May 23, 2019 | Fitness

THE MOST common question I get as a yoga enthusiast and instructor is, how do I start doing yoga?? I have laid out every option, pros and cons about each and what to expect.  That way you can make the best decision for you.

YOUTUBE

This is the first place people usually go to look up a beginner yoga class to start doing yoga more.

PROS:

  • You get to practice at home.
  • If you have kids, this option is a lot easier to get a practice in daily.
  • I don’t know about you, but also on the mom side of things, do you ever dread having to put all the kids in the car?? With yoga on Youtube, you don’t even have to attempt it.
  • Very easily accessible to anyone.
  • When you subscribe to a channel, you get notified when they put a new video up.  This can help a whole lot with motivation.
  • Nobody else is in the room! You don’t have to worry about your clothes matching or better yet, not wearing any at all! There is absolutely no judgement in your own house.
  • You have freedom to pick your own music or podcasts to listen to.  You have freedom of choosing your own hours, length of practice and specific poses that you need that day.

CONS

  • Sometimes it can be less motivating not to be around others or seeing other yoga practices.
  • There is no social interaction and being an extrovert, I love that part of yoga.
  • When you get some dang cute leggings, there is no one to show them off to!
  • Home practices can be VERY distracting sometimes, I mean you are home.. you could be doing anything.

 

Youtube is usually what most people turn to very first.  I understand why- it is free! You want to know if you like it before jumping into paying for something, right? So if you want to dip your feet in this way, here are my suggestions for good yoga accounts!

Leigha Butler – She has some fun, creative flows as well as a whole lot of variety! She has videos from 10 minutes to 60, beginner to advanced, vinyasa, hatha, arm balances, etc.  This is my go-to channel! I highly recommend hers.

Other good channels include:

Kino Yoga – Very educated in all that yoga is.  She has awesome tutorials, spiritual messages and flows.  She is one of the first yogis of instagram that I found and fell in love with her energy.  I have a feeling you will too.

Yoga With Adriene – Teaches with a cheerful, happy vibe.  Has tons of good classes and challenges you can join and do with her.

Boho Beautiful – Really great for those who love to wish they were on the sand, next to a beautiful beach! She has great beginner classes.

Fightmaster Yoga – Shares her journey with being super inflexible at the beginning of her practice, which a lot of us can relate to.  She brings a lot of peace and relaxation to life.

For even more, you can click here.

 

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Paid apps/websites that gives you unlimited classes for a small monthly charge.

Subscriptions have most of the same pros and cons to start doing yoga that Youtube does PLUS the following.

PROS

  • More quality yoga.  More experienced yoga instructors, professional videography and audio.
  • Specific classes are often offered.  You can also shoot towards a specific goal (weights and yoga-yogoskenz, movement- alo, losing weight – here, etc.)
  • Subscriptions are a good middle ground between studio classes and home practices.
  • A cheaper option compared to studios.

CONS

  • It isn’t free.
  • It is easier to not stay super consistent compared to studio classes because you are at home.
  • Sometimes I have found it distracting to have to look at the screen to know what to do next, especially as a beginner.

 

There are TONS of online subscriptions with fitness/yoga.  Here are some that are the most popular or that I recommend.

Alo Moves – (Use to be known as Cody App) You can start with a free 14 day trial.  Specializes in EVERYTHING yoga so has EVERYTHING you could want at any given moment. I have personally done many classes from them and they are incredible. Very reputable.

Mom Strong Utah – Even if you are not local to Utah, she is great and has at-home AND gym training videos/tutorials.

The Fit Yogi Trainer – Made by one of my favorite Instagram yogis, she focuses on getting the body in SHAPE while involving yoga.

Sweat App – Heard of BBG? Yeah, I thought so.  Kayla Itsines partners with three other female powerhouses, Kelsey Wells, Chontel Duncan and Sjana Elise, to bring you the best of the best in every field of fitness.

 

 

STUDIO

A specific place or company that only offers certain classes.  There is usually no open gym available. A great place to start doing yoga, here’s why.

PROS

  • Very yoga centered.  Highly educational in the yoga realm and offer a good variety of many yoga classes. This is the best environment to really dig your heals into what yoga is truly about.
  • Motivation is high!  You get to see and talk to other like-minded people who are also motivated.
  • I love the social interaction that comes with a studio.
  • You can get easily inspired by watching others, seeing their practice or even just seeing photos on the walls.
  • You are able to see progress a lot easier! Many studios have the same classes offered and when you are going to them over and over, it is really fun and easy to see your progress.
  • Since you are paying a monthly membership, you want to use that so you actually go more often.
  • The environment is very quiet and serene – no interruptions.

CONS

  • You are paying a monthly membership.  Price will vary a lot depending on location and reputation of studio.
  • There is more driving time to and from studio.
  • Some studios offer childcare and others don’t.  For those that do, it adds a lot of convenience and freedom.  For those that don’t, a con can be setting up babysitters.
  • Some studios have the same classes, same flows, same poses, etc. I have heard of people tell me they get bored of that.  I have also heard some people tell me they love that because they can track their progress easily and become really good at the poses they want to improve on.  It is all perspective, right?!
  • You are in public so you have to get yourself looking presentable.  I mean, if you are comparing this to naked yoga in your living room, watching youtube, this can definitely be a con to some.

MY FAVORITE TIP FOR BEGINNERS: Take advantage of studios in your area!! Almost every studio will have a free class, a few free classes or a week or two of unlimited classes for a small charge for those who are brand new.  This is so that you can try it out and *hopefully* fall in love with it.

EVEN IF you know you don’t want to go to a studio (it is too expensive or a little too far, etc), you might as well take advantage of this!  It doesn’t hurt to go to more yoga classes and who knows, you might put it on your dream board for later.  If you have your heart set on a studio, you might try it and find things you don’t love and go exploring for something better.

That being said, ALSO check Groupon! They have deals all the time for studios and most of the time you cannot get the deal if you have been there before so don’t forget to check that.

At least to get you in the swing of things, these free classes will help get you off to a really good yoga class-taking start! (Some gyms also have deals for those traveling and staying in the area for a short time so do some research – it never hurts.)

Here is also more helpful hints on 9 Things To Expect Going To Your First Yoga Class!

GYM

A place that focuses on open gym equipment and includes some fitness classes as well.

Many pros and cons from the studio option also get added to this list.

PROS

  • You don’t only get classes, you also benefit from weights and cardio machines.
  • Gyms can *sometimes be cheaper than a studio.  They can also be more expensive so it really depends on which ones you are comparing.
  • If you are a beginner, this is a great way to start doing yoga since most classes are going to be beginner/slower classes.

CONS

  • Not very centered on yoga so usually don’t have a lot of variety or availability.
  • Since yoga is not a huge focus or priority, they sometimes don’t have the best instructors.
  • Not a lot of education or consistency in the yoga field.

Again, look for first-timer benefits! Most gyms will also get you some free days.

My favorite gym is Lifetime Fitness – They have the best vinyasa yoga classes I have found at a gym.  If you are looking for something with a really good focus on high quality yoga and fitness classes, this is your gym! They have multiple locations all across the US!