Too cheap for the yoga life
March 4, 2014 6:57 AM Subscribe
Looking for recommendations for DIY yoga sessions.
I recently got a month's worth of yoga classes through Groupon. To my surprise, now that the month is over, I actually miss it! The catch is that I'm too cheap to pay full price for the classes at my local studio.
I'd love recommendations for online yoga videos I can do at home. I have access to Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. iOS apps are also an option. I prefer more stretching/excercise and less chakra-alignment/"ommmm"-ing.
I recently got a month's worth of yoga classes through Groupon. To my surprise, now that the month is over, I actually miss it! The catch is that I'm too cheap to pay full price for the classes at my local studio.
I'd love recommendations for online yoga videos I can do at home. I have access to Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. iOS apps are also an option. I prefer more stretching/excercise and less chakra-alignment/"ommmm"-ing.
Tara Stiles has some great YouTube videos.
posted by JanewayJunior at 7:05 AM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by JanewayJunior at 7:05 AM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
DoYogaWithMe.com has videos in a variety of session lengths and disciplines (from pure stretches to "ommming" and everything in between). You can also download (for free although they ask for a donation) course guides that walks you through videos of increasing intensity. The comments under each video page are also pretty helpful for picking videos.
posted by muddgirl at 7:07 AM on March 4, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by muddgirl at 7:07 AM on March 4, 2014 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Strongly seconding the Yoga Studio app. I've been using it daily for six weeks and it's making a huge (cheap!) difference in my life. It's going to be the next Thing I Can't Shut Up About on Metafilter, I can already tell.
posted by something something at 7:08 AM on March 4, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by something something at 7:08 AM on March 4, 2014 [8 favorites]
What I did was shell out the cash for a private lesson and use that to tailor a home workout that I ran myself, focused on specific areas where I needed work. There's always too much to do in one session so I switch a subset of the routine every few weeks.
My old instructor did a writeup of the private lesson afterward, so I had a document that walked me through several of the exercises and how she recommended I string them together. You might have to do this step yourself, but it's not hard. If you set up a sequence to start with every time (e.g. 5 sun salutations, then move into some warrior sequences), then filling in the rest from a "grab bag" of poses you need to work on isn't hard.
I prefer this to video because it means I can pace it myself and I can improve areas that lag behind.
posted by daveliepmann at 7:20 AM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
My old instructor did a writeup of the private lesson afterward, so I had a document that walked me through several of the exercises and how she recommended I string them together. You might have to do this step yourself, but it's not hard. If you set up a sequence to start with every time (e.g. 5 sun salutations, then move into some warrior sequences), then filling in the rest from a "grab bag" of poses you need to work on isn't hard.
I prefer this to video because it means I can pace it myself and I can improve areas that lag behind.
posted by daveliepmann at 7:20 AM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not a video, but to address the cost: are there any donation-based yoga studios near you? There are at least three near me and they offer a full schedule of classes that cater to all styles and levels. (FWIW, they are all serious studios, not simply Parks & Rec-style community classes.)
posted by Room 641-A at 7:37 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by Room 641-A at 7:37 AM on March 4, 2014
The Nike Training Club app (iOS/Android) has some good yoga routines available for free.
posted by evoque at 7:42 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by evoque at 7:42 AM on March 4, 2014
My local yoga studio does cut-price "community" classes where yoga instructors in training teach the classes -- it's considerably less than the studio's regular price, and much lower than classes elsewhere. Do any studios have something similar in your area?
I also like the 30 Day Yoga Challenge.
posted by pie ninja at 7:51 AM on March 4, 2014
I also like the 30 Day Yoga Challenge.
posted by pie ninja at 7:51 AM on March 4, 2014
Sworkit (free app, website) has yoga and stretching routines.
posted by atlantica at 8:07 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by atlantica at 8:07 AM on March 4, 2014
This "Easy Ground Work Hatha Flow" is my favorite video from my favorite yoga site, yogayak.com. I've been using it for at least five years and it's wonderful. There are other good videos on there as well, including more advanced routines that build on that video. Hope it works for you!
posted by Polyhymnia at 8:32 AM on March 4, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Polyhymnia at 8:32 AM on March 4, 2014 [2 favorites]
they are all serious studios, not simply Parks & Rec-style community classes.
Don't rule out community classes automatically. In my town, some of the instructors at local yoga studios moonlight for the park district, so you might find cheap classes with experienced instructors by checking out your local Parks and Rec.
posted by mmmbacon at 8:36 AM on March 4, 2014
Don't rule out community classes automatically. In my town, some of the instructors at local yoga studios moonlight for the park district, so you might find cheap classes with experienced instructors by checking out your local Parks and Rec.
posted by mmmbacon at 8:36 AM on March 4, 2014
I do this (vimeo) rather intense stretchy/dynamic 1 hour workout on weeks when I can't make it to my slightly slower paced, deeper-stretching, hold-that-pose-and-burn class. I quite like having both to go to. It finishes with a headstand, which is frankly beyond the possible for me, but the rest is stuff that I've got the hang of.
posted by Joeruckus at 8:37 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by Joeruckus at 8:37 AM on March 4, 2014
I have heard good things about some of the yoga classes on Hulu. Though I am also of the understanding that the ads can be disruptive so YMMV.
posted by bDiddy at 8:43 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by bDiddy at 8:43 AM on March 4, 2014
I like the video library at Yoga Journal because there are a variety of types and times.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:07 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by crush-onastick at 9:07 AM on March 4, 2014
I think the MyYogaOnline channel on Youtube offers the best yoga videos on Youtube, though I still think free online yoga instruction pretty much sucks.
posted by Blitz at 9:18 AM on March 4, 2014
posted by Blitz at 9:18 AM on March 4, 2014
I agree yoga is expensive. The cheesy and cheap way to do this is to pick a new studio each month and take advantage of their introductory offers. Lots of places have $20 for 2 weeks of unlimited yoga. Works best in a large city.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:21 AM on March 4, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:21 AM on March 4, 2014 [2 favorites]
Kripalu has free hour-long videos online.
posted by Shadow Boxer at 10:13 AM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Shadow Boxer at 10:13 AM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Wow, based on this thread I just downloaded Yoga Studio and did a workout from it. Not explicitly mentioned above is the fact that they have pre-made workouts that you can copy and then edit, adding or deleting poses, which is absolutely key for me--I have serious back issues and there are a lot of poses that I just ain't doing, so I end up sitting through sections of most videos, which is no fun. I LOVE this. Brilliant.
posted by HotToddy at 10:23 AM on March 4, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by HotToddy at 10:23 AM on March 4, 2014 [3 favorites]
I like Eckhart Yoga, there's free videos on YouTube and you subscribe on her website for about $15/month.
I also have been tempted to try DirtyYoga, another subscription web-based "studio".
posted by jrobin276 at 12:40 PM on March 4, 2014
I also have been tempted to try DirtyYoga, another subscription web-based "studio".
posted by jrobin276 at 12:40 PM on March 4, 2014
Best answer: Yet another vote for the amazing Yoga Studio app for iOS. I've been using it for months now and I recommend it to all my friends who already have experience with yoga.
posted by Librarypt at 4:44 PM on March 4, 2014
posted by Librarypt at 4:44 PM on March 4, 2014
I really like the videos at www.yogatoday.com. All levels, gorgeous settings, they post new videos frequently. Currently $9/month or $90/year.
posted by inatizzy at 7:02 PM on March 4, 2014
posted by inatizzy at 7:02 PM on March 4, 2014
I've recommended these several times here:
Gaiam AM PM yoga
AM routine
PM routine
Anything by Gaiam is good IME and there are plenty of videos on YouTube. I also like this video by YouTube's sunroseyoga:
Yoga Sequence for Tight Upper Back, Shoulders and Neck
She's got 65 videos all together but I've only done the one so far.
posted by fozzie_bear at 9:21 PM on March 4, 2014
Gaiam AM PM yoga
AM routine
PM routine
Anything by Gaiam is good IME and there are plenty of videos on YouTube. I also like this video by YouTube's sunroseyoga:
Yoga Sequence for Tight Upper Back, Shoulders and Neck
She's got 65 videos all together but I've only done the one so far.
posted by fozzie_bear at 9:21 PM on March 4, 2014
You might want to see if any local studios need help. I work the front desk a couple hours each week and get unlimited classes in return. It's pretty great!
posted by pea_shoot at 10:40 PM on March 5, 2014
posted by pea_shoot at 10:40 PM on March 5, 2014
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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:59 AM on March 4, 2014 [10 favorites]