As the world adapted through a pandemic, many practitioners, as well as yoga teachers and instructors, shifted from in-person fitness and wellness activities to hybrid and online offerings.
It brought an unprecedented opportunity for those who have never felt comfortable venturing out to the gym or the yoga studio for a plethora of reasons, to find a new way to access fitness, wellness, and yoga practice.
Finding the best yoga app for beginners is no easy feat since it is a deeply personal choice based on many factors.
You can, of course, find great free classes on YouTube, but if you’re a beginner in need of guidance or you’re getting back into the practice and what you’d like is to build community and consistency, trying a yoga platform or a yoga app may be a more supportive and provide you with better tools to evolve your yoga practice.
In this article, we’ll tell you all about the best yoga app for beginners; we will explore several so you can decide for yourself which is the best yoga app for beginners, and more importantly, for your particular needs.
- 6 Reasons to Start Using a Yoga App
- Best Yoga App For Beginners | 4 Top Picks
Get your Android or IOS device out and read on to find the best yoga app for beginners, and for you!
6 Reasons to Start Using a Yoga App
If like most of us these days you’re always on the go, going to your local yoga studio may not always be an option, making building the habit of practice as a new yogi a bit challenging.
When you have access to your favorite yoga app, making time to practice becomes a bit easier because of several reasons, including:
1. You don’t need to walk/stroll/ drive/ride anywhere, saving you commuting time as well as saving you money.
2. You can practice with your favorite teacher any time you want
3. A monthly membership on the best yoga app for beginners is often less than the cost of one drop-in yoga class at the studio.4. All you need is a phone or tablet and internet connection (some apps even offer the option to download a certain amount of classes to your device, too!)
5. It will give you access to teachers and a community of students that is diverse, vibrant, and supportive.
6. You can practice from anywhere in the world, whether you’re home, on your lunch break at work, or traveling for pleasure or business.
Best Yoga App For Beginners | 4 Top Picks
Now depending on what style of yoga you like, what device and interface you’ll be using to practice, and even the general vibe you may be into, here are our top picks for best yoga app for beginners.
#4: Yogi Approved
What began with a focus on all things yoga-related – informative articles, tutorials, Instagram giveaways, and product reviews, Yogi Approved now also has an on-demand yoga, fitness and wellness app with videos serving a global community.
With a 14-day free trial to give you a feel for their teachers and their style, Yogi Approved offers a monthly membership for $15.99 per month, or you can save a bit by going annual at $159,99 per year.
Once you become a member, you can also download some classes to your device so you can use them when you’re out of network.
This app has a 4.9 and a 4.8 on their iOS app and Android App respectively, this is the best yoga app for beginners if you’re looking for a modern, relaxed style that focuses on asana and the physical practice.
This yoga app offers hundreds of classes with teachers like Yogi Approved’s founder herself, Ashton August, TikTok comedian and meditation teacher Yogi Bryan, and many other (mostly) US Based yoga instructors.
They offer both on demand as well as live classes, and they have a strong fitness focus, offering mostly hatha, vinyasa, and power style classes.
#3: Ekhart Yoga
Founded by Esther Ekhart 10-years ago as an evolution of her free YouTube channel that began in 2008 and has over 300k subscribers, Ekhart Yoga is the best yoga app for beginners interested in exploring a wide variety of yoga styles with global teachers dedicated to their own yogic path.
Ekhart Yoga is a virtual yoga studio and app with a very active group of teachers and students from all across the world excited to share all things yoga, with a “beyond the asana” approach, rooted in yogic traditions and philosophy.
For those students looking to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, and explore the layers of the yoga practice, Ekhart Yoga is the best yoga app for beginners.
Some of the main features of the app are:
- 4500+ yoga and meditation classes for all levels and styles
- download up to 10 videos to your phone or tablet for watching offline
- stream classes via Apple TV or Chromecast to your TV
Ekhart Yoga also offers a 14-day trial where you can check out their classes, programs, and curated playlists, and you can practice with international teachers like David Kam, Meghan Currie, David Lurey, and Irina Verwer.
#2: Insight Timer | Meditation App
If you’re interested in improving your meditation habits, you want to practice yoga, meditation, and other wellness practices with live teachers, from your phone, Insight timer is for you.
This app has a community of more than 21 million people around the world, and an impressive 5 million downloads on Google Play and a 4.8 rating, and more than 300k on the Apple store and rated at 4.9.
Insight Timer is the best yoga app for beginners that want to focus on the 7th limb of yoga and master the art and lifechanging practice of meditation.
With 80+ new free guided meditations added daily, more meditation is practiced on Insight Timer than anywhere else. Great for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
This app is free to use and these are some of the features it includes:
- Thousands of guided meditations
- Select by time for short meditations when on the go, helping you to build a simple daily habit
- Thousands of music tracks and ambient sounds to calm the mind, focus, sleep better and relax
- Follow your favorite teachers
- Thousands of discussion groups and community features
- Stats and milestones for tracking your progress
- Integration with Apple Health Mindful Minutes
- Browse popular topics
There is also a paid version of this app at $59,99 per year or $9,99 a month that allows you access to courses, trainings, and other bonus content.
Some of their top-rated teachers include Sarah Blondin, Liza Colpa, Kenneth Soares, and many other incredible yoga and meditation teachers and sound healers from around the world.
#1: Glo | Yoga and Meditation App
Formerly known as YogaGlo and founded in 2008, Glo has a 4.9 rating on the App Store with more than 27k ratings, and a 3.9 rating with over 10k ratings on the Play Store.
Glo features yoga teachers like internationally celebrated authors Kathryn Budig, Amy Ippoliti, and Tiffany Cruikshank and offers a clean, simple interface that will allow you to customize your experience and find the perfect class every time you’re ready to hit your mat.
Offering a 7-day free trial to all new students after they register, Glo is a great app offering:
- 5,000+ on-demand classes available to download
- Daily live classes led by world-renowned teachers
- 16+ styles including Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Pilates, Strength, Cardio, and more
- Variety of class lengths ranging from 2 to 90 minutes
- Personalized class recommendations to reach your goals
- 90+ programs designed to improve sleep, build strength, offer prenatal support, and more
- A new 10-minute Daily Mindfulness practice is released each day
Conclusion
What the best yoga app for beginners is, can be deeply personal, so we encourage you to take advantage of some of their free trials, and see what app you align with most and where you find your favorite teachers.
To learn more about styles of yoga so you can continue to expand your knowledge, check out our Yoga Styles section.
