Yoga has been a key component in my self-care routine for the past 5 years. Not only has yoga helped me feel stronger physically, it has helped to align and support my emotional, mental, and spiritual growth in ways that I could never have imagined or deemed possible.
My very first memories of yoga were as a kid. My mom tells me that we did yoga together, though I don’t really remember it. What I do remember, however, is a book we had at home* that showed pictures of all the different poses. Tree pose was my favorite, probably because I was bendy from gymnastics. I also loved how it calmed my mind and gave me something to focus on.
I didn’t find yoga again until I was an adult. The gym I belonged to had free yoga classes and so I would pop in from time to time. It made me feel like a kid again — tapping into that strength and flexibility I had so enjoyed when I was younger. But I stopped doing it after I was in a car accident and had sciatic nerve pain in my back.
It wasn’t until I found Yoga with Adriene and her 30 Days of Yoga challenge that I got back into a regular yoga practice. Perhaps it was the fact that she talked to her (ridiculously amazing) cat leggings or that her videos made me feel better (and stronger, and more at peace). I didn’t care. I was hooked.
Since then, I have embarked upon 4 different 30-day challenges and even made yoga the focus of my second #The100DayProject. Each time I get myself on the mat, I am reminded at how powerful the practice of yoga is because of how it engages my body, mind, and soul.
3 of my favorite yoga resources online
Over the course of all that yoga-ing, I have found some truly awesome resources (all free). Naturally, I wanted to share them with you. So here are 3 of my favorite yoga resources online (okay, on YouTube):
Yoga with Adriene
Yoga with Adriene is hands down my favorite resource for yoga. Hosted by Adriene Mishler, an actress, international yoga teacher and entrepreneur from Austin, Texas, the YWA archives are as deep as her knowledge about yoga. She tackles the basics of yoga, breathwork, offers a different 30-day challenge at the start of every year, and even has a robust paid community for those who want to dive even deeper with their yoga practice.
Some of my favorite videos from YWA:
- Yoga for when you’re angry
- Let It Go Yoga Flow
- 10-Minute Yoga For Self Care
- Morning Yoga For Beginningers
- Detox Yoga | 20 Minute Yoga Flow for Detox and Digestion
Yoga by Candace
Hosted by Candace Moore, international yoga instructor and author of Namaslay*, Yoga by Candace offers a treasure trove of yoga videos and free resources. I stumbled upon her channel when looking for a quick morning yoga sequence and have been happily surprised by every video of hers that I do. She offers a wide variety of class length and difficulty, making it easy to mix things up in your regular practice.
Some of my favorite videos from Yoga by Candace are:
- 15 Minute Morning Yoga to Wake Up
- Short Gentle Yoga Sequence
- 20 Minute Gentle Hatha Yoga Stretch
- 15 minute gentle morning yoga
- 30 Minute Restorative Yoga and Meditation
YOGATX
What started as an Austin, TX based channel (hence the name), YOGATX is another great resource. In a departure from the first two channels listed above, YOGATX offers several different instructors who teach under their platform. My two favorite instructors are Cole Chance and Jen Hilman; I always seem to gravitate towards their videos when I’m looking for something new to try out.
Some of my favorite videos from YOGATX are:
- Morning Yoga – 15 Minute Beginners Revitalizing Yoga
- Yoga For Beginners – Gentle Full Body Stretches For Flexibility & Relaxation
- Full Body Yoga – Quick 20 Minute Power Yoga Workout
- Yoga For Neck and Shoulder Pain – 20 Minute Beginners Yoga For Neck, Back, & Shoulder Pain
- Deep Hip Opening Stretches – Beginners Yoga Sequence
Honorable Mentions
While the resources listed above are my absolute favorite and ones that I use regularly for my personal home practice, there are several other videos and channels that I enjoy on a regular basis.
Here are some of those channels with a favorite video or resource:
- Five Parks Yoga w/Erin Sampson (try this Neck & Shoulder Workout)
- Body Positive Yoga (try the free 7-day yoga exploration)
- Jessamyn Stanley (try Yoga Warm-Up Poses- Morning Sequence and this 8-Minute Yoga for Self-Love)
- Brett Larkin Yoga (try this Beginner Yoga for Stress Relief)
* This is an affiliate link.
One more thing…
This episode of the Nourish + Flourish podcast is all about yoga and why Betsy and I BOTH feel that it’s more than just a great way to work the body. I consider this a foundational class from Betsy because she talks in depth about the yamas and niyamas. I was so happy to have this conversation with her while doing my 100 Days of Yoga challenge because it really helped me to understand everything that I was experiencing and learning during that time.
