With the popularity of yoga and all of the DVDs and CDs on the market it can seem overwhelming when it comes to choosing a good one. If you're looking for a very straightforward yet challenging Hatha Yoga practice to use at home when you can't make it to a scheduled class, I recommend Shiva Rea's "Yoga Sanctuary." It's not new; it was released in 2000, but because it is so well-produced, it remains my all-time favorite yoga-at-home routine. Shiva Rea, a kind of 'rock star' in the world of yoga, is a leading teacher of transformational Prana Flow Yoga and Yoga Trance Dance. In "Yoga Sanctuary," she divides the practice into two parts, Solar Practice and Lunar Practice, Solar being the more active, flowing part, and Lunar, the slower part with a greater emphasis on stretching, breathing and meditation. Shiva has an incredibly soothing and confident voice, and her sense of timing and cueing are outstanding.  Some instructors, particularly in Ashtanga or Power yoga, tend to lead the flow of postures too swiftly making it difficult to follow the class and get the most out of the practice. But in "Yoga Sanctuary," Shiva Rea gives adequate time between poses so that her instructions are easy to follow, and each sequence really feels like you're flowing from one pose to the next at a natural, non-rushed pace.

The 2-CD set (which I think you can also download from some sites such as Soundstrue and iTunes), includes a beautiful poster with Shiva demonstrating the poses. I don't think the poster is available through downloads. Don't be dismayed by the fact that she appears to twist like a pretzel. Although the sequences are challenging, Shiva constantly offers modifications for everything, so even someone with little flexibility or the tightest hips can glean something from the practice. Also, there are suggestions for mixing up the tracks to create the routine that will help you best fit your schedule and your needs. As a writer, I tend to have problematic wrists. Doing handstands and other balance poses on my arms is a risky venture, so I usually skip the "Balance Poses" sequence in the Solar Practice section. And because I sit a lot, I find that the "Hip Openers" track on the Lunar Practice CD is very helpful.