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I'm trying to get my mom to do some gentle yoga - she has a bad hip and is a little overweight, is this recommended?

She should consult a physiotherapist, osteopath, doctor, anyone who knows the details of her injury/ condition and can provide any exercises that will probably be similar to yoga anyway.

Many yoga teachers are really 'in the know' about how to work with and around injuries as well as how to cater for individual needs, so if your mum gets the green light from a health professional, go yoga!

I agree with Gomukha about seeing a doctor/physio etc. and getting the all clear first. Yoga is great for people who have sore hips/backs whatever...the type of yoga they do though is really important. There are some excellent yoga therapists (who usually work with physios) who could create a program to suit her needs. Also if she's looking for a class with other people she could try a more restorative type of practise (Hatha yoga) - which suits people that are looking for a softer, gentler approach for special needs.

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It was her doctor that recommended her do gentle yoga. The problem is that she doesn't have any yoga classes near her.

Would buyng a DVD on yoga be as good?

If the doctor recommended the gentle yoga, perhaps they could also suggest the types of movements that would be good for your mom.
For example, are there any movements she should be avoiding because it will aggravate the hip? On the other hand are there any movements that are uncomfortable now but worth practicing, to get movement and mobility happening? Minor details are good in the long run. (you don't need to answer these questions here, I'm just suggesting them)

If the doctor suggested gentle yoga in general (meaning that the hip just needs general gentle exercise) a gentle yoga DVD or book with diagrams and instructions might be one way of accessing do-it-yourself information relatively safely. Your local library might have something, which would mean you could try out different things without having to buy straight off.

The ideal situation would be to have a class or teacher nearby but sometimes I forget that we don't all live in yoga central. Is there any tai chi around?