5 Yoga Classes For People That Hate Yoga

It wasn’t that long ago that I hated yoga (<— ancient blog post right there from 2012!) Even when I was at my “peak” as a high school dancer, I was far from flexible so it always seemed like yoga and my body did not get along.

On top of my terrible flexibility, I’ve also always struggled to “go with the flow” both literally in yoga and mentally. Let’s just say I don’t do relaxation well.

Often times the workout you avoid is exactly what your body needs– I really needed to learn how to slow the eff down and yoga has seriously helped me with that.

Related: 6 Reasons Why Every Runner Needs Yoga

It took me awhile, but when I finally found the right yoga classes for me at the end of college (Sunrise Yoga at Crunch and Yoga Vida were my JAM) I learned to love yoga and have maintained a weekly practice, for the most part, ever since.

If you think you hate yoga, you need to try these classes. I promise you won’t regret it 🙂

You: Chaturwhatnow?
Yoga class you should try: the Basics class at Yoga Vida.

A regular yoga class can be really confusing if you’re clueless about the various poses. If you have no idea what chaturunga is and limited experiences in downward dog, I recommend taking this basic-level vinyasa class. Vinyasa means flow, and you’ll still work up a sweat while challenging your strength, but the small class size and focus on fundamentals will teach you all the yoga basics.

This class is also great for the seasoned yogi who wants to get “back to basics” so to speak and focus on the key poses in a smaller environment.

 

You: No weights, no thank you
Yoga class you should try: Sculpt at Uplift Studios

I always go into Sculpt thinking “I probs won’t sweat” and then end up leaving class a hot mess. This class is a funky little hybrid of yoga with a dash of strength training using weights.

Like a traditional yoga class, every movement is linked with the breath. Sculpt is a great, low-impact, total body workout– perfect for long distance runners in the midst of training and peeps that love their strength training (i.e. ME). Note: this class is ladies only. Sorry, dudes. 

Related: Class Review of Uplift – Strength

 

You: I’m just here for the savasana
Yoga class you should try: Restorative yoga at YogaWorks

I haven’t taken a ton of restorative yoga classes, but when I do it’s SO dreamy and nice. It feels like your body just got a glorious massage but at like a fraction of the price. If a high speed yoga class isn’t for you and you really just like the mellow part of class, restorative is perrrrrfect for you. No judgment if you fall asleep in class.

 

You: Ugh, yoga is too easy!
Yoga class you should try: I.AM.YOU Yoga

Multiple people have told me that I.AM.YOU is the class that helped them fall in love with yoga. The class is super athletic and challenging because it’s a non-stop whirlwind of movement to the point of almost being hypnotizing.

Last summer I was totally hooked on this class and used to go weekly. I hadn’t been in a while and returned last week– woah, I forgot how hard it was. I was legit dripping with sweat and my muscles felt werked, but I also felt like I was walking on cloud nine leaving that class.

Related: I.AM.YOU Studio Review

 

You: Yoga is boring
Yoga class you should try: We Flow Hard at Y7 Studio

From the perfectly curated hip-hop playlists to the sweaty flow, there’s nothing dull or boring about class at Y7. The room is dimly lit, you won’t be distracted by the people around you and you can legit get lost in the music.

During the class you learn a set of movements, repeat it twice, and then the third time around you’re flowing on your own. You’ll learn 3 movement sequences total. I find that the class flies by due to the unique structure. Come for the sweaty flow, stay for the tunes.

Related: Class Review of We Flow Hard at Y7 Studio

 

Your turn: Yoga– love it or hate it?