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5 Low-Budget Ways to Try Yoga

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You’ve read about the benefits of yoga: more flexibility, strength, energy and vitality, and less anxiety, stress and injury. But even with all of this good stuff, you might be concerned about the hefty price tag. With some private studios charging monthly membership fees upwards of $150, it can be hard to rationalize the financial commitment to a regular yoga practice. The good news: there are lots of free, discounted and valuable resources that exist for you to start getting into yoga.

1. Find Low-Cost Classes

Many yoga studios offer community classes at discounted rates. Community classes typically range from $5-$10, and are often scheduled during off-peak hours. Some yoga studios offer special class rates to full-time students, school teachers and seniors. Donation-based studios continue to crop up, with many asking students to pay what they can to attend class. Outside of a yoga studio setting, you can also seek out low-cost classes at gyms, community centers, universities and churches. When the weather is nice, see if yoga is offered outdoors in a local public place by staying connected to local studios and upcoming community events.

2. Score Membership Deals

Check out daily deal and discount sites like Groupon and LivingSocial to see if any nearby studios are offering steeply discounted membership deals. It’s also a good bet to call around to studios and see if any offer a new student promotion. These usually include 1-2 weeks of unlimited yoga classes for not much more than the average cost of a single drop-in class. Once you’ve passed new student status, consider buying class packages. It’s a big up-front cost, but packages will drive down the cost of each regular class by at least a few bucks.

3. Work for Free Yoga

Do you have a little extra time and energy to work in exchange for free yoga classes? Ask nearby studios if they have a work exchange program or would consider starting one. As a volunteer, your work would include tasks like checking in students before class, cleaning the studio, and tidying up after class. In exchange, you get free classes!

4. Go Digital

Digital resources including yoga apps, online classes and on-demand TV offerings have major benefits: they’re inexpensive, private and available whenever you want. But, if you’re new to yoga, they really can’t replace the benefits of learning from a knowledgeable teacher or the community created in a class setting. If digital classes are your jam, consider signing up for a beginner workshop series, or taking at least one beginner yoga class each week to build a solid and safe foundation for your at-home yoga practice.

5. Self-direct

Once you have a solid, safe foundation for your practice, there’s enormous value in just unrolling your mat, turning on some music, and moving through whatever poses feel great in the moment. If you listen to your body carefully, you’ll realize you have a lot more to teach yourself than you expected. And, of course, that sort of learning is completely free!

—by Emily O’Brien for Wanderlust

Photo by Ali Kaukas for Wanderlust Festival.

This post is part of Wanderlust and MyFitnessPal’s 28-day Run-Yoga-Meditate challenge. Whether you are new to one (or all three!) of these activities, join us to gain a healthier mind and body in less than a month.

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