy, strong and confident, while having fun!

Our award winning Yoga To Go for Kids DVD offers a fun and safe yoga program that kids can do alone or with their families and friends. Kids are actively engaged in this exxciting yoga program, using their imaginations to learn simple yoga poses, while learning about the benefits of those poses for their bodies and minds.

A parent and teacher tips section provides not only general tips about doing yoga with kids, but also teaches adults how to help kids move in a way that will help prevent injury during any type of physical activity.

Yoga To Go for Kids helps kids: -- safely become stronger and more flexible -- improve coordination and posture -- improve concentration and focus -- learn to listen to and take care of their bodies -- express their creativity and imagination -- improve self confidence (in yoga everyone wins) -- use breath to relax or calm down.

Clean white sand and a cool predawn sky are the backdrops for this stunningly produced video, complete with an upbeat New Age soundtrack. Don't be put off by the MTV-like camera work, as this video constitutes an excellent, well-balanced workout. Ali MacGraw and a supporting cast of something-for-everyone models work through this 50-minute routine, overseen by yoga master Erich Schiffman. The first minutes focus on ujjayi breathing, then MacGraw leads us through a complete practice of shoulder stretches, sun salutations, back bends and twists, and standing poses. No equipment is required, but a sticky mat is recommended. Unlike other videos targeted for beginners, Yoga Mind & Body does not offer modifications for difficult poses and so is best suited for practitioners with some previous experience.

Filmed in Jamaica, Yoga Zone: Evening Stress Relief offers lovely scenery and intensive relaxation for anyone who needs to unwind at the end of the day. This workout is divided into two 20-minute practices that can be done together or separately. The first of these two sessions starts slowly by introducing breathing techniques and yoga terminology. A series of limbering stretches are taught to increase flexibility and allow optimum extension into postures. Cueing is great here, as participants are frequently reminded to breathe in and exhale with each movement. Poses that strengthen the abdominal muscles and a sequence of back bends are performed with modifications offered throughout these postures. Meditation closes out the first session with attention to eliminating tension and increasing breathing capacity. The second set is staged on a sandy beach with greater attention to body alignment and active limbs. The major muscles of the legs and arms are trained through downward facing dog and deep lunges. Postures that lengthen the abdominal wall (like the cobra) are performed as the perfect complement to the preceding abdominal work (in the first session). Breathing is also imperative here. Participants are reminded that each exhale has the ability to move one deeper into a pose (participants are also encouraged not to force their flexibility limits). This fine workout program is ideal for beginners and intermediates who are looking to reduce tension and become more limber.

Instructor Peggy Cappy's More Yoga for the Rest of Us takes up where the first volume (released in 2002) left off, with a gentle, easy-to-follow series of yoga poses recommended for novices, those who are older and less active, or anyone dealing with injuries or recovering from illness. Unlike so many yoga video programs, which emphasize the athletic aspects of the practice (certainly a part of yoga, but hardly the most important part) and feature beautiful young people with perfect bodies, Cappy takes a "do what you can do" approach, stressing yoga's noncompetitive side and suggesting simply that the more often you try it, the better you're likely to feel; there's no New Age music, no exotic locations or groovy outfits, and the students who demonstrate the poses with her include a couple of senior citizens. The practice itself consists of a series of floor poses (including hamstring and hip openers, twists, and the bridge, a mild backbend), followed by standing stretches, forward bends, the crucial downward-facing dog asana, a couple of reasonably challenging balancing poses like eagle and dancer's, and a lengthy final relaxation. Cappy's instruction is good (although she falls a bit short when it comes to explaining specifically how to use the breath), multiple variations are demonstrated (including many using a chair, which makes them considerably easier), and many poses are repeated. The 20-minute infomercial at the end is basically extraneous, as the virtues of More Yoga for the Rest of Us speak for themselves.

Vinyasa Flow takes dynamic yoga to a deeper level by integrating rhythmic breathing with conscious movement. As in all physical yoga, you will increase strength and flexibility - and by uniting body and breath, you'll learn to move from moment to moment with absolute awareness. The practice becomes a meditation in action, and can open you to experience the power of Spirit, the connection between us all. Seane Corn's passionate interpretation of this ancient, flowing style of yoga has made her one of the Nation's most sought-after instructors. In her first-ever session on home DVD, you'll experience a stunningly intimate program that will leave you feeling you've just left a one-on-one yoga lesson - with one of the most compelling and inspiring teachers of our time. For anyone who wants more from yoga than its physical rewards, this is a practice to strengthen the power of your mind and heart as much as your body - yoga to validate and celebrate the human experience and reconnect you to your personal sense of Spirit. This Deluxe DVD Edition includes unprecedented instruction & practice options: Instructional Session: Through informative, unscripted live-audio instruction, Seane guides a complete flow practice - with an emphasis on precise alignment - including modified Sun Salutations, standing poses, backbends, twists, meditation and relaxation as well as instruction in Vinyasa breathing technique. 1 hour 12 minutes. Breath Session: The full practice without verbal instruction, demonstrated at a real-time pace driven by the breath and by the soulful music of Suzanne Sterling. This unique distraction-free template for movement and breath offers the ultimate experience of the powerful, meditative grace of Vinyasa Flow yoga. 1 hour. BONUS Interview: A riveting and candid conversation with Seane, - a glimpse into the personal journey, reflections and beliefs of a woman known for her refreshingly honest take on yoga, spirituality and life. 10 minutes.