Best Online Yoga Classes

One of the best things that has come out of the pandemic is the free online yoga classes. It’s been nearly two years since the COVID 19 pandemic began in March of 2020, and the entire world has suffered enough trauma for a lifetime. Regardless of what your experience over the past two years looked like, it’s highly likely that you benefited from yoga, mindfulness, or meditation. Whether you got on YouTube and practiced with Adriene Mishler of Yoga with Adriene, registered for online yoga teacher training with Michelle Young of My Vinyasa Practice, or connected with your chakras with Brett Larkin hopefully you were able to connect to inner peace. 

The pandemic caused a lot of upheaval in our lives, but it also helped many of us come back to our values and prioritize what was most important. At the height of the pandemic, most people who had an established Yoga practice were connecting with their teachers on Zoom in pre-recorded or live sessions, and some intend to stay online indefinitely. The studios that pivoted are now in their second year of building online communities, and it’s beginning to pay off.

Whether you’re looking for a strong yoga flow, a full 60 minute yoga flow, an end of the day yoga sequence, or a quick 15 minute yoga flow you can find anything online. There are some major players in the online yoga industry that are committed to providing students with accessible yoga content for free or at affordable rates, and they are revolutionizing the industry. 

YouTube channels like Yoga with Adriene provide free yoga classes to practitioners in an accessible format. Yoga practitioners can access content directly from YouTube or they can join a free app to access both free and paid content. Many yoga brands have mobile apps that allow students to take their favorite yogis with them wherever they go. 

Some practitioners want to buy into a course or certification program. There are many companies that offer online courses and online YTTs and Yoga Therapy Certifications. My Vinyasa Practice is one of the most affordable online yoga school providers on the market. Michelle Young, My Vinyasa Practice’s founder and lead trainer, believes in accessibility and affordability. They offer a 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training program accredited through Yoga Alliance along with a Hatha Yoga Teacher Training program and a Tantra Yoga Teacher Training Program. Michelle has a Master’s in Curriculum Development and is passionate about sharing ancient wisdom teachings with practitioners. She finds that most of My Vinyasa Practice’s students are looking to deepen their practice, not necessarily teach yoga. 

Many yoga blogs and affiliate sites are also doing a great job of educating consumers about the history and lineage of yoga. These sites provide free yoga classes and practices to practitioners, in addition, to regularly updated yoga blogs. These sources help to provide consumers with multiple avenues to explore the many paths and benefits of yoga. 

There are apps that are specifically designed to help practitioners tap into yogic teachings. These include My Yoga Download, My Yoga Minute, My Vinyasa Practice, Find What Feels Good, ALO, and many more. These apps help students to carve out time for their practice which helps them to destress and stay in practice. 

The best online yoga classes can be found on apps, websites, and other platforms that provide free content to consumers, value accessibility, and provide a wide variety of options. Look for online yoga classes that are offered frequently, that are taught by a diverse group of yoga teachers, and feel authentic to you. If you’re watching pre-recorded content, look for platforms and apps that produce quality content. If you’re practicing on a live app try to find an app that allows you to connect to the teachers on some level. We don’t want to lose the human element by taking our practice online. 

Look for diversity in offerings, theming, and style. Even a vinyasa studio benefits from hosting gentle and restorative yoga classes. Look for online yoga classes that provide options so that you can really listen to your body rather than putting your body through a willed practice each day. Both Yoga with Adrienne and My Vinyasa Practice have excellent YouTube channels that offer free videos of all lengths, styles, and levels. Both channels have a wide range of online asana, pranayama, and meditation practices, and both bring in dharma talks as an opportunity to deepen your practice. 

Although there are many things that came out of the pandemic that was less than desirable, our connection to our practice and commitment to mindfulness seemed to be a bright spot. There are a lot of wonderful online yoga offerings in the market today. To find the best online yoga classes for your situation you’ll want to try many different platforms and evaluate which works best for you.