YouAligned Reviews

YA Classes by YouAligned is a membership-based online yoga and movement class platform started in 2017.

The grassroots, female-founded small business includes an interactive library, which is easy to navigate, with filters for duration, category, instructor, and difficulty.

Thanks to this and other platform perks, YouAligned.com is named Top Ten Global Online Yoga Resources.

The platform boasts great teachers with a variety of class categories, lengths and difficulty levels. The online yoga classes are built into the website and are easy to find, search, and download to use later.

Key Takeaways:

• Comprehensive Online Yoga Platform: YA Classes by YouAligned offers nearly 500 individual classes and 38 programs, catering to various yoga styles, fitness levels, and durations.
  
  
• Variety of Yoga Styles: The platform provides diverse yoga styles, including Ashtanga, Yin, and prenatal yoga, with classes ranging from 10 to 60+ minutes.
  
  
• Expert Guidance: The platform is home to over 25 experienced instructors, including the founder, Ashton August, who provide clear, motivating, and accessible instruction. You can trust their expertise to guide you on your yoga journey.
  
  
• User-Friendly Design: The website and app are designed with intuitive navigation and interactive features such as filter searches, favorites library, and offline downloads.
  
  
• Interactive and Supportive Community: Although the classes are not live, the platform offers real-time interaction with instructors and weekly virtual meetups for members.
  
  
• Social Responsibility: YA Classes collaborates with Trees for the Future, planting food-producing trees for every class completed by members. Over 315,000 trees have been planted to date.
  
  
• Great Value Membership: With membership options starting with a 14-day free trial and monthly subscriptions beginning at just $12, including gift and corporate memberships, YouAligned Classes offers exceptional value for money.
  
  
• Pros and Cons: Major pros include the ability to download classes, variety of content, quality instruction, and affordability. The primary con is the need for more one-on-one personalized instruction.

Hands-on Learning Experience 

Content and Variety

I have had the pleasure of being a YA Classes by YouAligned member since the new-year, when I took part in a 14-Day Wellness Reset. In the past I was underwhelmed with online content because I found it hard to keep my interest for more than a class or two.

My favorite thing about YA Classes is that the content available includes nearly 500 individual classes and 38 “programs,” which are groups of classes around a particular subject or movement type. Plus, there’s a new class every week! 

I was particularly surprised by the diverse range of yoga styles offered, from Ashtanga to Yin and even prenatal yoga. These classes vary in length, from 10 to 60+ minutes.

So, no matter if I only had a few minutes or plenty of time to commit to a deeper yoga practice, I was able to get my movement in.

As a pregnant person, this was especially a highlight for me because there isn’t much prenatal yoga online that dives deeper than basic calming stretching. 

In fact, YA Classes has 19 categories to choose from that go beyond the trendy yoga practices and includes “mindfulness” and “breathwork” to fully encompass a holistic approach to wellness.

If you’re looking for a sweat, there’s plenty of that, too! Difficulty options from beginner to all levels, intermediate to advanced “Fitness” and “Pilates” are popular options as well, with hundreds of subscribers taking classes in those categories.

Quality of Instruction 

YA Classes has over 25 teachers varying from experienced traditional yoga instructors to mixed martial artists and social justice and accessibility advocates. Some examples of teacher’s I appreciate are: Ashton August, site founder, who has an uplifting energy that is motivating and inspiring.

Jennifer Pansa Rohr has over a decade of teaching experience and combines relaxing sequences with strength-building classes. And Daniel Scott uses creative sequences to make you feel more freedom in your movement practice.

In my opinion, something that sets these online yoga classes apart is the accessibility. Each class has a list of recommended props, clear instruction, and are organized by difficulty level so you won’t be surprised by the content.

Technology and User Experience 

Platform Design & User Experience

Navigating through the app, I appreciated the intuitive layout because the simple design with clear buttons made it easy to explore classes and get started moving right away. 

The online yoga classes themselves have clear audio and video, so I was never wondering what the instructor meant by a particular cue or movement. The videos were simple to add to my favorites library and I could even download them for later if I wasn’t going to have internet access.

Interactive Features 

By far, the most valuable interactive feature is the filter search for classes. No matter your mood, ability, time-frame, or interest, it’s easy to find just the online yoga class for your day.

Once you find a class, it’s as easy as one button click to add a class to your favorites. 

Whether you repeat classes, save them for later, or take a new one every day in one of the YA Classes programs, it’s helpful to have a self-paced online yoga class platform that you can customize for our own interests.

Engagement & Interaction

Real-time Interaction with Instructors

Though the classes aren’t live, the Chat With an Instructor feature allows students to ask an instructor (always one of the YA Classes instructors) a question in real time.

It’s a simple way to get your questions answered quickly and if nobody is available for chat, they will respond to you via email.

Community and Peer Support 

Every Sunday they have a live, members-only virtual meetup with YA founder Ashton August. There are frequent special guests and an accountability check-in as well as a discussion, which can really help to get the most out of your membership and reach your wellness goals.

Quantitative Measurements

Class Hours & Participation

I didn’t have any hard goals when I signed up for YA Classes. I simply wanted to move more (and more comfortably, when I became pregnant). After just a few classes I definitely felt like I was reaching those goals and look forward to taking more classes!

A really sweet incentive to move, which I haven’t seen elsewhere, is that YA Classes by YouAligned works with Trees for the Future to plant food-producing trees for every class their members complete.

Once you have completed a class, whether just ten minutes or over an hour, you will notice the number or trees you have planted is displayed on the My Classes page.

So far, they’ve planted over 315,000 trees this way. So, there is a heart-led motivation to commit to a consistent online yoga practice.

Impact on Yoga Practice 

YA Classes provide accountability, accessibility, and variety.

Not only do I think it’s easier to show up, I also think it’s easier to feel strong and entertained no matter your level of ability or previous experience.

Evolution and Design Choices 

Platform Evolution

What started as a pretty simple website has evolved into the beautiful robust platform you see today, largely in thanks to their web developer extraordinaire, Rey!

They have custom built out the website, membership back-end and YA Classes apps, so they were able to add all the unique bells and whistles that really make them stand out.

A few examples: the tree planting counter that goes up with each tree members plant by completing classes; their high-tech search engine function; the unique aesthetic that makes them stand out from the rest.

Design Elements and Benefits 

Their main focus is high-quality, beautiful and simple design for their website, app, and online classes.

Online yoga classes are a dime a dozen these days, but one distinguishing feature I’ve noticed with YA Classes is their clean aesthetic and ease of use.

Additional Resources 

External Links and Materials 

YouAligned has a deep cache of in-depth articles provided by expert yogis within the website. 

These range in topics to cover just about any question you might have, from home yoga tips to cobra pose alternatives, and enriched my understanding of the philosophies behind yoga, movement techniques, and holistic wellness practices.

Conclusion

Personal Impact 

As a yoga teacher, it can be easy for me to judge an online yoga class a little harshly. I find some online teachers to have awkward pacing, inaccessible language, or poor audio/visual features. Additionally, shifting my yoga practice to a prenatal-friendly one has been a bit of a struggle. 

I have really enjoyed YA Classes by YouAligned because the variety of classes can meet me wherever I am when it comes to energy and ability. I have found that I am able to find classes that are accessible enough for my pregnant body and yet challenging enough for my level of experience.

Additionally, being able to download the class to take later, without wifi, is a big perk. I think it’s helped me stay more consistent in my yoga practice, especially at home when accountability is really difficult. 

You can test out the online yoga class platform yourself with the 14-Day Free Trial!

Try a variety of classes, teachers, and categories of movement with no cost to you.

Don’t forget to join in on the weekly member meeting to get to know your fellow YA yogis!