Jan 2021 Update: This is a repost from a blog post I wrote back in 2018 – but I added a little bit of spice to make it COVID-relevant and show off some new products that I’m loving. Thank you to Shaman’s Market for the products! 

How Can I Get Into Yoga Online in 2021?

Hey friends! 2021 is here, and although we all hoped to wake up to COVID being a big, bad dream – it’s not. So I wanted to bring back a blog post I wrote three years ago, with some recommendations about where to practice Yoga online.

Personally, I’ve chosen to stay out of the Yoga studio in 2020. The studios I’ve practiced at in the past have not been strict about mask usage, and I didn’t want any grocery store trips or occasional outdoor coffee shop visits to result in spreading COVID to the Yoga community. Yoga, to me, is about showing up for people on your mat. If that means metaphorically showing up by staying home and sacrificing group practice to keep everyone safe, I’m willing to wait until I’m vaccinated to join my fellow Yogis face-to-face. Plus, I’ve been hosting monthly Yin classes on Zoom and recording meditations on Insight Timer – there are ways for us to connect virtually, and I’m willing to explore them in 2021.

(Interested in joining the Yin classes? Reach out to me on Instagram – @climb_and_flow – and I’ll add you to the list!)

#YogaGoals for 2021

There is still room for exploration within the Yoga practice, even if you’re not at a studio or paying a membership. As you can see, I’ve been given a beautiful gift from the team at Shamans Market: Palo Santo and an Avalokiteshvara Singing Bowl.

On the bottom of the bowl is the Avalokiteshvara mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum. This chant suggests that through the union of the practice and wisdom, you can transform yourself into a being with pure mind, body, and soul. Is there a better mantra for a new year?

My goal for this year is to bring this mantra, and this singing bowl into my practice. I am so grateful to Shamans Market for this gift, and I recommend checking them out if you are looking to enhance your year with a singing bowl, Palo Santo, or essential oils! There is so much stuff on their website.

And in the meantime, if you’re looking to explore some at-home Yoga practices, look no further! All of these resources and flows are available online.

Enjoy! Namaste!

This One Specific 15-Minute Flow 

For years, this was the only yoga flow I knew. This is a 15-minute practice that allows you to salute the sun and get a little flow in when you wake up. This flow actually helped me figure out I wanted to teach yoga; I was doing the flow in Poland with friends and the wifi gave out so I took over, taught the flow that I had memorized at that point, and realized that I wanted to do that for the rest of my life.

Jason Crandell also has a great set of poses for the evening, which you can find below.

Do Yoga With Me

This is actually a recommendation that comes from my college therapist. (Shout out to Kate, the real MVP.) DoYogaWithMe has a lot of free classes that range from restorative to Kundalini to butt-kicking vinyasa. My favorite teachers are Fiji McAlpine, Tracey Noseworthy, and David Procyshyn.

Black Swan Yoga TV

Of course, I’ve got to give a shout out to the studio that sealed the deal for me in Austin. Black Swan Yoga has the kindest teachers I’ve ever met, but they can also kick your ass and get you into shape. All of the teachers are beautiful souls and are wonderful teachers and before I name favorites (as if I could choose one) I’ll just tell you to try it out and enjoy the meditations, flows, and pose breakdown available on the site.

Yoga with Adriene

Here’s another Austin teacher for you! Yoga with Adriene is one of the top yoga teachers on YouTube. She has tons of challenges, explains poses, and is really approachable for new yogis.

Bad Yogi

Bad Yogi is a similar teacher, but a bit sassier. If you are very new to yoga and not into chakras or ‘om’-ing and all the spiritual stuff, Erin Motz is a good teacher to introduce you to yoga without any spiritual stuff. You can also find yoga challenges on her channel as well!

Okay, I Have a YouTube Channel Too

Also me. I have a blog and work in social media but cringe at promoting myself or my practice. I began filming yoga classes to document my trip throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. The classes are lighthearted vinyasa flows, recorded in Austin before my trip. The one above was filmed in the first week of my backpacking trip in Thailand, after the infamous Full Moon Parties.

I am still new at this, and if you want to watch, I would love love love some feedback. You are wonderful!

What Yoga Teachers and Online Videos Have Helped You Through Your Journey? Let me know in the comments!