Why Doing Yoga Anonymously Might Be the Answer

Even when we know that something is good for us, we often let barriers get in the way. Yoga is an example of this.

We’ve seen the studies that tell us that doing yoga can lower our cortisol levels, lengthen and strengthen our muscles, and help us stretch in a way that we simply would not do if left to our own devices. We recently posted an article about how yoga can actually improve your skin and make you look younger.

It’s a practice that yields benefits not just for our bodies but for our minds and spirits as well, a practice that makes us stronger while asking us to quiet our minds.

But many of us are still not doing it as much as we’d like to.

The excuses abound—yoga studios are expensive, toting around your mat is inconvenient, and it can be nerve wracking to be in a room full of people who make balancing upside-down look as easy as going out and getting the mail.

So you tell yourself you’ll do yoga at home, you stretch back into a downward dog, and five minutes later you’re cleaning your room or doing something else that’s not yoga. Turns out having the instructor guiding you can be pretty helpful sometimes.

We Heart Yogis Anonymous

This month’s We Heart is Yogis Anonymous, which pretty much solves all of the problems we’ve described above.

It’s a way for you to do yoga—as much yoga as you want—without having to drive across town or spend a lot of money. Trying it for two weeks is free, and from there you just pay $15 a month, the price of one class at many studios!

Ally Hamilton is the woman behind this online studio, which is also a real studio in Santa Monica, California where she has assembled an amazing group of instructors. In addition to teaching classes in person here, instructors post videos on Yogis Anonymous.

Ally started practicing yoga after doing ballet at 12 years. She needed something to fill in that gap, and laughs at herself for thinking at the time that yoga wouldn’t be challenging enough for her.

Fast forward to now, with her second book about yoga coming out in August, her studio a hub for Southern California yogis and her online business bringing yoga to you, right in your home. You can take her classes on Yogis Anonymous, which she describes as a “sweaty, mixed levels vinyasa flow class with plenty of room to play with arm balances and inversions” in this article on Mind Body Green. She goes on to say “I do my best to convey the idea that we are using the body as a tool to explore the relationship we’re having with ourselves, and to examine our state of mind and our tendencies.”

Her passion for yoga is genuine, and her classes reflect that.

Some of Our Favorite Yogis Anonymous Classes

Perhaps the best thing about Yogis Anonymous is the abundance and variety of classes you can take. If you’re wanting to deviate from the normal sun salutations and warrior poses, you have literally dozens upon dozens of options. Here are some of our favorite classes so far:

The Yoga of Food – Guided Meditation to Help Eliminate Sugar Cravings

A 9 session series that helps you eliminate stress and sugar cravings, taught by Josie Kramer, whose work includes studies in yoga, massage, and psychology.

From Pain to Peace

Ally created this series for people who are looking to make big changes in their lives. This intermediate series has four classes, the last being a guided meditation around the idea of ‘learning to be with what is.’

Yoga for Commuters

Instructor Courtney guides you through a 30 minute session for those who spend a lot of time in the car. If that’s you, you know that all this time behind the wheel can leave you feeling stiff and tightened. This is a great, quick class to help you unwind and realign after a drive.

Try It

Get 15 days for free by clicking here. We think you’ll really enjoy it and can’t wait to hear what you think!

We Heart Contest

Thank you to everyone who entered our We Heart Contest we are no longer taking submissions as we are now looking into all of your awesome recommendations! Next month’s We Heart will feature the winning nomination.

To see who we’ve featured in the past, click here.