How to Practice Yoga at Home - Watch the Best Videos with Step by Step Instructions

Yoga is an ancient technique used to help connect your body, mind, and soul. This ancient practice has seen a gradual gain in popularity over the past few decades.

Although sticking to an exercise or workout routine may seem difficult, yoga can be one of those light and relatively easy exercises you can do anywhere. Thanks to technology, you can now do yoga in the comfort of your home!

All you need is a yoga mat, some space in your home, and an app or video to guide you through the exercise. In this article, you’ll learn some poses, as well as the best yoga apps and video guides to help you get started.

• Yoga for Beginners
• The Simply Yoga App
• The Grokker App 
• The 5-Minute Yoga App
• Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
• Urdhva Hastasana (Raised Arms Pose)
• Malasana (Garland Pose)
• Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose)
• Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose)
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)

Yoga for Beginners

The beauty of yoga is that you do not have to be an expert to enjoy it or reap the rewards; yoga is an exercise for everyone. 

The first step in starting your yoga journey is to find a comfortable spot where you can do your exercises. Try to find somewhere quiet and peaceful so your mind can relax and meditate. 

Have a yoga mat available, or improvise on carpets, beds, or other possible alternatives.  However, be keen on safety, especially if you are a beginner. Be gentle on your knees, hips, spine, and neck, and careful when moving your body around. 

The best tip for doing yoga is to practice yoga regularly. For beginners, you may start with a twice or three times per week session until you have the discipline and drive to do yoga every day. 

Benefits of Yoga 

Yoga is a meditative exercise that allows you to get a workout in without being too strenuous. 

It’s also a great choice for at-home workouts and offers benefits not only physically but mentally as well.

Yoga can help you start your day with the right frame of mind, and it can help give you energy throughout the day. Here are a few apps you can try to start an easy home practice.

The Simply Yoga App

The Simply Yoga app is one of the most popular free yoga apps out there, available on the Google Play Store and the App Store. 

The app is beginner-friendly and offers six routines that were developed especially for first-timers in yoga. 

Each routine ranges from 20-60 minutes long, but there is also plenty of content for those who are advanced or used to more complex poses.

The app boasts trainers who are certified professionals and professionally created videos with clear and precise instructions. The videos explain how and when to start and end a pose, as well as the intricacies of how to get into each pose. 

The App’s Best Features 

Simply Yoga is a straightforward app with over 35 different poses catering to all levels. You can also select how long you want your yoga session to last, depending on your schedule. 

You can do a quick 20-minute session if you’re busy, but you can also spice things up with their 60-minute programs. 

The Grokker App

If you’re a free spirit looking for little to no structure in your yoga routines, Grokker is an app you will become best friends with. 

The app has more than 1,000 videos of yoga and meditation, aside from general fitness tips and cooking tips as a bonus. Talk about an all-around app!

The app can be downloaded for free on the Google Play Store and the App Store. 

Grokker’s Yoga Programs

Each of Grokker’s Yoga programs has different objectives and targets. 

The 21-day Athlete Program, for instance, is a great program to follow if you are into building muscles or shedding a few pounds. This program lasts for nearly a month with 15-minute workout sessions every day. 

The shorter 7-minute yoga sessions, on the other hand, consist of low-impact movement which is a perfect warm-up for those with sore muscles.

The 5-Minute Yoga App

If you really want to try yoga but can’t seem to find the time on your busy schedule, this app is the best solution for you. 

If you’re a bit pressed for time, you can always squeeze in a quick 5-minute workout. 

The app is also perfect for beginners as each pose in the workout is clearly illustrated, with a timer feature that ensures you do the pose for an appropriate time period. Aside from that, the instructions are incredibly detailed too. 

The app is downloadable on the Google Play Store and on the App Store. 

Simple Yet Effective 

The app may be simple and straightforward, but it has the essential features of a good yoga app. Aside from that, a 5-minute workout is an ingenious idea that can be repeated as many times as you wish. 

You could do one in the morning before the daily grind, and another one before you go to bed to improve the quality of your sleep and to give you a good night’s rest. 

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Now we move on to the poses you can learn and incorporate into your yoga workout. It is important to move slowly into and during each pose and continue to breathe as you move. 

Though the Tadasana pose may look like you are just standing still, there is more to it than meets the eye. You will start with your heels firmly planted in the ground. Your legs will be tight, and your shoulders will be aligned directly over your hips. 

Then, you will want to relax your shoulders, while your head should be held straight and tall. While you do this pose, it is important to maintain your breathing. 

Where To Learn the Tadasana

There are several videos on YouTube that incorporate the Tadasana or Mountain Pose in their routines. 

If you want to learn the pose first, you can check out video tutorials from Yoga Screen or Yoga with Adriene.

Urdhva Hastasana (Raised Arms Pose)

This pose starts with inhaling deeply as you bring your arms up over your head. This is a great basic morning stretch that can help you maintain good posture. 

You will want to make sure that your heels are firmly planted on the ground and your shoulders are relaxed. 

Then, you will reach up into the sky, feeling the stretch all the way up the sides of your body and through to your fingers. You can tilt your head up if it is more comfortable for you.

Your hands can either be held shoulder-width apart or together in a prayer hands position. 

Where To Learn the Urdhva Hastasana

You can check out the great YouTube video from Siddhi Yoga to learn the pose. Meanwhile, another YouTube video from YogaUOnline shows a yoga exercise incorporating the Raised Arms Pose. 

Malasana (Garland Pose)

For this pose, start with your feet planted firmly at the edges of the yoga mat. Then, bend your knees and drop your body into a squat position. 

If you need to turn your toes out for support, that’s perfectly fine. Your feet should be flat. If they aren’t, you can sit on a stool to ensure your feet and heels are planted on the ground. 

The Garland pose is a great way to open up your hips if you are someone who works at a desk all day or drives a car for a living. 

Where To Learn the Malasana

Online there is a great tutorial video by Yoga With Adriene that shows a comprehensive guide in illustrating the pose. 

For a 30-minute yoga routine with the Malasana pose, check out Nancy Nelson’s ‘Fancy Flow - Malasana’ video on Youtube.

Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose)

This pose you may already be familiar with as it’s a simple but excellent stretch commonly used to warm up or cool down during sports.

For this pose, you will want to be seated on your mat with one leg bent at the knee. Then, you will want to stretch down your extended leg, placing your hands on the soles of that foot. 

Hold this position while breathing. Then, switch legs and do the same with the other one. 

Where To Learn the Janu Sirsasana

For a quick guide on how to learn the pose, you can check out the YouTube video by Yoga Shala. 

For a 15-minute exercise that focuses on this head-to-knee pose, watch Mind Body Soul's YouTube video and follow for a complete yoga routine. 

Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose)

For the Happy Baby Pose, you will need to be laying on your mat with your back flat on the ground. Then, you will bring your knees up into your chest. 

Your legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Now, flex your feet, holding them with your hands from the outside. 

Once you have a hold, bring your knees deeper towards you. Roll your body from side to side just a bit. 

Hold this position while breathing for about five breaths, and then stretch your legs back out on the floor so your back is flat on the mat again. 

Where To Learn the Ananda Balasana

To master this pose, watch the YouTube video from Ventuno Yoga. 

For a complete yoga workout with this pose, you can check out the YouTube video from ETV Life India and enjoy a workout doing the Happy Baby Pose. 

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)

Our last pose is a bit complicated, so be careful. Start on your hands and knees with your hands stacked under your shoulders and knees under your hips. 

Spread your hands wide and press your index finger and thumb into the mat. Then, lift your tailbone and press your bottom up into the air and back. Draw your hips toward the ceiling. Straighten your legs. 

Remember that your head should be between your arms, facing your knees. Your back should be flat. 

Where To Learn the Adho Mukha Svanasana

Check out the 5-minute YouTube video on the downward-dog pose from Ventuno Yoga. 

For a more comprehensive step-by-step guide, watch the video from Mind Body Soul on YouTube which can also count as a single workout. 

Conclusion

As you can see, yoga can be executed with no trouble and very little equipment from the safety and comfort of your own home. 

There are many more poses, apps, and tons of great workouts that can be found online. We hope we have helped get you started on your way to a more healthy, happier you.