With a busy schedule working full time and single parenting a busy 2.5 year old, my workouts have to be fit in at home. I often find it hard to motivate myself to get into an intense workout in a small space with lack of equipment. This is where yoga has become a huge part of my workout routine. I don’t dread rolling out my mat by the time the toddler FINALLY falls asleep or even waking up to practice in silence while the sun wakes up. Yoga is also great to do with that crazy 2.5 year old running around me because sometimes he will even mimic a pose, or climb on my back for an extra challenge.
Someone asked me the other day how I do yoga from home. This is often a question I ask other yogi’s who practice at home as well. I’m not knowledgeable enough to be able to create my own flow and therefore turn to a few different outlets to get my flow on at home. I thought I would share with you some of the resources I use (or have used) personally for my practice, which are great for all yoga levels from beginner to advanced.
1) DVD’s – I feel like this is kind of an old school method, but there are tons of DVD’s out there. I personally pop in the Jillian Michaels Yoga Inferno and Yoga Meltdown , which aren’t really ‘true’ yoga but an amazing workout regardless. There’s tons of different videos to choose from which can be overwhelming.
2) CodyApp – I just recently learned about CodyApp thanks to another blog friend. There are tons of top yoga instructors who have created plans and bundles to help you succeed. This goes beyond yoga as well, which is really cool. Basically you pay for your plan and you have unlimited access to it on your computer, tablet, phone etc. I’ve downloaded Kino McGregor’s Ashtanga Primary Series ($39.99), but am looking at buying Sadie Nardini’s Yoga Shred for Weightless and Megan Currie’s Yoga Intelligence bundles. So many cool options!
3) The Breathing Room online videos – this is the studio I practice at locally and they’ve recently added online videos to their website. This option is available to pass holders and is a really great way to stay caught up if you miss your favourite class. The Breathing Room also offers prenatal, mom and baby or mom and tot yoga classes if you are able to pack up your herd and hit the studio.
4) Reflexion Yoga – This is another studio based out of Colorado. I stumbled upon their online classes from another blogger last year and LOVED their online videos. They offer more power yoga and yoga with weights for a really good yoga workout. They’ve even put together a couple different programs to follow to help transform your body, shrink your waist or get more flexy bendy. The yearly subscription was under $100, videos are great quality, the instructors have great humour, and the men are pretty nice on the eyes. If power yoga or yoga with weights is what you’re after, I definitely recommend giving this a try. They offer a free 7-day trial which is great to get a feel for the types of classes.
5) YogaGlo – this is another subscription based website. It’s $18/month for a few thousand videos at your fingertips. Whether you want to focus on one particular area, or only have a certain amount of time, there’s probably a video for you. And at the price of one drop in session, it’s a pretty good at home resource. I ended up cancelling my subscription after a few months because I became overwhelmed with all the choices. I like to have a plan laid out for me that’s easy to follow and I found that in Reflexion Yoga, so I decided to focus on one site instead of bouncing between both.
6) YouTube – There are TONS of free videos on YouTube. Often if you search your favourite instructor, they will have a page swimming with videos. No favourite instructor? Search whatever kind of yoga you are hoping to practice and be rewarded with tons of different options.
7) DoYouYoga.com – I’ve just stumbled across this site in the past week and am head over heels. There are SO many great articles, how-tos, videos and full yoga programs available at your fingers. Some programs are even free which makes it an even sweeter deal. I’m partway through a program, and loving it. The videos are under a half hour and highly effective, so I don’t even feel guilty that I haven’t been on my mat very long every day. They also send you daily emails to remind you of your workout and offer some extra tips and tricks as well.
Any other yogi mamas out there? What are your favourite resources for getting your "om" on at home?
Becky, the face behind The Bex Factor is a 28 year old working mom to a goofy two year old with a love for fitness and her community. Her passions include leading a healthy lifestyle through yoga, running, Crossfit, obstacle racing and healthy eating, and discovering the best local things to eat, see and do.