5 Of The Best Android Apps For Yoga
For those unfamiliar with the practice, yoga might sound like a 'woo-hoo' type of activity, something that seems more mystical than practical. But numerous studies say otherwise. As a holistic approach to wellness, yoga can have a positive impact on our health, from the physical aspect to the emotional one. One study published in the National Library of Medicine says it's effective in preventing and reversing bone loss. Another research mentioned how yoga could be beneficial for patients suffering from depression. Johns Hopkins Medicine also links this practice to healthier hearts. And then there are the more visible benefits, such as improved flexibility, strength, and balance. With such benefits, it's no wonder yoga is growing in popularity. In the U.S. alone, there are at least 34 million yoga practitioners.
If you're considering picking up yoga or are an experienced yogi looking to structure your practice with technology, you can find a handful of helpful yoga apps on the Google Play Store to cater to your needs. Here are five of the best ones, based on user reviews.
Down Dog
With a solid five-star rating and over 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store, Down Dog is easily the leading go-to app for yoga. What makes it unique is that it doesn't come with pre-recorded yoga tutorials you can just pick and follow. Instead, you create the yoga practice yourself. Every time you open the app, you can customize different aspects of the practice, such as:
- Practice type: The type of yoga you want to do for your current session. There are 10 options available, including Vinyasa, Restorative, Sleep Meditation, Chair Yoga, and Yoga Nidra.
- Time: Total session time. Depending on the practice type you select, you can adjust the duration from as short as four minutes to as long as 80 minutes.
- Level: Skill level. Down Dog caters to five skill levels: Beginner 1 (brand new to yoga), Beginner 2 (took some classes), Intermediate 1 (already comfortable), Intermediate 2 (can handle most poses), and Advanced (can handle hard poses).
- Voice: The instructor's voice. Pick from one of six available voices.
- Music style: The background music playing during the practice.
- Boost: The part of the body or practice area you want to focus on during the session. Options include upper body strength, standing balances, flexibility, and backbends, among other things.
Down Dog comes with a free version but with limited features. If you want to be able to customize all the aspects of the practice and gain access to all the practice types, you need a subscription. The monthly plan costs US$9.99, while the yearly plan costs $59.99.
Find What Feels Good
Find What Feels Good (FWFG) is a yoga app by international yoga teacher and YouTube content creator Adriene Mishler. It comes complete with at least 900 videos, neatly organized into categories for ease of use. There's the Yoga section, where you can find individual yoga practices by Mishler and other guest teachers. There's also separate 30 Days of Yoga Collections, featuring different playlists of 30-day yoga journeys you can start. If you're looking for more specific yoga practices, you can check out the Curated Playlists section which comes with playlists for various types of practices, from morning yoga to upper body focus to seated sessions.
Other nifty categories featured in the app include the Mindfulness section (guided meditations and other focused videos), the Train section (yoga and fitness-related videos like core workouts, pilates, and shoulder health lessons), and Off The Mat (non-yoga-related content such as healthy recipes, home life tips, and travel). Another handy feature of FWFG is the in-app calendar. Every day, you automatically get one or two scheduled yoga videos, so you won't have to waste time browsing and deciding what sessions to watch for the day. You can also add a custom video to your calendar if you want to.
The downside of FWFG is that the videos are gated behind a subscription. Membership costs $12.99 for the monthly account and $129.99 for the annual account. To get a sense of what the app offers before you buy, however, you can watch some of the yoga content on Adriene's YouTube channel as they also get uploaded to the app.
WHO mYoga
Developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Government of India's Ministry of AYUSH, and Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in India, the WHO mYoga app is one of the best tools for learning yoga basics. WHO mYoga features learning videos and practice sessions deemed safe for anyone between 12 and 65.
There's a total of 31 learning videos in the app, covering a range of postures or asanas suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced practitioners. The videos, which are conveniently less than seven minutes long and downloadable for offline use, guide you through the poses and explain the physical benefits associated with each. After you've gone through the learning videos, the app unlocks posture sequences or vinyasas for practice. These include options for 10, 20, or 45 minute sessions. If you're looking to challenge yourself and test out the postures without visual guidance, you can find audio versions of the practices in the app too.
The best part is that it's completely free to download and use. You don't need to sign up or subscribe to access all the in-app videos. However, it's worth noting that the app is primarily aimed at yoga beginners or instructors, so it focuses more on the teaching aspect than the practice. Once you master the 45-minute sequence, the app doesn't offer further content.
Insight Timer
So you want to practice yoga but hate paying for a yoga app or having to hop on YouTube to look for free yoga sessions to watch. In that case, you might want to check out Insight Timer. It's generally known as a meditation app, but it includes a dedicated yoga section. Here, you can find hundreds of live yoga sessions, completely free of charge. They come in a variety of forms. Some sessions repeat every weekday like an in-person yoga class, while others are one-off events. There are also various instructors leading the sessions. If you want to learn more about a particular instructor, just go to their profile and check out their About page. This will tell you if they're a certified yoga instructor, when they joined Insight Timer, and other relevant details.
Accessing these yoga sessions is hassle-free — no need to create an account in the app. All you have to do is download Insight Timer, pick a session to attend, and show up on the scheduled date and time. The app sends you a reminder five minutes before the session, so you won't miss it. You can also add the event to your Google Calendar.
Beyond yoga, Insight Timer comes complete with a plethora of mindfulness features. There's a journal for your thoughts, quotes for motivation, and music tracks aimed to lift up your spirits. To get more features like courses and challenges, you can opt to sign up for a Plus account for S$9.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
5 Minute Yoga
If you're keen on adding yoga to your daily routine but short on time, 5 Minute Yoga might just be what you need. As its name suggests, the app features sessions that last about five minutes, typically ranging from four to six minutes. Every day, you get a new session comprised of different poses that depend on the section you choose. There's an Easy section for beginners, Medium for intermediate practitioners, and Hard for advanced learners. You can also find a Pose and Hold section, where you can practice foundational poses every day for exactly five minutes. If you're looking for a specific routine ideal for morning or night, you can explore the Morning Energy and Evening wind down sections. Each session in the app shows you the name of the pose, written instructions, and a graphic of the pose. Unfortunately, there are no guided instructions to walk you through the session; only music is played in the background. Aside from the daily sessions, 5 Minute Yoga also has challenges to keep you on your toes. These include options like 6 in 5 (practicing six poses in five minutes for 100 days) and Zen challenge (20 days of yoga for stress reduction).
There's a free and paid version of 5 Minute Yoga you can use. However, the free version only offers access to the Morning Energy and Evening wind down sessions (free every Wednesday and Sunday, respectively) and the Total Beginners challenge. To access all the sessions, you can subscribe to the Pro version worth $59.99 for two years, $29.99 for one year, or $4.99 for one month.