Need recommendations for fitness equipment: yoga, pilates, stretching?

I want to install a small home gym in a 9.5 x 11.5 room (8' ceiling) on my second floor. The purpose of this is two-fold: I need to lose weight, and I need to regain strength and flexibility.

I was thinking of installing a ballet bar or parallel bars and buying a new or used Total Gym (for pilates).

What do you all think? Anyone have experience with Total Gym? Any recommendations on an alternative piece of equipment?

How much yoga does it take to become a yoga pro?

I've been doing yoga for a while, and I definitly can feel a deference in how I am able to move now. The guys on my yoga tapes are bendy to the extreme though. Any yoga gurus out there, please let me know how many months, years, etc. it takes to have a great range of motion, and a ton of flexibility.