There isn’t a lot of options for me in terms of studios and I do better with something more structured rather than picking random YouTube videos. I really like Headspace for meditation and I was hoping to find something equally useful for my Yoga practice. Ideally an app that has video guides and some kind of structure to help me keep track of where I am.
Open to free or paid if they’re good enough.
My friend got me to download Down Dog, and you get to set your own practice length and difficulty, which is perfect but I think it was just the first one they saw. Is there something else I should start with?
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If you’re looking for structure without committing financially right away, then ‘Do Yoga with Me’ might be perfect since they have 500 free classes that are organized by level and style plenty to build a solid practice before deciding if the premium content is worth it.
It’s not as structured as some of the others but it’s better than picking random YouTube videos.
When I first started, I wish someone had told me to pick up actual books. There’s something about reading the philosophy that was way better than apps, for me at least.
I learned the hard way that alignment matters more than I thought. Set illustrations can be better than videos for making sure you’re posture is right. There’s no teacher to gently adjust our warrior pose or notice when we’re collapsing our shoulders.
Apps have been great for my practice and I normally avoid them. My therapist actually recommended Insight Time and wow it’s helped me transition off my anxiety and depression medications (with medical supervision of course).
I’ve created different playlists that flow with my day sunrise gratitude flows to start the morning, mild midday stretches when work gets stressful, and restorative evening sequences to unwind. The yoga nidra sessions are absolutely incredible like a full body mind reset! And those 1am wake ups? There’s perfect calming practices to ease me back to dreamland.
Sending you peaceful vibes and healing energy on your journey!
Okay but… everyone’s recommending apps when what really helps is getting a cheap full length mirror from Target. You can use any app but without seeing your alignment, you’re basically doing yoga blindfolded.
I’ll confess something I spent months bouncing between apps before realizing I was using them to avoid actually committing to my practice. I settled on the Alo Moves’ beginner series just because it was simple and easy to use. The instructors actually explain WHY you’re doing each movement, which helped my anxious brain stop questioning everything.
Okay not quite an app but it’s the same thing, Yoga with Kassandra on YouTube is my favorite!! She’s incredible at breaking down each pose while you’re flowing through them and she has a playlist you can just work your way through that has a proper progression. Same thing as you’d get with an app.
I use Pocket Yoga, it’s not going to be groundbreaking or anything but it’s handy.
Find What Feels Good Yoga is the app form Yoga with Adriene, which is basically the Bob Ross of yoga, except instead of happy little trees, you’ll be making happy little downward dogs. Her YouTube channel is a goldmine, complete with monthly calendars so you can pretend you’re organized while stretching in your pajamas.
Your friend actually picked a solid one. Down Dog is basically the Netflix of yoga apps with how it lets you customize everything, perfect if you tend to overthink your practice like I do!
Since you mentioned wanting structure similar to Headspace, you might also love Glo which has programs rather than random classes. If budget becomes an issue down the road, Insight Timer has surprisingly good free yoga content tucked between all their meditation stuff. Just requires a bit more digging to find the gems.
Honestly, I absolutely love Yoga with Adriene, but I’ve noticed her older videos might be missing some of the newer approaches to safe alignment and practice. I’d recommend checking out her more recent stuff or maybe mixing in some other current resources just to stay on top of things.
Down Dog is my go to app! 
The free version has everything you need to start your practice perfect for beginners finding their flow. Once you’re ready to level up, the paid boosters are there, but honestly the basics will carry you far. Can’t recommend it enough for anyone needing some guidance from home.
Down Dog can seem pricey but they do sales for the annual sub all the time.
The ability to customize every aspect of my practice from duration to difficulty has made it feel like having a personal yoga teacher who truly understands my body’s daily needs and I don’t feel like I’m taking them away from the rest of the class. The investment has paid for itself many times over in the consistency it’s brought to my practice, especially on those mornings when motivation runs low but the app’s calm voice guides me effortlessly from child’s pose to savasana.
Since you mentioned structure like Headspace, I’m curious if you’ve considered that jumping straight into video based practice might overwhelm you? Daily Yoga has these 5 minute audio only sessions that teach individual poses first. It’s less exciting than full flows, but building that foundation prevents the bad habits that take months to unlearn later.
Just a thought from someone who had to completely restart after developing wrist pain from poor form.