How to start yoga at home | I’m a firm believer in having an at-home yoga routine and have aligned my entire professional career to helping others do the same. The possibility of unlimited online yoga classes for one studio class’s price is enticing, but this is not the only benefit of a home practice. In this article, I want to help you dive deeper into your asana practice by establishing a home yoga practice that suits your needs and goals and answer the question on how to start yoga at home.
How to start yoga at home | I’m a firm believer in having an at-home yoga routine and have aligned my entire professional career to helping others do the same. The possibility of unlimited online yoga classes for one studio class’s price is enticing, but this is not the only benefit of a home practice. In this article, I want to help you dive deeper into your asana practice by establishing a home yoga practice that suits your needs and goals and answer the question on how to start yoga at home.
We have selected six online streaming sites here so you can start right away, you will find more details about them by scrolling down the article.
What Are The Benefits Of In-Home Yoga? 1. It Sets A Calming Atmosphere 2. It Gives You A Way To Reduce Stress From Home 3. It’s Free 4. It Helps Build Discipline 5. It Opens Opportunity For Introspection 6. It Allows You To Explore Your Practice Tips To Start Practicing Yoga At Home 1. Create The Right Environment 2. Find Free Online Yoga Classes 3. Try Beginner Yoga Poses On Your Own 4. Listen To Your Body
Best Yoga Channels For Yoga At Home 1. Nicole Wild – For Intermediate to Advanced Practitioners 2. Faith Hunter – For Relaxing Sequences and Spiritual Exploration 3. Boho Beautiful – For Everyone and Everything 4. Brett Larkin Yoga – For Full Body Stretching 5. Sarah Beth Yoga – For Quick And Targeted Routines 6. Yoga By Biola – For Uplifting and Wholesome Yoga 7. The Journey Junkie – For Chakra Yoga
Having a home yoga practice can seem a little overwhelming like maybe it’s something that only yogi influencers do because they’re already insanely flexible.
But I promise you that anyone can (and should!) have a daily yoga practice right in the comfort of their own homes.
What I’ve noticed is that there are a few common questions that most people have when they first start their home practice so that I will answer those questions first, right here.
What Type Of Yoga Is Best For Beginners?
The first step in building your home practice is getting clear about what kind of yoga style you’d like to practice.
It’s not the *most important thing, but it will help you find the right yoga class online, build your yoga sequence, and suss out which yoga pose to include and which pose to skip.
The best styles of yoga for beginners are:
Restorative yoga-moves slowly and often close to the ground as it focuses more on the healing properties of your asana practice than the Olympic workout you might find at your local yoga studio.
Restorative poses are often held for more extended periods and often rely on props, like a yoga strap, to help facilitate the posture.
This style of yoga helps increase flexibility and reduce stress and is perfect for absolutely everyone.
yin yoga– is a lot like restorative yoga at first glance because it is slow, gentle, and close to the ground.
The difference here is that yin yoga often uses props, like a yoga block, pillow, or strap, to remove any tension or engagement as you hold each yoga pose often for three minutes or so.
This style of yoga combats the yang energy of our daily lives, which reduces stress and increases flexibility.
Gentle yoga– if restorative yoga were a child and vinyasa yoga were the adult, then gentle yoga would be the teenager in between.
Gentle yoga opens up the opportunity for a slow yoga session and incorporates deep breathing, some restorative poses, and a little bit of flow.
It is the perfect beginner yoga style for those who want to build their strength and flexibility gently.
Vinyasa yoga– vinyasa yoga is best known for connecting different yoga postures through a fluid dance-like movement.
A Vinyasa yoga sequence can include anywhere from 10 poses to 30, shortly held poses.
At home or otherwise, most vinyasa yoga classes will likely include a sun salutation sequence paired with deep breathing.
So which yoga style(s) should you ignore if you’re new to yoga at home? Iyengar, which focuses on technique and alignment, or Ashtanga yoga, which is like a never-ending workout.
What Do I Need For Yoga At Home? How to do Yoga in Home
The truth is that you don’t need anything for an at-home yoga practice. I’ve traveled the world without a yoga mat or yoga teacher and kept my daily yoga practice.
But if you’re new to yoga, then that might leave you feeling a little lost!
To get started, I’d recommend having the following for yoga at home:
a non-stick yoga mat
a yoga video to follow
any yoga props that you feel you need, including a yoga block, a yoga strap, and a pillow for meditation
And that’s it. Everything else just helps set the mood for your practice, but more on that in a bit.
Are 15 Minutes Of Yoga A Day Enough?
Yes! Depending on where you are in your yoga journey, 15 minutes may feel like a lot to you, or it may feel like just a quick stretch. It also depends on if you’re doing 15 minutes of basic yoga poses or holding a challenging pose for 15 minutes.
I practice about 15 minutes a day because it makes the practice more approachable to me. If I’m staring down a 60-minute yoga practice that I have no motivation to do, I probably won’t do it.
But if it’s just 15 minutes, it’s easy for me to get on the mat. Plus, if I’m feeling good during my practice, then I can keep going!
Traditionally, ancient yogis spend hours practicing yoga, and 15 minutes would hardly be a drop in the proverbial bucket.
Beginner yogis, though, should just do the amount that they feel most comfortable with. There is no right amount of time for you to practice yoga each day. The best length of time is the amount of time that you can commit to.
Beginner Yoga Poses
A common myth is that if your yoga sequence doesn’t have a challenging pose, then it’s not a good yoga workout.
But who says that yoga needs to be a workout, anyway?
Traditional yogis certainly didn’t, and that’s a relatively modern western obsession that isn’t true to traditional yoga.
Instead, focus on poses that feel good to your body right now. These are some of my favorite yoga poses:
child’s pose
cat/cow pose
downward-facing dog
cobra pose
low lunge pose
mountain pose
seated forward bend
What Are The Benefits Of In-Home Yoga?
I know that many yoga teachers and practitioners alike will say that you can’t truly advance your yoga practice without actually attending yoga classes, and perhaps there is some truth to that. But those benefits pale in comparison to the benefits of establishing your home yoga practice.
It Sets A Calming Atmosphere
When you clear a yoga space for yourself, whether it’s a lovely room dedicated to your practice or just space on the floor where your yoga mat fits, you clear emotional space for yourself.
You’re setting a standard that now is your time to go inward, and here is where you can do it.
Making that clear distinction not only for yourself but also for others in your home is powerful.
It Gives You A Way To Reduce Stress From Home
Self-care is a total buzzword these days that often include marketing gimmicks and commercial spending.
Sometimes, it pushes you out of your home and even out of yourself to find the comfort and care that you need.
Establishing a home yoga practice takes your self-care practice inward, giving you reprieve from your daily stressors right where you already are.
It’s Free
I mean, who doesn’t want to save money these days?
It Helps Build Discipline
There’s a cool thing that happens when you are intrinsically motivated to do something and then actually do it: it makes it even easier to take more actions in the future. What you and I might call ‘discipline,’ psychologists call self-efficacy, and establish a committed practice like this helps build more of it.
And the more that you realize that you can do hard things, the more you’ll try to do hard things.
With the entire world going online and notifications interrupting our streams of thought every minute, there isn’t much room for introspection these days.
By giving yourself the time and space to go inward each day via your yoga practice, you support your mental health and well-being.
It Allows You To Explore Your Practice
Every once in a while, I love jumping into a yoga class at a local yoga studio to explore new sequences, postures, and styles.
Then I take what I’ve learned and incorporated it into my self-practice at home. It helps me explore my own body at a pace that I’m comfortable with and find a routine that works best.
There is no better way to develop a perfectly tailored yoga practice than to do it yourself.
Tips on How to Start Yoga at Home
If you haven’t practiced yoga much in the past, then you’re in for a treat. Once you realize how fun and rewarding it is, I suspect you’ll opt for more at-home yoga sessions than those in the studio.
But how can we make sure that our home yoga practice is here to stay for good?
By making it something, you want to return to again and again. Here are four tips for building an at-home yoga practice that will stick around for years to come.
Space, where you practice yoga, can have a considerable impact on the kind of experience you have, and this is true for basically everything you do.
So try to make your practice space one that matches the mood and intention that you’d like to put on your practice.
For me, that means that I either practice outdoors or in front of a huge window that lets in a lot of sunlight.
I like to have incense and candles burning not only because it looks and smells nice but also because of what they represent.
In the yogic tradition, these elements purify the space and work like offerings, connecting you as your Earth form to your energetic self.
I also like to practice when I am home alone so that there are no distractions or people around my sacred space and time.
If this isn’t possible for you, have a conversation with the people you live with to let them know that your sacred space is essential to you, and therefore not to be entered when you’re practicing yoga.
If this feels like too much of a task for you, set your space for how you’d like it to be.
Bring in fresh flowers, a fan, your favorite music on, or anything that will put a big smile on your face when you come to your yoga mat.
Find Free Online Yoga Classes
Following online instruction can be super helpful in guiding your practice. While this is not necessary for your practice, it certainly helps to get fresh ideas, perspectives, and cues on something that you know and love so well.
I suggest watching a few of the recommended YouTube yoga channels listed below in the next section to find some inspiring yoga instructors.
Even if you don’t choose to watch a video every day, it’s nice to know that some free online yoga classes are ready and available for you whenever you need them.
Try Beginner Yoga Poses On Your Own
If you’re new to yoga, it can be intimidating to try to keep up with the rest of the students in the yoga class at your local yoga studio.
Sometimes this can limit your learning and put you at risk for injury.
So when you bring your yoga practice home, you allow yourself to explore yoga postures that you wouldn’t otherwise have the time and space to explore.
If you’re new to yoga, start with all of the basic yoga poses in the Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) sequence.
Perfect the alignment and aim to be able to hold each posture for longer than the session before.
If you’re an experienced practitioner, this is an excellent opportunity to nail the dancer’s pose or king pigeon pose finally. It’s also a great time to increase your flexibility in a super customized way that is perfect for your body and goals.
Listen To Your Body
I know that I just said to take the opportunity to explore yoga poses and flexibility while on your own, but be careful to listen to your body.
If something hurts, stop doing it.
If you feel any stinging or pinching, slowly come out of the posture.
If your body feels weak, then shorten your practice time.
Best Online Streaming Platforms For Yoga
If you’re looking for a committed practice with your favorite teachers just like a yoga studio can offer you without battling the yoga studio crowd, then I highly suggest subscribing to an online streaming platform.
Some of the most popular yoga teachers in the entire world can be found on these platforms. Also, there are so many options for various styles and levels!
If you want a branded experience that you can access right from home, then this is a great option for you. Bryan Kest, the owner of Power Yoga, has curated a massive library of online yoga classes that are very on-brand with Power Yoga.
There are even free yoga videos for non-members so that you can try it out before signing up for the free trial.
youaligned arranges its sessions in terms of duration, difficulty, instructor or category. As well as traditional yoga lineages like Ashtanga and Vinyasa, this platform has training for fitness and many kinds of yoga styles to learn. Also, there are free classes for all levels of difficulty.
One of the most interesting things about YA is that they have a sustainable initiative in which they plant a food-producing tree for every class you take. At the moment that this is being written, around 55,800 trees have already been planted. Finally, they also offer many interesting articles for their yogi community and the option to join their newsletter.
Trial: 14 Days Free. Monthly fee: $14/month. Annual fee: $120/yearly ($10/month). IG: @Yaclasses Trees Planted: Trees Planted: 250,000k and counting!? WEB: youaligned/classes
Yoga Download is like the Spotify of yoga videos, where a subscription allows you to save your favorites to your device even when you’re offline. There are two monthly fee options, with the $18/month fee providing you with unlimited downloads per month.
If you don’t want to pay for a membership, then you can view their classes online for free.
This is the perfect kind of yoga membership for travelers or people who want to take their yoga class with them wherever they go.
Yoga International is like an online library of videos on any topic related to yoga. So you can find virtually any yoga style for any skilly level on there, as well as videos about the chakras, human anatomy, or yoga philosophy.
Trial: Limited time special offer of 30-Day Free Trial. Usually, 14-Day Free Trial. Monthly Fee: $19.99/month. Annual Fee: $119.88/yearly ($9.99/month). IG: @yoga_international Web: YogaInternational
If you’re looking for a personalized yoga experience and access to yoga teachers for all of your alignment and sequence questions, Grokker is a fantastic option.
The one-on-one communication and advice that they offer through their platform are unrivaled and the closest thing to an in-studio experience that you can find online.
Not only that, but the platform also offers more content than just yoga-related videos. From mindfulness practices to recipes to HIIT workouts, Grokker is a full package.
Trial: Free until Apr 30th due to COVID-19. Usually, 14-Day Free Trial.
Gaia markets itself as a platform to “empower the evolution of consciousness,” tying yoga to its more traditional consciousness and spirituality background. This platform offers quality yoga classes on demand and provides movies, documentaries, insightful articles, and guided meditation for a well-rounded practice. If I had to choose one platform for my dedicated yoga practice, this is the one that I would choose.
Trial: 7-Day Free Trial Monthly: 11.99 US$ or 8.25 US$ if billed Annually (with bonuses. Yearly: 299 US$ Web:Gaia
Look, I know that many of you know and love Adrien Mishler, me too! She’s bubbly and bright, her classes are complete, and she has paved the way for many yoga teachers after her to make lots of money online, so, I’m respectfully leaving her out.
Here I shed some light on some up-and-coming (and some not-so-new) inspiring yoga channels to practice yoga at home.
1. Nicole Wild – For Intermediate to Advanced Practitioners
If you’re looking for a solid workout and a full-length yoga class, then Nicole will have it. Sometimes it’s hard for me to find a 45-minute to an hour-long yoga class on YouTube, so I LOVE that she brings us these classes online.
Her library isn’t all that large because her channel seems relatively new, but judging from how many views she gets within a week of uploading, you can tell that she will be pretty popular very soon.
2. Faith Hunter – For Relaxing Sequences and Spiritual Exploration
Faith’s voice is the strong point here; it spreads like butter and makes her relaxing yoga sequences ever more so just by listening to her soothing voice.
I also really like that her flows are super approachable and focus more on feeling good in your body than a marathon yoga workout.
Her channel is especially useful for beginners in this way. Besides yoga, she also covers meditation, mantra chanting, mudras, and all things spirituality.
3. Boho Beautiful – For Everyone and Everything – How to Start Yoga at Home
I have to admit that when I first heard of Juliana at Boho Beautiful, I was a bit skeptical. I have some severe resistance when it comes to commercialized yoga, especially as trendy as it has become in the nomadic scene. But after watching her videos and incorporating her flows into my practice, I am sold on her yoga teaching style.
She seems to be connected to the traditional practice of yoga, as far as my yoga practice and experience have shown me, so I love recommending her channel when I can. She has a vast library of beautiful videos that cover virtually every need you might have as a yoga practitioner. From beginner flows to advanced classes, you’ll find something that you like on her channel.
Brett teaches vinyasa flow morning routines designed especially for women, so I feel like she gets what my physical needs are. She uses dynamic stretching of the hips and spine is my favorite aspect of her classes. She also teaches a lot of Kundalini yoga, so I try out different kriyas that I wouldn’t usually find in a yoga studio.
5. Sarah Beth Yoga – For Quick And Targeted Routines – How to start yoga at home
Sarah Beth is such a sweetheart, and taking her classes feels like hanging out with a friend. I particularly like that she’s not chatty in her videos, so it is easy for me to drop into my practice and tune out the rest. She has a vast library, but I like her targeted videos the most. They make it easy to build and support a yoga practice and are usually pretty quick.
Often affirmations, positive body intentions, and other holistic issues are not looked at during yoga classes. Biola does it (i.e., how she healed her avoidant attachment style), and it is very healing. Her audio quality isn’t excellent, so that’s a bit frustrating, but I like to support channels like this because with the more views they get, the more they can improve their technology behind it. 🙂
It’s essential to put some focus on the chakras, and that’s what Allie does. Giving purpose to your yoga practice by dedicating it to your chakras is powerful and not often done in yoga classes. So if you’re looking for a fun and approachable way to practice some chakra yoga at home, then The Journey Junkie is the perfect channel for you.
Starting yoga at home is an exciting endeavor. It unlocks your ability to tap into yourself and cosmic consciousness any time of the day, any way that you need.
The key is to develop a home yoga practice that you genuinely look forward to, even if that means that you just sit down for some light stretching or merely meditating on some days.
Go ahead and give it a try! And if there are any online yoga streaming platforms or YouTube channels you feel should be included here, drop them in the comments to grow our list of yoga resources!
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