The Best YouTube Yoga Channels for Building Your At-Home Yoga Practice
I’ve been doing yoga at home for about five years now. I do occasionally drag my butt to a studio because it’s good for posture correction and practising with others has a very special energy I just can’t get on my own in a cold basement.
In this crazy time of self-isolation and social distancing (on top of usual life stresses), I thought sharing this information might be helpful for anyone interested in trying yoga at home.
You don’t need a special space, just enough room to roll out your mat and swing your arms and legs around. Ambiance can help your mind focus and your body relax, so things like candles and diffusers are nice, as well as soft lighting (lamps, dimmable lights). I have two blocks, a couple stretchy bands (from physio ages ago) and some light weights. A bolster, blanket, meditation pillow and wall (for those tricky inversions) are also options.
I wake up at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays to do yoga. It was hard at first, but now it helps fuel my energy for the day. Start small - 10 minutes - then work your way up. I’m now around 30-35 minutes per day. On weekends, it’s 30-60 minutes.
I access all my videos through YouTube – the amount of free content is staggering. But the videos vary in quality – at the instructor and production level. Since I started practising yoga at home, I’ve seen new instructors enter the space. Some have succeeded, growing their brands and audience, and some have disappeared. You just need to find the channel that resonates best with your personal style.
I have an Apple TV, so I watch videos through the YouTube app. I have an older Apple TV, but some instructors have apps on the newer versions that you can download. Some dedicated apps (if not all) you have to pay to use.
A word of caution: I have hurt myself once or twice doing yoga at home. Whether I’m distracted or just pushing too hard, things happen. Know your limits. Many channels have short tutorials for different poses. If you’re a beginner, start there and then try some of the 30-day yoga programs. Even better, start at a studio first so you can make sure you’re doing the postures correctly.
Here’s a list of my favourite YouTube channels and instructors.
Yoga with Adriene
It’s funny, when I watched my first Yoga with Adriene video many years ago, I thought she was too silly. I couldn’t stand it. And then her personality grew on me (not to mention she’s great at instruction) and I realized it was actually me being silly by taking yoga so seriously. Letting go is half the battle, and being willing to fail.
She consistently puts out awesome videos of varying length and type. I also subscribe to her paid membership program because of the extra content and because it helps provide a bit of support so she can keep offering free yoga to the masses.
And I love her motto, “Find what feels good.” It’s part of my daily meditation now. She’s dope.
Boho Beautiful
I’ve followed Juliana for over two years now. Her channel used to be called “Sexercise” which is hilarious but she and her husband/videographer, Mark, have since refreshed their brand to reflect a holistic approach to mind, body, spirit, loving the earth.
I like her videos because they are more fitness-based and sometimes incorporate pilates. She’s my go-to when I want a quick, but challenging yoga-type workout or beach season is coming and I’m like, “Ahhh!!” She’s a great instructor and easy to follow along with. Plus she films almost all her classes in exotic destinations.
Bad Yogi
Erin Motz is the reason I started an at-home yoga practice. She. Is. The. Shit. She showed me yoga is accessible to everyone. And you don’t need to be amazing at it. Or eat homemade granola (I did, btw, until I found out it sets my digestive system on fire).
Her videos tend to be a bit shorter, but I combine them to make longer classes. She also has some great challenges, which you can find in her playlists. And she lives in Nice, France, so I’m living vicariously through her.
Fightmaster Yoga
I initially started following Leslie Fightmaster because of her last name. It’s so fucking awesome. Imagine how much more respect you’d get in this world if your last name was Fightmaster. In any case, Leslie has a large catalogue of great yoga videos, of varying lengths, class types and levels. She’s a top-notch instructor, personable and has a nice tone to her voice.
Five Parks Yoga
The class lengths are longer, which is good for my weekend practice. Erin has a nice tone to her voice and she’s awesome at audible instruction. She’s calm, shoots videos in cool places like Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and seems like a genuinely good soul.
Yoga with Kassandra
This channel is like a hybrid of Yoga with Adriene and Bad Yogi. She’s a little more formal with her practice, in terms of incorporating yoga spirituality and traditions into her classes (e.g., she talks about chakras and earth’s elements and we “ooommmm”), but she does it in a way that feels genuine and not forced. Her production quality has gotten better and she is a great audible instructor.
Her short morning routines are great for days when I’ve snoozed my alarm one too many times.
Alo Yoga
Alo Yoga makes yoga clothing and also has in-person classes in California. They have a much smaller catalogue of videos, but I’ve done a few great 20 to 30-minute classes and like the instructors. Probably the best production quality out of all the channels. I like where they film their online classes – the space looks inviting.
Classes are taught by different instructors, at different levels, so you have choice. Some instructors are better, more personable than others. It makes me wonder why Lululemon is so far behind all these other channels…
Bonus: Blogilates
While this channel isn’t specifically focused on yoga, Cassey Ho’s video are a great supplement to any practice. I’ve been following Cassey since I started working out at home. She has videos that target certain areas of the body, occasional challenges and of course pilates. Her spirit shines bright and her social media is on point as well.
Bonus 2: PopSugar Fitness
Okay one more! I promise that’s it. This channel has more traditional fitness classes with host Anna Renderer. Anytime I want to get my heart rate up, I turn to this channel. A great diversity of classes and video length. Good production quality, great instructors.
So there you have it – these YouTube channels are my go-to for at-home yoga classes. I hope you find one or a mix of them that helps you build your own practice.
Note: It’s not free for them to make all this content! Some channels have found ways to monetize their brands: ad revenue and offering merchandise, member-only programs and videos, yoga retreats and classes, books, and Patreon pages. If you can afford it, find some way to support your favourite yoga channel or brand. It means they can keep offering free yoga to the world. We could all use a little more “om” in our lives.