Editorial rating:
Yoga International is a yoga and meditation platform that earned 4 out of 5 stars from our independent review. They provide unlimited online yoga classes taught by seasoned yoga instructors. A Yoga International subscription costs $19.99 monthly or $169 annually and includes a seven-day free trial.
Rating of Yoga International
I’m a trained yoga instructor and have been practicing and studying yoga for over 20 years, which has helped me identify the most important elements that should be available in each app. In my review, I was impressed by Yoga International’s extensive library of yoga classes, earning them 5 out of 5 stars in our Variety and Volume of Content category. However, they lost points in our Beginners category because the amount of advanced content may seem overwhelming.
Pros & Cons of Yoga International
Yoga International provides a wide range of content from yoga classes to meditation, and breathwork. You can stream yoga classes on your TV, tablet, smartphone, or laptop. While the amount of content available is impressive, it may be daunting for a beginner.
Yoga International Key Takeaways
- Yoga International hosts some of the most experienced yoga instructors in the world.
- They have workshops that can be purchased separately that cover a wide range of yoga-related topics.
- Yoga International is a great resource for yoga teachers that may need continuing education credits.
Final Verdict
Overall, I found Yoga International to be an incredible resource and I would recommend it to those who are serious about building an at-home yoga practice. The amount of content and the quality of the teachers are their two biggest assets. I thoroughly enjoyed the classes, and I could spend hours diving into their articles and courses. Beginners might find their advanced content daunting, but if you hold a strong interest in learning about yoga and yogic philosophy, Yoga International is a terrific choice.
How to Sign Up for Yoga International
You can sign up for a membership by visiting the Yoga International website.
What Is Yoga International?
Yoga International is an all-inclusive yoga platform that allows members to access unlimited yoga classes on multiple devices. It’s easy to use and provides entry-level and advanced instruction. Subscriptions cost $19.99 monthly or $169.00 annually and includes a seven-day free trial.
A seven-day free trial period allows you to explore everything a Yoga International membership has to offer. There are a vast number of yoga classes to choose from, so thankfully, there’s a filter tool to narrow your search by teacher, duration, level of experience, style (e.g., Hatha, Ashtanga, Kundalini), and much more.
If you’re only looking for a 15-minute beginner stretch class that targets the lower back, you’ll be able to find it quickly and easily. Yoga International’s extensive library of content earned it 5 out of 5 stars in our Variety and Size of Library category from our scoring criteria for yoga apps.
In addition to yoga, you will also have access to guided meditations, breathwork, and educational courses on things like anatomy, philosophy, mindfulness, and nutrition. Some of these courses are included with your subscription, but premier courses with more intensive content on topics like yoga history and philosophy can be purchased separately.
All of your favorite classes and guided meditations will be located in your library for easy access. Even if you choose to use your smart TV for yoga, your account will sync, so you see your preferred classes in your library on all your devices. Yoga International is also streaming yoga-relatedTV shows and documentaries that you can view on your TV, app, or tablet.
Yoga Teacher Resources
There are a lot of great resources for yoga teachers on Yoga International, such as articles, podcasts, and educational online programs. They offer teacher trainings as well as several in-depth courses designed for professional yoga teachers. Yoga teachers that are registered through Yoga Alliance (RYT) can also get their continuing education hours through this service. To learn more, check out Yoga International’s certifications and CEU’s program.
Who Is the Yoga International Right For?
Yoga International is a significant resource for anyone interested in building a yoga practice and adapting a yogic lifestyle. It’s strongly recommended for professional yoga instructors, those who are looking for more than just a workout, or users who want to try multiple yoga styles.
You Are or Want to Become a Yoga Teacher
Yoga International has courses designed for certified and registered yoga teachers. Yoga teachers interested in completing continuing education hours online can find relevant courses on this platform. Yoga International is also an excellent resource for anyone hoping to become a yoga instructor in the future.
You Want More Than a Workout
If you’re just scratching the surface of yoga, you’ll quickly learn that it’s much more than just a workout. Yoga is an ancient practice that has a deep and rich history. Yoga International offers many educational tools to explore yoga philosophy and holistic health. This is a great service for those who want to go beyond a workout and gain a profound understanding of yoga, which is why Yoga International earns 5 out of 5 stars in our “Extra Resources and Features” category.
You Want to Try Different Yoga Styles
Yoga International showcases various yoga styles, such as Ashtanga, Hatha, Jivamukti, Kundalini, Vinyasa, Yin, and Iyengar. It also has specialized yoga classes with targeted purposes like restorative, conditioning, gentle, and prenatal. Yoga International is perfect for those interested in trying various yoga methods rather than focusing on one discipline.
Who May Want an Alternative to Yoga International?
Yoga International may not be the best fit for true beginners, those who just want to focus on fitness, and anyone who wants a curated program.
You’re Trying Yoga for the First Time
Yoga International does offer beginner classes, but the videos I viewed seemed like they would be difficult to follow for someone who is new to yoga. The app Yoga for Beginners | Mind & Body might be a better choice. It’s not as intimidating as Yoga International and focuses on yoga fundamentals for true newbies.
You Want to Focus on Fitness
While you can certainly get fit, lose weight, and build strength with Yoga International’s platform, it leans heavily on the spiritual side of yoga. Asana Rebel is advertised as a yoga-inspired fitness app, making it a solid alternative for those focused on conditioning, losing weight, and burning calories.
To learn more, check out our Asana Rebel review.
You Want a Curated Program
If you want to wake up to a personalized exercise program, Yoga International may not be the best choice. While Yoga International has playlists and recommendations based on your skill level and goals, you are the one building your at-home routines. If you’re not interested in doing that, the Glo app might be a great option for you. It has beginner’s paths with a preset weekly program to help you find your yoga groove and stay on track.
To learn more, check out our Glo review.
What Users Are Saying About the Yoga International App
The Yoga International app has a 3.0-star rating from 1.7K reviews in the Google Play Store and a 4.6-star rating from 6K reviews in the Apple App Store. Users appear to love the teachers and the ability to access a wide variety of classes at home, but many others report trouble canceling subscriptions and poor customer service.
Excellent Teachers
Many of the positive Yoga International reviews mention the quality of the yoga teachers at Yoga International. In my experience using the app, I also found my yoga teachers highly knowledgeable and their instructions were clear and easy to follow. They cater to every level of experience and have diverse training backgrounds in yoga styles.
Incredible Variety of Classes
The users who love Yoga International consistently comment on the variety of styles and disciplines of yoga available on the app. Many of these reviewers are yoga instructors themselves, and because of the access to so much yoga content, they’ve been able to be more inspired and creative when developing their own yoga classes.
Trouble Canceling Subscription
The majority of negative Yoga International reviews I read dealt with issues surrounding canceling subscriptions. Many reported that they couldn’t receive a cancellation confirmation after going through the steps on the website. Oftentimes, Yoga International continued to charge their credit cards months after they thought their membership had been terminated.
Poor Customer Service
There appears to be significant issues with Yoga International’s customer service team responding to members’ complaints. Many reviewers mentioned that they were receiving only generic responses from the chat box on the website. Users also said they would see the same exact response over and over again, even after reporting that the original problem persisted.
I didn’t experience any issues with their customer service when I reached out with basic questions and they responded within 24-hours. However, due to the list of complaints in reviews, Yoga International only earned 3 out of 5 stars in our “Customer Service” category.
How Much Does Yoga International Cost?
Yoga International memberships cost $19.99 monthly or $169 annually. If you choose an annual subscription, you gain access to a free digital yoga journal to track your progress.
How To Get Started With Yoga International
It’s very simple to get started with your first yoga or meditation class with Yoga International. Follow the steps below to register for a membership.
- Go to the Yoga International website
- Click on Start Free Trial
- Choose a monthly or annual
membership and create an account - Answer questions about your level of experience and personal goals
- Start your first yoga class
Yoga International: Detailed Review
Yoga International provides high-quality online yoga classes with experienced instructors. They offer a wide variety of yoga styles for beginners and advanced practitioners. Subscriptions cost $19.99 monthly or $169 annually and includes a seven-day free trial.
Yoga Classes With Experienced Teachers
The key feature of Yoga International is their wide variety of yoga classes taught by experienced teachers. The classes I tried were easy to follow, and the instructors were very knowledgeable. I was trained in Ashtanga yoga, and I often suffer from lower back pain, so I was pleased to see the variety of classes covering the Primary series, the first series of poses in the Ashtanga practice. There were also tons of great stretches for the back. I saved my preferred classes and teachers in my library, making the videos easy to access.
Filter and Tracking Tools
When you create an account, you’ll set a goal of how many yoga and meditation classes you’d like to complete each week. As you finish each yoga or meditation exercise, you’ll see it tracked on the main screen as well as other recommended classes. It can be overwhelming to scroll through the lists of available classes. I strongly suggest utilizing the filter tool to narrow your search by teacher, duration, style, level of experience, anatomy, or time of day.
Every day on the app, the home screen asks, “What would you like to do today?”, and you can choose to move, meditate, relax, or breathe, then it’ll create a list of suggested activities. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this tool that intuitive. For instance, a few times I clicked on ‘meditate’ and narrowed the search to find meditations for ‘focus’ or ‘energy’ and then it provided a list of meditations for sleep. I had to do a lot of scrolling to find the right one.
Meditation, Breathwork, and Other Resources
There are hundreds of options under the meditation section that include guided meditations, meditation courses, breathwork exercises (also called pranayama), and yoga nidra (translates to “yogic sleep”). I tried several of these meditations so far with great results. You can find everything from a five5-minute energizing breathwork exercise to a 45-minute yoga nidra-guided meditation for sleep.
Other resources include articles written by professional yoga practitioners and therapists and educational courses taught by experts. As an avid yoga practitioner, I found the articles and course topics fascinating, and I was eager to jump into one of the many courses on asana (translates to “yoga poses”) offered.
Community, Social Media, and YouTube
You can learn a lot about the Yoga International brand and community by following the company on Instagram, Facebook, or subscribing to their YouTube channel. You can also learn more about their teachers and sample full free classes on their YouTube channel. Following Yoga International on social media helped me to feel more connected to other yogis, even though I’m developing my practice alone at home.
Premium Training Classes
Yoga International has an impressive library of premium training courses that you can purchase a la carte. These are intensive courses that expand beyond a basic introductory yoga class. They cover a wide range of topics, like yogic breathing, anatomy and philosophy. The cost of premium classes range from $77 for a three-hour neck and shoulder therapy class, to $1599 for an 120-hour Ayurvedic training course. They even have specialty premium training courses for children, families, and seniors.
History of Yoga International
Yoga International was founded by the Himalayan Institute in 1991. Its mission was to share “the ancient wisdom and spiritual roots of yoga with the modern world.”1 Yoga International began as a print magazine and then transformed into a digital platform and mobile app offering various yoga resources. Yoga International was recently acquired by Gaia Inc., a global video streaming service that produces “conscious-expanding media” that includes yoga, meditation, original shows, films, and documentaries. This acquisition shouldn’t affect new or existing Yoga International memberships or services at this time.
Yoga International Vs. Competitors
Yoga International offers exceptional online yoga instruction, but it’s not the only yoga app on the market. Below you’ll find a brief comparative analysis of Yoga International and two of its top competitors.
Yoga International Vs Glo
Yoga International and Glo are both very popular online yoga platforms, and Glo earned an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars from our independent review. They both offer a wide range of yoga content that you can stream on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or TV. Glo costs a little more than Yoga International, with their subscriptions starting at $23.99 monthly and $244.99 annually. Glo offers a 7-day free trial but does not have a premium plan.
While Yoga International focuses more on traditional yoga and meditation disciplines, Glo offers these classes as well as pilates, barre, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and other guided workouts. Glo also provides live classes, which have been removed from Yoga International’s platform. Overall, Glo offers more options for fitness, making it a better choice for those who’d like to do more than just yoga. You can learn more about this app by reading our in-depth Glo review.
Yoga International Vs Gaia
Yoga International was just acquired by Gaia Inc. in December of 2021, so those with a Gaia membership will probably start to see related Yoga International content on its platform, and vice versa. Gaia and Yoga International both earned 4 out of 5 stars from our independent review. Gaia’s monthly subscription costs $11.99 for a monthly subscription, $99 for an annual subscription and $299 to Events+, which gives you access to all their content, including Gaiasphere Events, which are live conferences, lectures, and workshops.
Gaia appears to be the Netflix of yoga and conscious living! In addition to yoga and meditation, they have original TV series and films that you can’t find on mainstream platforms. If you’re looking to submerge yourself in media featuring Eastern philosophy, enlightenment, ancient yoga practices, and famous gurus, Gaia is a great choice.
You can learn more about this app by reading our in-depth Gaia yoga review.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga International
What credentials do Yoga International’s instructors have?
Yoga International’s teachers have a wide range of yoga certifications and training in various styles of yoga. Many are Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT) with the Yoga Alliance.
What if I can’t login to my Yoga International membership?
If you’re having trouble logging into your Yoga International account, contact their helpdesk at [email protected].
How do I cancel my Yoga International membership?
To cancel your Yoga International subscription you must go to the Yoga International website and click on My Account, then Membership, then choose Cancel Membership. I purchased my membership through the app, but when I went through the usual steps to unsubscribe from a mobile app, it did not show my Yoga International subscription listed even though it was still active.
To cancel your subscription:
- Log in to your account on their website
- Click on your profile icon at the top right-hand corner
- Choose My Account from the drop-down box
- Choose Membership
- Click ‘Cancel Membership’ and fill out the cancel membership form completely
Does Yoga International offer refunds?
Yoga International does not offer refunds or credits for partially or unused periods. In addition, payments for any purchased courses are also nonrefundable, even if you did not complete the course.
See their Terms of Service/Privacy Policy to learn more.
