How to Practice Yoga on a Budget

As some of you may know I am recent yoga enthusiast. I first discovered yoga 3 years ago when Bikram Hot Yoga was very popular. Back then I wasn't looking for something that would challenge me mentally, I was only looking for a good workout - hence why I decided to go to Bikram. Only after a few months I fell out of it. I became bored with the classes and I was no longer looking forward to going. Instead I was dragging myself there and eventually stopped going at all.

As time went on I felt bad that I was no longer going to yoga. As I reflected on the past I realized that going to Bikram gave me a lot more than physical strength. It gave me mental strength and allowed me to be more at peace. I have problems with anxiety and turning my emotions into anger. Going to yoga helped alleviate my anger. It helped me to become a happier person. As corny and typical as it may sound, yoga has taught me to learn to love myself, to take care of myself, and to appreciate myself. Last year I decided to get back into yoga. I practiced all different kinds of yoga and even ventured off into more relaxing classes such as yin (which now happens to be my favorite type of yoga). I should mention that yoga has also helped with my asthma because of its connection to breath and breathing exercises.

Now, here's the problem - going to a yoga class is so expensive! Where I live it costs approx. $16 dollars per class, a couple dollars less if you purchase packages. Most will say that you can practice yoga anywhere, and you can. But for those who are new to yoga or prefer to be guided by an instructor, what can you do if you are working with a budget?

Fortunately there are many great tools online that offer free full classes. YouTube is my best friend. Here are some channels/sites that I regularly visit to practice yoga:

Do Yoga With Me is a great site that features many different types of full length yoga classes that range from 20-60 minutes.

Do You Yoga offers a 30 day challenge that's perfect for beginners. Their videos feature introductions to sun salutations and advance poses such as the Crow Pose.They also feature a blog on their website that hosts fun yet helpful yoga tips. 

Bloom Yoga only has a few videos so far, but Terry's full-length Yin Yoga class (50 min.) remains to be one of my favorites. His approach to yoga is more traditional featuring a holistic approach that draws from traditions such as Buddhism, Indian Yogic Science, Christianity, Scientific Inquiry, Mythology, Psychology, and others