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I think we can all agree that yoga classes are the cure for most of life's problems, but often life often gets in the way of making it to the studio.
Whether you're always having to pick up the kids, can't find a local studio or just don't like the idea of going just yet – it's easy to chalk up classes as "not for you". But in 2019, that's no longer an excuse not to practice. Not when there's so many great online options available.
There's everything from no-nonsense yoga for athletes, to the "Netflix for spirituality". So whatever your preferred approach to yoga, there's a service to suit.
The Contenders
- 1Yoga Download - Take yoga anywhere
- 2Grokker - Yoga, fitness and cooking videos to be a better you
- 3Gaia - Conscious media, streaming yoga videos and more
- 4MyYogaWorks - YogaWorks for everybody
- 5Man Flow Yoga - Functional yoga for fitness
What Makes a Good Online Yoga Service?
Range
Variety of teachers, classes and intentions are key, not only to give your practice space to grow, but also to keep you interested and engaged.
Quality
We're long past the age of grainy videos and crackly audio. Only the highest definition picture and sound will make the cut.
Value
Online yoga is much cheaper than studio classes on average, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look to get the most for our money.
Compare Online Yoga Classes
Brand | Standard Cost | Content Volume | Content Quality | Standout Feature | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YogaDownload | $12 p/month | 1500+ videos | 8/10 | Download classes | |
Grokker | $14.99 p/month | 4000+ videos | 10/10 | Community and technology | |
MyYogaWorks | $15 p/month | 1200+ videos | 8/10 | Authentic studio atmosphere | |
Gaia | $11.99 p/month | 8000+ videos | 8/10 | Variety of spiritual content | |
Man Flow Yoga | $29.97 p/month | 400+ videos | 7/10 | Fitness focus |
Yoga Download
As the name and tagline suggests, the big advantage of Yoga Download is the ability to download yoga videos so you can watch them offline and on the move – and keep them forever!
For anyone with a poor internet connection or those who travel a lot, the download feature could be a real game changer.
Standard membership starts at just $12/month, which lets you download 2 classes per month, or go whole hog and get the Unlimited plan with unlimited streaming and downloads for $18/month.
Or try the whole thing out with a 2 week trial for just $1.
With 1500+ online yoga classes in every style you can think of, and an active membership of over 200,000 people - if nothing else, they have some impressively large numbers. They must be doing something right. Read the full review here.
Pros
Cons
Grokker
Grokker, from the word "grok" meaning "to be transformed" (apparently). Don't let the weird name fool you, Grokker is out kicking butts and taking names. Figuratively and literally.
Grokker is more than just a yoga streaming site, it's a fully-fledged wellness site. It takes a hollistic approach to wellness, with 4000+ videos on everything from yoga, HIIT training, cooking and everything in between.
Integrating with Fitbit and Apple Health, and supported by a wide range of viewing devices – it's a platform that takes full advantage of modern technology.
There's over 130 experts in the online community, that members are free to connect with. So you can get that real tailored advice that you might miss from classes in real life.
Pros
Cons
MyYogaWorks
MyYogaWorks was born from humble roots.
YogaWorks, a well known yoga studio in LA, decided to make their classes available to everyone with an internet connection.
The authentic studio feel is present in all of their classes, each and every one taught by actual YogaWorks teachers.
Unfortunately, as of today there are only 5 true yoga styles available (Vinyasa, Yin, Iyengar, Restorative and Acro) so variety is not a strong suit here.
On the plus side, they offer a completely free 14 day trial. After that it's $15 a month.
Pros
Cons
Gaia
Gaia, the "Netflix for spirituality" is worthy of its nickname.
With the largest resource of consciousness expanding videos, alongside a fantastic repertoire of online yoga classes, Gaia is a one-stop-shop for the modern yogi.
There's a wide range of yoga on offer, from some of the biggest names in yoga like Rodney Yee and Faith Hunter. Between the varied yoga practices, exclusive films/documentaries, and daily new videos – you'll never be short on content to engage with.
At just $11.99 a month (even less with a yearly subscription), Gaia is incredible value for money. Try it out for 2 week for just 99 cents.
Pros
Cons
Man Flow Yoga
Man Flow Yoga differs from the others in this list not only because it's selective about who it targets (men), but also about what and how it teaches.
"Functional yoga for fitness" is the Man Flow Yoga strapline, and it does exactly what is says on the tin.
If Gaia is the "Netflix for spirituality", then Man Flow Yoga is the direct opposite – you'll find no Sanskrit or Ohm chanting here.
Instead you'll find a large collection of strength building flows, injury prevention routines and sport specific training for athletes. If you're using yoga purely as a supplement for your training or sport, Man Flow Yoga has exactly what you need.
You can try for just $1, but after that you'll need to get the yearly billed option to get the good value membership priced at $16.67 p/month (standard monthly membership is an eye watering £29.97 p/month).
Pros
Cons
There really is something for everyone here, and the ways of learning yoga from home are getting better every day. This is by no means an exhaustive list, I'll be continually reviewing and updating as online yoga classes come and go.
If there are any online yoga sites or services that you're curious about, let me know in the comments below and I'll look into reviewing them.