A growing number of people are now using technology more and more for the purposes of getting a handle on any new exercise regime or any other endeavour in their life. But one of the – suddenly quite basic – more accessible forms of technology, and one that is not even considered by a lot of people, is the good old video tape – or, to be more accurate these days, the DVD. There are several yoga DVDs on the market now, and for a beginner they may well be an attractive option. After all, not everyone wants to learn in a class, where there is the fear of doing something new in front of a group of total strangers.

As not everyone can afford to pay for a yoga instructor to come to their home and take them through the basics, a DVD is a good idea as a compromise. It may not be as in-depth nor as explanatory as a class, but it can be a step prior to going to classes. The thing to really ask, however, is whether a DVD is really going to be good value when you buy it. How do you know that this DVD is going to teach you anything at all?

Well, before purchasing a DVD – or anything for that matter – it is very difficult to have an absolute guarantee that it will work. However, the most important thing to remember is that some yoga DVDs will be very helpful to a beginner, while others will not. It may sound like an obvious statement, but the fact is that while there are instructors making yoga DVDs which help the novice yogi grasp the basics and even more advanced poses, there are some – occasionally those fronted by celebrities – which are little more than glorified music videos. These, naturally, are the ones to avoid.

How do we know which ones are hype and which ones are helpful, then? Well, it is useful to read through online reviews of a few different yoga DVDs and get an idea for what people who know their stuff are saying. A few reviews from sites like Amazon may not cover it totally – sites are prone to “astroturfing”, where production companies encourage individuals to post positive comments to create an inaccurate impression of customer satisfaction. If possible, look for reviews on sites run by yoga experts.