Last updated on October 20th, 2023.
The internet has made yoga more easily accessible, even for those who can’t or don’t want to leave home. But with all the online yoga classes to choose from, it can be hard to narrow down the options to find the best one.
The best online yoga class is the MVP Training Subscription from My Vinyasa Practice, which gives you unlimited access to a wide range of general and specialized yoga and yoga therapy teacher training.
The MVP Training subscription is our winner, for reasons we’ll get into in the next section. But there are several close runners up—we’ll get into detail about those as well.
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What Are the Best Online Yoga Classes?
We’ve scoured the web and found the best online yoga classes available, judging on both class quality and value. Also taken into account are the companies offering the classes and their mission statements.
The following companies share the desire to provide a wide assortment of yoga education to a diverse population, making it accessible for all:
1. My Vinyasa Practice
My Vinyasa Practice, based in Austin, TX, offers donation-based yoga and yoga therapy, as well as affordable online yoga teacher training classes. Their focus is on overall wellness rather than physical fitness alone, so their classes provide nourishment for the emotional and spiritual self in addition to the physical.
My Vinyasa Practice is dedicated to making sure that their classes are accessible to everyone, and they work hard to make sure their environment is a welcoming and supportive one.
As much as we’d love to list all their classes, we’ve narrowed them down to the top three:
1a. MVP Training Subscription
The My Vinyasa Practice MVP Training Subscription is one of the most comprehensive online yoga programs we’ve ever seen, which is why it’s our favorite.
The subscription provides you with unlimited access to all the training, workshops, and lectures on the entire site, making it a robust tool for keeping your practice relevant and fresh.
Subscription members are also eligible for discounts to live training and one-on-one sessions and gain access to the member community.
It also comes with bonuses such as journal prompts and guided meditations to help you along your journey. Talk about comprehensive!
Keep in mind, though, that this course is intended for yoga teachers, so if you’re new to the practice, you may want to start with a more basic class series and work your way up to this one.
1b. Yoga Therapy for Anxiety
One of the free courses offered by My Vinyasa Practice, Yoga Therapy for Anxiety is a well-rounded class that gives you the tools to manage stress and anxiety with ease.
Using yoga and meditation to cultivate mindfulness has been proven to improve your overall sense of wellbeing, and this class builds on that by adding community support and lessons on compassion and kindness.
Much more than your typical online yoga class, this course can truly transform the way people deal with anxiety, providing relief to people who really need it.
1c. 40 Hour Adaptive Yoga
In keeping with their intention of being all-inclusive, My Vinyasa Practice offers a 40-hour Adaptive Yoga course to medical and yoga professionals with clients who have limited mobility. The class explores the various ways that chairs and other props can be used to modify postures for those with physical challenges.
If you’re a healer who’s looking to increase your knowledge of working with clients of all abilities, this could be a great course to start with.
2. Yoga Download
Yoga Download supports yoga practitioners and teachers alike in achieving balance and harmony in their life while working to achieve their goals. They strive to bring high-quality classes to everyone who wants them, offering a personalized experience at low or no cost.
The Yoga Download team even offers free printable pose guides, so those who have limited access to the internet or electronic devices can still practice. Just print out the directions to take with you, and you’re ready to practice anytime, anywhere.
We love these three classes for their focus on helping people with specific issues, but they also have an incredible number of general flow classes, too, many of which are free:
2a. Tech Neck
As more and more of us become addicted to screens, our necks are often the first to suffer. This short class offers poses that relax and stretch the overworked neck muscles, reducing kinked necks, cramps, and tension headaches.
This Tech Neck course is only 11 minutes long, and with that it’s hard to imagine this class would be able to bring much relief. But you’ll be surprised at how much looser and more relaxed your neck will feel afterward, and how much that in turn affects the rest of your body.
2b. 14-Day Yoga Challenge for Busy People
If you’re looking to establish a regular yoga practice, there’s nothing like a challenge to get you in the habit. But most challenges offer classes that are 45 minutes to an hour long, which can be more than busy people have time for.
That’s why Yoga Download offers this 14 Day Yoga Challenge for Busy People, with classes of 30 minutes or less. While it may still take some schedule adjustments, most people can squeeze 30 minutes out of their day.
Keep in mind that it’s only for two weeks—once the challenge is over, you can cut down the practice to only a few times a week if that’s really all the time you have. Many people find that finding the 30 minutes is difficult, but once the habit’s been established after a couple of weeks of doing it, maintaining it is the easy part.
And since you’ll be doing the challenge from home, there’s no commute time—you don’t even have to change out of your PJs!cccccc
2c. 25 Minute Bodyweight Workout with Glutes
The name says it all: 25 Minute Bodyweight Workout with Glutes is a full-body workout in under half an hour, focusing on your glutes and abs.
In addition to filling out your swim trunks, strong glutes are fundamental for supporting the lower back, maintaining pelvic alignment, and preventing knee injuries. Build strength and maintain a healthy core with this quick yoga workout.
3. Strala Yoga
Strala Yoga combines yoga with traditional Japanese and Chinese healing practices, such as tai chi and qigong. The folks at Strala help people move through life with more ease, regardless of what’s going on around them.
Strala offers classes, workshops, and retreats that range from healing and spiritual to more physical-based. These three classes show a bit of what they have to offer:
3a. Tai Chi Beginners Routine with Mike
This Tai Chi Beginners class is just under 30 minutes and provides a foundational core for those new to tai chi. It can also serve those who have been away from the practice for a while, or who want a nice, simple practice.
This class focuses on the philosophy of tai chi, with three of its most important elements being:
- Softness
- Breath
- Natural movement
3b. Simplify: Home Retreat with Tara
Tara Stiles leads this multi-part series, which can be used to create a week-long retreat or used for mini-retreats for an extended length of time. Our recommendation is the Simplify: Home Retreat.
The focus is on simplifying your life to connect more deeply with your deepest intentions, and includes 28 talks, meditations, and practice sessions, as well as advice for simplifying your home, kitchen, and even finances.
3c. Energy Boost with Tara
Increase your energy fast with this 15-minute energy-boosting flow with Tara. In addition to more physical energy, you’ll walk away with a mind that’s sharp and focused, and ready to take on the day.
4. Yoga International
Yoga International offers over a thousand online classes for people new to the practice of yoga, all the way up to teachers and advanced practitioners. Rather than focusing on yoga classes alone, they also offer courses in meditation, anatomy, Ayurveda, and much more.
You can search Yoga International’s extensive database by mood, teacher, yoga style, video length, and more, making it quick and easy to find the class that best fits your needs at any given moment.
Our three Yoga International selections will give you a good idea of their offerings, although they just barely skim the surface:
4a. 6-Day Isometric Strength Program
The 6-Day Isometric Strength Program is a must for those looking to gain strength and up their yoga game. The low impact exercises are perfect for those who have mobility issues or joint pain, as well as athletes who want to change up their training.
Classes in this program focus on the upper body, lower body, core, and pose-specific drills for handstands and backbends. Even though the exercises are static, they provide an intense burn, working muscles in new ways, and, in some cases, working muscles you never even knew you had!
4b. Focus on Balance
Balance is, of course, one of the fundamental parts of many yoga poses, and if it’s something you struggle with, it can interrupt the flow of your practice. If balance is something you struggle with generally, of course, it can affect much more than your yoga practice, leading to instability and falls.
Yoga International’s Focus on Balance can help you with that, increasing your confidence in balance poses that you’ll be able to carry with you in life and your everyday practice. Practice makes perfect, so feel free to revisit the course anytime you feel like your balance skills can use a boost.
If you’ve wanted to improve your balance, this is the class for you.
4c. Rocket Yoga 101
Rocket Yoga 101, in addition to having a fun name, is a playful vinyasa class that encourages modifications and encourages students to go at their own pace. The class is perfect for beginners or those looking for a less-intense practice, as well as those with mobility issues.
Classes focus on strengthening, hip opening, restorative poses, and more.
How to Choose an Online Yoga Class That’s Right for You
Even though we worked hard to narrow the list of notable online yoga classes to a manageable size, there’s still a ton to choose from on this list alone. Trying to figure out which one to start with can be overwhelming, so use these tips to help you decide:
Choose a Yoga Style
There are countless different styles of yoga, from energizing and strengthening flow classes to therapeutic and healing ones. There are even hot yoga styles, in which practitioners practice in rooms of up to 105℉.
While some yoga practitioners choose to stick with one style, many people like the variety that moving between types can provide. Considering each individuals body because anatomy is so important in yoga. There is also a lot of overlapping between styles, with many using the same poses but in different ways.
Some of the most common yoga styles are below; this is not exhaustive, by any means, but is just intended to give you an idea of some of the different types of yoga available:
- Vinyasa Flow – Vinyasa flow is very common for those looking to get fit and is one of the styles most often offered at gyms. It involves moving or “flowing” through a series of poses at a decent rate, which raises the heart rate and burns fat while toning muscles.
- Hatha Yoga – Hatha yoga uses many of the same poses as Vinyasa, but the poses are held for more extended periods. This changes the focus from movement to stillness, which is excellent for building strength and endurance. Many people find hatha yoga more mentally challenging, due to the nature of the mind when the body’s held in an uncomfortable position for any length of time.
- Restorative and Yin – Both restorative and yin yoga focuses on restoring the body and relaxing the mind, and are perfect for combatting stress or unwinding after a long day. The main difference between the two is that in yin classes, the poses are held for a more extended time, although the pace in both is slow and gentle. Restorative classes are great if you’re not feeling up to intense practice, but are committed to putting the time in.
Class Length
Most in-person yoga classes offer classes that are 45 minutes and up, but online courses are much more flexible with their time.
If you’re in a rush or don’t feel like doing a longer session, a 20 or 30-minute class can still give you a lot of benefits. There are even 5 minutes sessions intended for people who just need a quick session to unwind, relax, or energize.
You can even put on your favorite longer video and skip around to the poses that most speak to you at the moment. It’s your practice, so customize it however you see fit.
Class Intensity
Most online yoga sites offer the ability to filter classes by level, from beginner to advanced.
But even within those levels, some classes are more challenging than others, either because they focus on something that you don’t excel at, like strength, flexibility, or coordination, or because they’re intended to be difficult for your level.
Keep this in mind when choosing a class, and make sure to pick a category that provides the right level and type of challenge for you at the moment. Sometimes it’s nice to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but there are also plenty of days when comfort is exactly what you need—and that’s okay too.
And remember, one of the many joys of taking online yoga classes rather than in-person ones is that your commitment is pretty much zero. If you start a course and it doesn’t feel like it’s the right fit, stop it and try another one instead.
Yoga Teacher
The more you practice yoga online, the more you’ll start to find teachers that resonate with you. A lot of the time, they’ll be closely associated with other teachers who have similar styles or energy, so looking at who your favorite teachers admire can help you find even more amazing classes to follow.
Very often, there will be teachers that resonate differently depending on your mood and what you need that day, as well. Just like when choosing a yoga style and session intensity, think about the teacher’s energy and what you need from them right now in your practice.
Focus
Some yoga classes are general, full-body workouts that incorporate a pretty even amount of balance, flexibility, and strength.
But online classes are the perfect space to explore courses and workshops that focus intensely on one area, such as handstands, twists, or upper body strength. Online classes are also perfect for finding classes for specialty groups, such as prenatal yoga and yoga for seniors.
Getting the Most Out of Your Online Yoga Practice
Practicing yoga at home using online classes can provide you with the perfect opportunity to take your practice to the next level, whatever that means for you. Yoga is a lifestyle practice, not just something you do a few times a week on a mat. Its benefits can permeate your life, leading to greater peace and vitality.
Try some of these suggestions for getting the most out of your at-home yoga practice:
Make a Date
While it seems like practicing yoga at home will happen naturally as long as you have the desire to do it, in reality, life is busy, and it’s easy to forget or put it off. If you’re serious about committing to a regular practice, it can help to schedule it into your day using whatever calendar or app you use the most.
Some people do well if they plan it out ahead of time, and others have more success if they wait until the day of or the day before and plan a time based on what their schedule and energy level looks like.
It might take a little experimentation, but if you’re patient with yourself and keep trying, you’ll eventually find a schedule that works for you.
When you’re scheduling, by the way, it often helps to start slowly, with a goal of 1-3 times a week, rather than every day. New habits tend to be more sustainable if you start small and work your way up.
Set an Intention
Setting an intention for your yoga practice can make the exercise feel more meaningful, and can also remind you of why you’re doing it in the first place.
There’s no wrong way to set an intention; just use a phrase or sentence that comes to mind when you ask yourself what you want to get out of your practice, then keep that phrase in mind during your session.
If you’re having trouble getting started, some intentions might sound like:
- “May I be at peace.”
- “May I be kind.”
- “May I be focused.”
Create a Ritual
Similarly to the suggestion above of setting an intention, the process of creating a ritual around your yoga routine can connect your practice to something more and remind you of why you’re doing it.
Yoga is meant to be a lifestyle which cultivated health and wellness, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. Creating a ritual can remind you of this and make it feel more like an intentional time that you’re setting aside for self-care, rather than something you have to check off your list of things to do that day.
Setting a ritual can, and arguably should, look different for everyone. You can create your routine so that it aligns with whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs are, even if you have none.
Rituals can look something like:
- Meditating before a practice session
- Burning sage, candles, or incense before and during a session
- Setting an intention at the beginning of practice
- Always using the same area or room to do your practice
- Playing soft music while you practice
Take Advantage of Technology
One of the best things about taking yoga classes online is the ability to use technology to your advantage in a way that’s impossible in live courses.
If you’re having trouble keeping up with a class, change the video playback speed to slow it down. Pause the video if you need a break, and restart it when you’re ready. If you get through a class but take a few breaks during it, hey, you still got through it.
If you’re trying a new class and aren’t familiar with all the poses, or even if you just want to get an idea of what you’ll be doing before deciding on a class, watch the video before practicing with it.
You’ll probably want to watch it at double speed or skip around to get the gist, rather than watching the whole thing, but even just checking out a few of the poses can reduce anxiety and confusion later on when you’re trying to actually practice.
On a similar note, if a teacher’s explaining poses too quickly, back the video up and watch it again until you understand; this is a great way to learn new poses.
Respect the Space
Yoga studios are known for their minimal, calm, soothing atmospheres. Most of them are impeccably clean, too, which makes them even more relaxing to practice in.
Respecting your practice space at home by keeping it clean and clutter-free can likewise instill a sense of calm when you’re on your mat. Glancing at a pile of dirty laundry in the middle of a sun salutation isn’t exactly the most peace-inducing thing in the world, after all.
Connect with a Community
It’s easy to view practicing at home as a lonely endeavor, but that doesn’t need to be the case. As long as you have the internet, you can connect to an endless community of yoga practitioners all over the world. Join online yoga groups through social media and yoga forums, and meet like-minded people.
This can really help to solidify your practice, as well as provide you a place to celebrate successes and share difficulties in your exercise.
Chances are if you’re going through a problem in your practice, others have gone through it as well, and you might even get some good advice for getting past whatever hurdle you’re dealing with.
Final Thoughts About Practicing Yoga in an Online Class
Maybe you are wondering is online yoga teacher training legit? Yes it is! Say what you will about technology; the internet now allows us to learn yoga and become a yoga teacher no matter where we are, what our financial situation is, our skill level, or anything else—something that would have been unheard of just 30 years ago.
From learning acro yoga online to yin yoga teacher training, you can find all types of yoga classes and trainings online!
Online yoga classes come in all shapes, sizes, and quality levels, which is why we did the work of combing through and finding the very best ones worth checking out. Most of the sites listed offer free trials or donation-based classes, so you can try a few and see what you think, with no obligation.
Whether you’re not able to leave home or spend too much time commuting as it is and don’t want to make a trip out to a yoga studio, these online classes have you covered.
