Buying the best yoga for seniors DVD for your unique body, history and goals is harder than you think.

For starters, the word “seniors” means different things to different people. This is not just a matter of age. Some 80-year-olds that I know are flexible and full of energy. At the same time, I know 50-year-olds that spend 6 hours a day in front of the TV.

I’m not judging, by the way. I’m simply saying that we all start our yoga journey from different places. The trick is finding a yoga program that is a good starting point for you.

Over the last 5 years, my own personal yoga journey has taken me from Switzerland to Bali. I have experienced the highs and lows of starting yoga again after 60. I have also talked to 100s of women in the Sixty and Me community about their yoga experiences.

Now, I’d like to share a few questions that you should ask yourself before choosing a yoga for seniors DVD. I hope that they help you to start your yoga journey.

What Kind of “Senior” Are You?

In some ways, I hate having to talk about “yoga for seniors” DVDs at all. The truth is that most of us in our 60s and 70s don’t consider ourselves “seniors.” We certainly don’t look and feel like the “seniors” we see in movies and on TV.

Perhaps this is the reason that so many “yoga for seniors” DVDs miss the mark. Either they are regular yoga classes with a “yoga for seniors” sticker slapped on the front. Or, they are designed for very elderly adults who have significant mobility issues.

Don’t forget to check out the FREE yoga for seniors video at the beginning of this article. If you would like to order a DVD of the entire series, you can do so here.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what kind of “senior” you are, but, I’ll give you a few recommendations…

If you see a yoga for seniors DVD set with a picture of someone doing Downward-Facing Dog – a forward-facing fold that looks like a pyramid – you’d better be pretty confident, fit or ambitious before giving it a try. In my experience, most of the traditional asanas are something that we need to work up to in our 60s and 70s.

Conversely, if you see people that look 20-30 years older than you sitting in chair with dour faces, you may be looking at a yoga for seniors DVD set that was designed for our grandmothers.

Let’s be clear – yoga should be fun! It shouldn’t be painful, but, it should be stimulating enough to help you reconnect with your body.

Does the Setting Matter to You?

Let’s be honest… getting up every morning to do any kind of physical activity is tough. It’s SO much easier just to roll over and pull the blanket around yourself.

Personally, I need as much motivation as possible to get started with my yoga practice. Yes, the quality of the instructor and the structure of the lessons are of paramount importance. But, I also love to be transported to an inspiring location.

Every time I practice with our Sixty and Me gentle yoga DVDs, which were filmed in beautiful Bali, I am swept away to one of my favorite places on Earth. Even the sound of the jungle birds “feels right.” Maybe these sounds are distracting for some people… but, for me, they enhance my experience and help me to get into my daily yoga routine.

What Kind of Teaching Style Do You Prefer?

Last year, I spent two months in beautiful Bali. While I was there, I attended dozens of yoga classes and they were all different. It’s not just the content that varied; each teacher had his or her own unique style.

Some yoga teachers like to keep their comments to a minimum. They expect their students to know the names of each position and to simply follow along. Other teachers like to give more guidance. Some instructors teach in silence. Others play music, ranging from nature sounds to rock or techno.

In our own video series, we decided to provide quite a bit of instruction. We didn’t assume that our students would know all of the asanas (positions) by heart. As a result, Cat also takes quite a bit of time to describe how you can enhance your experience through better breathing.

This approach isn’t for everyone. A small minority of students have told us that they found out approach “too slow.” That’s ok. Everyone is different and these students could probably benefit from a faster-paced class. The trick is choosing an instructor that works for you.

Which Yoga for Seniors DVD Offers the Best Value?

Notice that I said “value” and not “price.” The truth is that there are hundreds of yoga for seniors DVDs and videos out there. Some offer a relatively short 1 hour introduction to gentle yoga. Others, like our own gentle yoga for seniors DVDs, provide over 5 hours of instruction.

The bottom line is this. If you find a yoga program that you love, it will become a part of your daily routine. Everyone wants to get the best possible prices, but, in my opinion, it is more important to find a program that you can stick with every day. This means that the program should have enough content to keep you interested, while giving you plenty of room to grow.

So, before you snap up the cheapest option, take a look at the amount of content being provided and the reviews of real customers. Sometimes the price is right but the content isn’t. And, nothing is more expensive than a $20 yoga DVD coffee coaster.

At the end of the day, there is no “best yoga for seniors DVD.” There is only the right or wrong program for you, based on your unique body, history and goals. I hope that you found these questions useful as you start (or restart) your yoga journey after 60.

Find Out More About Our Gentle Yoga Videos

Are you a fan of yoga? What advice would you give to the other women in our community who may just be starting their yoga journey? What questions would you add to the ones that I have offered in this article? Please join the conversation.