hey
i'm at my one year mark and i LOVE yoga. yoga definitely, pilates as a good mix to build up the muscles to hold the poses better.
walmart has this:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...3A4134%3A49038
The mat is perfect for me, not too long, not too short, not too thick or thin for most moves. You may like a thicker mat, check out bed/bath and beyond or similar for a mat.
As for flexibility, when i started last year, i could barely touch my toes, now i can put my palms flat on the ground with straight legs and can do the classic cheerleader put the foot in your hand and stand up and straighten your leg move, it's pretty cool
as for your shape/weight...I lost a good bit of fat and picked up some muscle tone in the back/shoulders, so it's not too hard to start/do and you build up rather quickly since most of the resistance is frmo your own weight.
Classes are obviously best for proper technique/form. Videotapes are also good. I don't care for the cards bc i've seen too many people screw up some of the forms bc you can't see the movement into and out of the positions.
and yeah, no matter what your shape is, with time, you'll improve like crazy.
as for time, my sessions last between 30 and 60 minutes, depends on the day and my level.
space, yeah, about 6 ft by 4 ft, enough to stretch out on. not much space at all.
as for how easy to learn..kinda like tetris..easy to learn, but difficult to master
Also, if you have back pain, this is WONDERFUL for it. Just never go farther than where it hurts.
One thing, though. once you start, it's incredibly hard to stop. Like, you get into a routine with it, then skip for a few days, and you'll be sore those days. it's weird, but i notice it the day after i skip a session, mostly in my legs and hips