Woman practicing yoga at home standing on a mat on her living room floor while watching and participating in a class
Yoga offers countless benefits to your physical and mental health but attending in-person classes isn’t always possible – so finding high-quality online yoga classes can really help. Sometimes life gets busy and rushing to class can feel stressful, which negates the point of yoga. For those new to yoga, learning the techniques in a group setting can be intimidating. Thankfully, there’s a wide variety of online classes, making it much easier to find something that works for you and your lifestyle.
What are the benefits of online yoga classes?
- You’ll stay consistent.When you can roll out your mat and just click play, fitting yoga into your life becomes much easier, according to Carleen Shankle, a yoga instructor who teaches classes on Zoom at Heal Haus. The benefits of yoga – from increased flexibility to reduced stress – really take off when you develop a consistent routine. With online yoga, “students can take as many classes as they want, and at times that work for them,” says Shankle.
- It’s less expensive. If you want to take multiple classes a week, paying $100-$200 a month for in-person classes may put a strain on your budget. Online yoga can save you money, says Kira Sloane, from Yoga Anytime. For online services, you can get unlimited classes for as low as $10 a month.
- Finding a good instructor is easier.Because there is such an array of yoga offerings on the internet, you get to see the diversity of instructors that are available with different areas of expertise. Once you find your favorite yogis, there’s a good chance you’ll want to stick with the practice.
- You can have a friend join.Some online yoga sites allow you to stream classes with a buddy. So, if you want someone to show up with you for accountability, many sites make it easy no matter where they are.
- You can be yourself. Whether you feel intimidated by in-person classes, haven’t found a welcoming community, or simply just want to be alone, online classes can help create a safe space to practice without fear of judgment, says Shankle. You can also wear whatever you find most comfortable.
Ready to give online yoga a try? The following are some exceptional classes, tested by professionals.
Yoga Anytime: Best for themed classes
This company has thousands of yoga classes of various styles and levels, grouped by themes (or “shows”). If you’re looking to stay more consistent, the season/episode format may motivate you to follow a program that builds on itself. The company offers a 30-day yoga challenge, a six-week beginner yoga course, and many more. Yoga Anytime is $18 per month.
Gaia: Best for delving into yogic philosophy
The Gaia Channel is known for presenting well-known teachers, researchers, and lecturers from around the globe. When you subscribe to Gaia, you’re not just getting on-demand yoga classes, you’re getting access to various video series and documentaries that delve into the theory behind various forms. If you want to blend your practice with study, the Gaia Channel starts at $11.99 a month.
Heal Haus: Best for live Zoom online community
This Brooklyn-based studio offers live online yoga classes, meditations, sound healing sessions, and workshops for $30 per month. Heal Haus is a unique, vibrant community, with teachers that are great at welcoming beginners and guiding students to find postures that fit their bodies. You can take their open-level vinyasa classes, which tend to be more active and challenging movement-wise, or wind things down with restorative or yin yoga. To further relieve stress, you can try one of their meditation sessions, which are often lined up right after yoga classes.
The Underbelly: Best for cultivating self-acceptance
Jessamyn Stanley is the author of Every Body Yoga and co-founder of Underbelly, an app with classes that focus on “Air” (connecting breath to movement), “Earth” (grounding through postures), or “Fire” (creating heat through flows). This breakdown is great for someone new to yoga or who just wants a deeper understanding of what it can do for your health. Cost: $9.99 a month.
GLO: Best for variety of recorded and live classes
Glo has thousands of videos to choose from, including 16 styles of yoga, like beginner vinyasa, prenatal, and kundalini. A friend can also join you during partner classes. Glo also has an extensive live schedule. Members pay $18 a month.
Daily Burn: Best for personalizing your practice
If you like to try things before you fully commit, Daily Burn offers 30 days free before you pay $10/month. There are 30 different categories to choose from, or you can personalize your practice by answering a questionnaire that helps you find classes that fit your needs and time availability.
DoYogaWithMe: Best for learning advanced poses
DoYogaWithMe is great for more experienced yogis looking to master challenging poses. It has a section called “Peak Poses” that feature instructors guiding you on how to improve various poses and offers a variety of classes, from beginner to advanced. DoYogaWithMe offers a free 2-month trial; it then costs $10/month.
YogaWorks At Home: Best for a large offering of live streams
YogaWorks At Home has on-demand, pre-recorded yoga classes, but also offers 30+ live classes per day – for those who enjoy the pace, concentration and commitment of “being present” for 10-60 minutes at a time. The live option price is $49 a month, but you can also choose their on-demand-only videos for $19 per month.
Yoga International: Best for diversity of teachers
Yoga International features over 500 teachers of different shapes, sizes, ages, and cultural backgrounds. The teachers are diverse in their areas of expertise, too. You’ll find yoga therapy, athlete recovery, Yoga Tune Up, and more. For $20 a month, you gain access to courses, podcasts, partner classes, and other content.
Source: Prevention
