The 5 Best Online Yoga Classes for Beginners
oga is one of the perfect exercises for nearly anyone. It has a low impact on joints and increases flexibility, tones and strengthens muscles, promotes better breathing patterns, and even improves circulatory health. In addition to the physical benefits, yoga also helps the mind and soul as well as the body, making it a complete workout.
There are many online yoga classes available today, but the best ones we’ve found are:
Read on to decide for yourself if an online yoga class is right for you. The benefits of yoga are endless, and nowadays you do not need to trek down to the yoga studio to get a great workout that improves your body, mind, and soul.
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What Is an Online Yoga Class?
Online yoga classes come in a variety of forms, from streaming videos to live instruction to self-paced options. Unlike having to go to a specific class at a certain time of the day, many online yoga classes allow you to stream the videos at any time so they fit into your busy schedule. There are numerous benefits to taking online yoga classes:
- Improves flexibility
- Boosts your core strength
- Enhances your posture
- Cleanses both your body and mind
- Are offered in a variety of levels
When you take an online yoga class, you are basically following a structured routine taught by a professional trainer. These classes offer a mixture of breathing, meditation, and movement and are usually categorized as beginner, intermediate, or advanced and may run anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours.
Yoga is a low-impact activity for nearly anyone and the online trainers are acclimated in guiding you through the series of poses and movements. The only piece of equipment you may need is a yoga mat. There are no additional purchases required except for the class itself.
Online yoga classes usually cost by the class or by a monthly fee and come in a variety of styles, such as Vinyasa, Hatha, Kundalini, Strala, Alo, and Ashtanga. Depending on your busy schedule, you can also choose from online classes, streaming courses, or even self-paced online yoga classes that you can do on your own time and schedule.
What's the Difference Between Streaming and Self-Paced Online Yoga Classes?
A streaming yoga class is a pre-taped yoga class that you can complete at any time. This is different from being “live streamed,” which means you are at the mercy of the instructor’s schedule. A streaming class can be completed any time of the day, and many Websites have thousands of streamed online yoga classes in which to choose.
A self-paced online yoga class is a bit different in that you complete the moves on your own time. They usually give you a recommended amount of hours to take, but the pace is much slower and all of the moves are not done in one complete succession. Instead, you receive the instructions and then complete the moves whenever it fits into your day.
(Interested in live online yoga classes? Check out that article!)
What Is the Best Online Yoga Class?
To some individuals, nothing beats the comrade of taking a yoga class in a hot, damp studio amongst like-minded individuals. However, an online yoga class can be the next best thing when you cannot fit a class into your schedule or do not have a yoga studio near you. That way, you can still do your poses at home, get fit, and clear your mind.
The best online yoga classes can be found with My Vinyasa Practice’s unlimited membership.
When looking for the perfect yoga class, you want a mixture of intense poses, relaxing breathing methods, and an experienced professional trainer. They allow you to access training anytime of the day from anywhere in the world, from the standard studios to beautiful mountain tops. Most of the training ranges anywhere from $20 to $100 a month.
The Best Online Yoga Classes for Beginners
The best online yoga classes will offer a few videos or live-streamed classes for free so that you can try them out to see if the teaching style fits your overall needs. Then, they are usually either a monthly or yearly subscription or a pay per course, depending on the company.
There are many classes of online yoga for beginners, and the 10 classes below are a good mixture of different styles and online platforms in which to choose.
1. Introduction to Yoga by My Vinyasa Yoga Practice
My Vinyasa Practice is a little different from other online yoga sites in that you pay by the class or bundle instead of a monthly or yearly subscription. In addition, the site offers personalized support with mentors and will give you individualized feedback about your progress.
For example, their “Introduction to Yoga” costs $79 and includes beginners to the world of yoga. It is specifically targeted to the individual who has not been able to find time for exercise due to work, children, and other life responsibilities. It is a great way to enter into the world of yoga and offers some of the following:
- 12 basic yoga postures
- Introduction of basic yoga terminology
- Learning how to come in and out of postures safely
- Building confidence and empowering one’s mind
- Calming the mind and strengthening the body
The course includes a comprehensive booklet that contains all the lectures, recordings of the asanas for practice, and even a question-and-answer period about the materials each week. It is perfect for beginners who are interested in learning yoga the correct way.
2. Yoga Therapy for Anxiety by My Vinyasa Practice
One of the main benefits of practicing yoga is to get a better handle and possibly reduce anxiety, which is why this course from My Vinyasa Practice was chosen for this list. “Yoga Therapy for Anxiety” will teach you how to process your anxiety in a more healthy way so that you have the proper tools to reduce your anxiety and stress.
This class is even that much more stress free in that it is self-paced. This means you can start the online course whenever you would like, go through the program at your own pace, and then finish it when you are ready. What makes this class that much more attractive is there is no time limit on when you need to finish – you have a lifetime.
There are nine sessions that range from using yoga for anxiety, dealing with emotions, trauma yoga releasing exercises, and how to regulate your nervous system. These courses are also risk-free because you can get a full refund in the first thirty days if you do not enjoy what the course has to offer. This course costs $75.00 for the training.
3. 200 Hours of Training by Uplifted Yoga
Uplifted yoga is the brainchild of Brett Larkin, also the founder of her YouTube channel, Uplifted Online Yoga Teacher Trainings. Her YouTube channel alone has nearly a half-million subscribing students and is a great place to start for those wanting to enter the yoga world via YouTube.
Once you have tried out Larkin’s YouTube courses, you can learn the basics of Kundalini through her course, Kundalini Demystified. These tutorials are for beginners in that they teach the fundamental poses of Kundalini to make sure you are doing them correctly. She also breaks down the mantras, bandhas, and overall philosophy.
4. 15-Minute Classes by Alo Moves
Alo is not only a designer of chic yoga wear, but also offers a wide selection of online yoga classes from their sister site called Alo Moves. The classes are characterized by difficulty (Beginner, Moderate, Intermediate, Advanced) and intensity (1 through 4). For the ultra-busy individual, their fifteen-minute “Flow15” classes are perfect.
These classes can easily fit yoga into a busy schedule so that you can energize your body and mind, and still go about your day. They are great for all levels, from beginner to advanced, and are a perfect way to start incorporating online yoga classes into your daily routine. The fifteen-minute morning stretch is the perfect way to start your day.
These classes end with connecting your mind and your body to help you relax, focus better, and have more clarity throughout your day. You may not think that fifteen minutes is enough to get your heart rate pumping and see results, but doing these shorter classes consistently will offer numerous improvements, including:
- Mobility
- Body awareness
- Strength
- A clearer mind and focus
You should find the brightly lit studio immediately calming whether you are starting your day with yoga or ending the stresses of work and life with the class. Once you are acclimated with the shorter time frame, you can peruse the other classes Alo Moves has to offer. For example, the next class on the list is perfect for pregnant women.
5. Prenatal Yoga by Alo Moves
Alo Moves is number one when it comes to prenatal yoga options that help parents-to-be deal with each trimester in a relaxing way. The instructor is experienced in safety and the classes are designed by trimester. For example, the “Khalsa Way Prenatal Yoga” is aimed at beginners and has an intensity level of 2.
This class offers breathwork, movement, and mediation to help guide the mom-to-be through every stage of pregnancy. The classes are available in both live form or on-demand and will help the pregnant woman keep her body healthy and strong. The classes are not just for the body, but also perfect for the mind of a pregnant woman.
There are more than 20 styles of these classes available, and Alo Moves’ prenatal courses help alleviate the stresses and emotions that come with the labor of having a baby. You can start with four hours of first-trimester classes before moving on to six classes in the second and third trimester. The classes are around 45-minutes each.
By the third-trimester courses, you should feel confident both mentally and physically for your birthing experience. You can try these Alo Moves online yoga courses for free through its fourteen-day trial and then you can either pay a monthly subscription fee of around $20 or a yearly plan for around $199, which includes hundreds of courses.
Outro
Whether you like a yoga class with a live instructor, online videos you can complete on your own time, or even a self-paced course that works on your busy schedule, you should have no problem finding an online yoga course that is right for you. Whether you want to explore Kundalini teacher training, yoga nidra, or you are wanting to know the difference of hatha yoga vs vinyasa, there is a course for you. From beginner, to intermediate, to advanced, yoga will help keep your body and mind in balance and harmony.
