Yoga practice in the western world is perceived as a form of escape from the too material and burdening money-oriented life we live.

Thus, a yoga class can easily turn into an oasis of tranquility and peace, a refuge from the crazy rhythm of the day. People who do not have the time or the possibility to join a yoga group and attend it regularly, have other options to discover the principles of yoga, such as through a yoga DVD course.

There are all sorts of DVDs available on the market addressing the various needs of people: there is yoga for traveling, yoga for beginners, yoga for good health, complete yoga workout, yoga for pregnancy and even yoga for disease curing.

Despite the advantages one cannot ignore the downside of a yoga DVD; to set things clear from the very beginning, the quality of the instructions in a video cannot compete with the superiority of face-to-face instructions.

In direct sessions the trainer can point out and correct what you don't do right in a posture and you can ask questions to understand one aspect or another, whereas a DVD mainly lacks the possibility for direct interaction and the benefit resulting from it. Probably this is also the explanation for the basic knowledge level that can be reached with a yoga DVD; you'll learn about breathing techniques, meditation, relaxation and other sorts of beginner stuff.

It is not unusual to hear about injuries developed by people while using some yoga DVD instructions to practice an asana. Moreover, experts do not recommend this kind of materials because of the risks careless practice poses to one's health. Teachers, yoga interns and trainers are the ones to really take advantage of the information on a yoga DVD.

The superior knowledge level allows them to grasp the info and process it in a more advanced way.

Last but not least, some trainers choose to use a yoga DVD as an education material for parts of their sessions, but the applications as such vary according to the structure of the course and the way the instructor sees fit. Caution and a safe attitude towards the use of yoga DVDs is advisable particularly for people who have less than six months of yoga practice.

Even between six months and a year, you may still experience difficulties to put one technique or another into practice; therefore do not exaggerate, and remember that yoga is about something else.