Exploring the Benefits of Live Online Yoga Classes

Yoga has skyrocketed in popularity in the United States and around the world. Go into any mid-sized city in the U.S. and you're likely to find at least a handful of studios offering classes for a range of prices. But what if you can't make it into a studio? Are you supposed to let your yoga practice fall to the wayside? With online yoga from myYogaTeacher, you don't have to.

The internet has brought yoga led by experienced teachers right into our living rooms. And on myYogaTeacher, you can find classes for all levels from Indian teachers who've been studying yoga for years. The world is your ashram. And to get started, all you have to do is head over to myYogaTeacher and click the purple Try for free button.

Virtual yoga classes from myYogaTeacher can do everything live yoga classes do: help you increase flexibility, improve your posture, develop core strength, and boost your energy. You can even find online yoga classes that increase your mind-body connection, offering pranayama (breathwork) and meditation in addition to the asanas, or movements, that we in the West think of as yoga.

Of course, most online yoga classes are hidden behind a paywall. You have to really search to find a yoga teacher online who offers high-quality, free online yoga classes. And if you're looking for a live yoga class instead of something pre-recorded, you might be looking for a while.

We at myYogaTeacher understand how important it is to keep up your yoga practice. That's why we're offering free online yoga classes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Once we're through the pandemic, we'll go back to our very reasonable pricing for unlimited group classes. And we also offer 1-on-1 classes for our students who want to go deeper with their practice.

Signing up with myYogaTeacher is simple, just go to myYogaTeacher and click Try for free. You’ll then enter your name, email address, and choose a password before clicking Continue.

Is online yoga worth the time (and money)? We think so. Let's talk about why.

Benefits of Live Online Yoga Classes

You already know that yoga can help you increase your flexibility, build strength, destress, and better understand your body and mind. But yoga can be expensive and time-consuming. Classes typically start at $15 and only go up from there. Then, you have to consider the additional cost of gas, clothes, mats, and yoga props.

Yoga can get expensive, fast.

And that’s not even taking into consideration the time commitment. If you have a full-time job and a family, you might not have the time to drive 20 minutes to a yoga studio, spend 60–90 minutes on your mat, then drive another 20 minutes back home. And definitely not every day.

Add a global pandemic into the mix and, well, bye-bye yoga.

Finding a yoga teacher online or taking an online yoga class can be exactly the solution you’re looking for!

Online Yoga Is Cheaper

In-person yoga classes are typically a lot more expensive than online yoga classes. If you’re a drop-in student at a yoga studio, it can cost $15 or more per class. If you buy classes in bulk or sign-up for a monthly rate at a studio, your discount is only going to be slightly less per class.

An online yoga class is much more cost-effective. You can sign up for unlimited monthly classes through myYogaTeacher for just $29 per month! Go to myYogaTeacher to get started for free!

Online Yoga Is Faster

Which takes less time:

Changing into your workout clothes, getting your yoga bag together, driving to a studio, finding a parking spot, walking in, finding a spot, and rolling out your mat… And then do that all again an hour later.

OR

Rolling out your mat and clicking a button?

Online yoga takes less time and that typically means that you’re more likely to do it consistently.

Online Yoga Is More Flexible

Since you’re not taking up your time commuting to a studio, you can do yoga whenever and wherever you want. Have an hour? Click a button and spend your full hour focusing on yoga, instead of worrying about fitting your yoga practice into your lunch break and getting back to the office late.

Have a weekend to yourself? Take a few yoga classes and treat yourself to an in-home yoga retreat.

If your yoga app or online yoga class offers class recordings, you even have the option of practicing any time, day or night. Two in the morning and you can sleep? Go check out that Yoga Nidra class and get your sleep back on track.

Online Yoga Is Travel-Friendly

One of the biggest complaints we hear from students is that it’s so hard to stick to a yoga routine when traveling for work or vacation. With a yoga app or online yoga class, you don’t have to worry about it. You can search for a class and be ready to go with the click of a button from your hotel room or the beach at sunrise.

Online Yoga Offers Brilliant Teachers

Many yoga practitioners in the United States talk about wanting to go to India to experience yoga at its origin, with teachers who have been involved in yoga on some level for their entire lives.

Unfortunately, this just isn’t feasible for most yogis.

With online yoga classes, especially through myYogaTeacher, students can get access to yoga courses offered by Indian instructors who are familiar with yoga tradition.

Online Yoga Is Less Intimidating

Walking into a yoga class can be scary—no matter if you’re a beginner or have been practicing for years. What if you don’t know all the poses, can’t move your body into a certain pose or don’t understand what’s going on? What if you’re not dressed right? What if there’s chanting?

Being able to practice yoga online is much less anxiety-inducing. You can dress for comfort, meditate without worrying what you look like, try your hand at chanting, and use all the props you need to get into a difficult pose (or take another pose entirely).

The Downside of Online Yoga

Of course, even with all the benefits of online yoga, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention some of the disadvantages that we’ve heard:

• It’s not safe
• It’s harder to understand or follow
• It’s harder to build a community

While it’s true that taking a yoga class online can make it harder to follow the moves or make certain moves less safe, that’s not really the case with myYogaTeacher.

For starters, our instructors are really great at what they do. If you leave your camera on, the teacher will be able to see you and offer gentle audible cues to adjust your poses. They also explain the movements, the purpose of the movements, and in some classes talk about the philosophy behind the movements before or as they ask you to do them.

You’ll also get cues that will help you understand how a pose should feel and, importantly, shouldn’t feel.

In terms of community, some practitioners just aren’t looking for that, which is why they might have turned to online yoga classes in the first place.

If you’re still looking for a sense of community, we recommend seeking out a live yoga class online (like those you find with us) and engaging with other students either before or after the class.

As you can tell, we’re passionate about online yoga and are so proud of what we’re able to do through myYogaTeacher. Head over to myYogaTeacher to start—or deepen—your personal yoga practice.

Why Choose a myYogaTeacher Online Yoga or Yoga App Class?

To enjoy an online yoga class, all you need is a mat, some space, and internet access. While some classes do incorporate props like yoga blocks, bolsters, and straps, they're not required. You can find a yoga teacher online for wherever your practice takes you, be it for meditation, movement, or breathwork or a combination. The best online yoga classes will challenge you on both a physical and spiritual level.

If you're new to yoga or want to experiment with a style you're unfamiliar with, you'll find beginner options available in our live yoga classes. If you keep your camera on, our skilled instructors can offer you modifications right in the moment, giving our group yoga classes the same benefits you'd get from an in-studio class. Instructors will also teach you how to use your props, if you have them, to keep your practice safe.

You'll be able to enjoy the yoga experience you want, on your own schedule by streaming our online yoga classes in a browser or through the myYogaTeacher yoga app. Our enthusiastic and skillful teachers offer high-quality, structured programs that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home, no matter whether you're a beginner to advanced yogi.

We also understand that the relationship between a yoga teacher and yoga student is an important one. If you find a yoga teacher you particularly like, you can sign up for 1-on-1 instruction with them or stick with the group classes that they offer each day. If you're a paid member of myYogaTeacher, you can access class recordings, too, so you can experience your favorite class whenever you want.

What Online Yoga Classes Are Available on myYogaTeacher?

We offer online yoga classes for any level of experience, from beginners to advanced yogis. You can filter classes by date, class, teacher, and level to find the class that's right for you. On myYogaTeacher, you'll find online yoga classes for ashtanga, breathing and meditation, chair yoga, chakra healing, Hatha, Iyengar, restorative, pranayama, vinyasa, and a whole lot more. We even offer yoga for kids aged 7–12, laughter yoga, and yoga for specific issues like back pain, knee pain, and hormonal imbalance, among others.

Many of our classes are 60 minutes but you'll find 30-minute, 45-minute, and 90-minute classes, too.

Every class, whether experienced in your browser or our yoga app features the same brilliant teachers who bring expert, motivating instruction to you. No matter where you are, you’ll find a nourishing yoga class that you’ll love. Sign up at myYogaTeacher and get started for free!