A real life friend of mine recently asked me for (preferably free) online yoga resources, on account of transporting herself to class isn’t always feasible (I sympathize; sometimes I only have time to do yoga or drive to yoga, not both) and purchasing multiple DVDs at this point in her practice is not her cup of yogi tea.
As I was listing sites for her, it occurred to me… I know kind of a lot of places to get online yoga, with which other folks may or may not be familiar. So, I’m now sharing the ones I use — with varying degrees of regularity — and like, more or less. (Because, you know, if I’ve already combed the Int0rnetz for yoga, why should you have to?) I say “more or less” because the sources do have their limitations — and I hope I’m sufficiently upfront about them — and just because I use some of the practices available doesn’t mean I use or like them all.
Additionally, though I am limiting this post to sources that have a goodly chunk of free content, some sources have pay content (by the practice or by subscription) as well. For sites where this is the case, I definitely encourage folks to explore the free content before deciding whether to plunk down actual dollars.
Today’s edition — stand-alone sites:
- DoYogaWithMe.Com — The online version of the site is completely free (though some practices have DVD versions available for purchase; it’s not exclusive content, though) and has a variety of practices: long, short, beginner, experienced, vigorous, relaxing. Additionally, it includes anatomy and pose tutorials as well as some guided pranayama and meditation. It is updated regularly with new content.
- Ekhart Yoga — I’ve used Esther Ekhart’s videos (on her two YouTube channels) for a few years, and I appreciate the quality of instruction in all of them. A goodly portion of the site is pay content, but there’s also about a dozen full length free videos (as well as some shorter meditations and pose tutorials). Additionally, one can view the titles and descriptions of the pay videos (though it’s subscription, so there’s no paying to see just one) without a subscription. It promises weekly updates. As a new site, I can’t speak to that, though I know she’s been fairly regular about her YouTube updates over the years.
- Yoga Download — It has a wide variety of practices — some audio, some audio with slides, some video — from different instructors and in different lengths. The upside? A goodly chunk — though not all — have shortened free versions available for download. The downside? A lot of the free versions I’ve tried have been edited/abridged versions of longer practices and so did not flow as well as a purposely-crafted 20 minute sequence would.
- Yoga Today — Has different viewing options. One can view free weekly classes online, download classes for a single class rate, or subscribe for unlimited classes online. I’ll be honest: Some of their classes are a little “woo heavy” for me, but I haven’t found any that are poorly instructed or unsafe.
What am I missing in terms of good stand-alone sites (YouTubes and other channels maybe relegated to a future post)? Which ones do you like?
Love Esther! (Stumbled across her originally from one of your posts) Her website has a free video every day for September’s Yoga Month! Thanks for more resources.
Is it every day? I thought her email newsletter said 3 days a week. Either way, yes — There is a lot of new free content coming out there during September.
I prefer YogaGlo. It’s not free, but it’s only $18/month, which is about the cost of one in-person class. They do have a 2 week free trial. I have tried other subscription services, but I always come back to YogaGlo. Since their studio was designed for filming, the audio & video quality is superb. The teachers are also pretty fantastic and that $18/month gives you access to literally something like 1,000 videos — Anusara, vinyasa flow, Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, Hatha, prenatal, and so on. They have a search feature where you can search by challenge level, body part, style, teacher, or length of time — 5 minutes to 90 minutes. Lots of pose tutorials are available, as well as practices designed for specific things (cross-training for a specific sport, menstrual cycles, etc…) And for people who are newer to yoga, they have a beginner’s center where they break things down.
Like I said, I know that’s not a free resource, but it’s my go-to place for online yoga and I find the $18 to be more than worth it.
Thanks for the additional resource. For me, $18 is about the cost of 3 in-person classes, so it’s a different balance.