Did you know that you just need two power tools to de-stress anytime and anywhere? These are a yoga mat and a yoga app. Today is the World Health Day – the best day to commence yoga if you have not started yet. Transform your free time into invigorating mind/body workout to stretch, relax and feel healthy anywhere, anytime you want. But, which yoga app should you select?

Choosing the best yoga app from thousands of apps flooding in every app store might seem a little confusing. To help you out, we have rounded up the best 10 yoga apps (in no specific order) to help you find the right app based on the type of exercises, level of difficulty, any specific weight-loss goal, particular health condition or any other specifics you have in mind. So, all you have to do is to scroll through the rundown to zero in on the best yoga app for you and get started.

1.       Yoga Studio

If you want to ditch expensive yoga class studio to practice yoga at home and stay fit, then Yoga Studio app is what you need. The app brings you high-definition, virtual yoga classroom which costs even “less than a nice coffee” wherever you want. Created by qualified yoga instructor, Yoga Studio creates your own customized yoga classroom with following features and benefits –

• More than 65 readymade yoga classes available
• Smart Search to find poses based on type, duration, focus and ability
• Customizable and clean video classes
• Full HD as well as smaller, easier to download video classrooms with teachers’ commentaries
• Smart-link feature to move from one pose to another
• Extensive library of more than 1,700 yoga video clips
• More than 280 poses in your pocket
• Ability to schedule classrooms, sync with calendar and track class histories
• 20 readymade and customizable pose blocks to create classes easily
• Ambient sound options and ability to create your own playlist from music library

Available for iPhone and iPad running on iOS 7.0 or later, Yoga Studio by Modern Lotus is available for $3.99 from iTunes App Store.

2.       Pocket Yoga

If you need an app for an Android or a Windows Phone then, Pocket Yoga is the best yoga app for your pocket. Pocket Yoga has been a widely recommended app and has been featured in lists such as “15 Best Beauty Apps” of InStyle, "The best app for practicing yoga" by Mac|Life, "10 great mobile health apps" by CNN as well as Apple’s list of "Get in Shape", "10 Essentials", "Let's Get Moving", and "New and Noteworthy". Following features and benefits will tell you why this is mostly recommended –

• More than 200 poses of yoga images illustrating posture and alignment
• All yoga practices added by veteran yoga instructors
• Both voice and visual instructions for every pose
• Detailed descriptions of all poses including dictionary meaning
• Pleasing yoga environments with each level accomplishments
• Previews to evaluate if the yoga pose suitable
• Log of yoga activities to help monitor progress.
• Ability to sync with music library of the device, iTunes Radio or other music apps to play with Pocket Yoga
• Ability to sync with AirPlay or TV to play Pocket Yoga poses on bigger screen
• Support for HealthKit and Health app
• Ability to monitor heart rate and calories

Pocket Yoga is available for all major app stores that are iTunes App Store, Mac App Store, Google Play, and Windows Store.

3.       3D Yoga Anatomy

If you only rely on scientifically proven facts and instructions in different aspects of your life, then 3D Yoga Anatomy app is the best yoga app you can find here. This is the perfect yoga instructor which goes beyond illustrating plain images of poses to rather show you effective poses and where those poses target. Spotted in prime shows such as ‘The Daily App Show’ and ‘Some Other Show’, 3D Yoga Anatomy unfolds gamut of benefits you should not miss, such as –

• Choose yoga poses as per specific health conditions such as backache, leg muscle strain or arm muscle or any other condition
• More than 40 poses demonstrating effects of yoga on your muscles such as when lengthening, shortening, or when stabilizing
• Extensive variants of arm balances, backbends, inversions and many more
• 360 degree display of all poses
• Thorough guidelines on how to increase the intensity of yoga poses

10 new poses are added to this yoga app with its latest update on the app. Though slightly heavy on your iPhone and/or iPad, but 3D Yoga Anatomy will help you dodge mistakes or risks of practicing wrong yoga.   

4.       YOGAmazing

If Yoga Anatomy app is too heavy on your device then get this light and ‘amazing’ yoga app. A complete virtual yoga assistant on the go, YOGAmazing is not an app but a video podcast solutions created by globally renowned yoga instructors. More than 20 million downloads and still increasing, YOGAmazing is an amazing brainchild of highly certified yoga instructor, Chaz who has earned certification of BA, CYKF and CYT and taught yoga at OMEGA Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. Major features that users benefit from this yoga app are –

• Choose from 50 yoga sessions
• Get bonus session once a month
• Download artwork inspired by your favorite yoga for your device
• Follow the yoga instructor on Twitter directly from the app
• In-app call (iPhone only) and email function

Latest updates on this app include fixes for online and offline mode, iPhone 5 splash screen issue, smooth syncing with iCloud, and enhanced accessibility on iPad. The app is compatible to iPhone and iPad devices running 4.3 or later.

5.       Yoga.com Studio (All-in Yoga)

A miniature version of the yoga.com website, Yoga.com app is repeatedly recommended by top magazines such as Shape Magazine and Mashable.com. The app features a clean and beautiful user interface, plenty of yoga poses, HD video and many more features, such as –

• More than 300 yoga poses and exercises
• Four additional breathing exercises
• Various levels of exercises - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Guru level
• Excercises according to health conditions and fitness goals
• 45 readymade yoga programs with HD video demonstrations
• New or customized yoga programs
• 3D muscular view of every pose
• Interactive global Yoga Community
• Ability to share your own yoga progress photos and get feedback from yoga teachers
• Ability to share your progress with friends over Facebook and Twitter 
• Power to sync with calendar app to monitor yoga workouts
• 15 music tracks to inspire and relax while yoga practice

Yoga.com app is available for iOS and Android platforms with multi-language support including English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Russian, and Chinese. 

6.       DailyYoga

Available on all three app stores that are iTunes App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone, DailyYoga app is touted as the “world’s no. 1 downloading yoga app for all mobile devices”. This iPhone, iPad and Android yoga app is made to provide health remedies with swarm of yoga poses for everyone irrespective of their personal needs and preferences. Whether your fitness goals revolve around weight-loss, stress release or any other, DailyYoga is a must try app for you. Following features will tell you why this is one of the best yoga apps –

• More than 50 HD yoga exercises
• Extensive database of more than 400 yoga poses
• More than 40 yoga sessions
• 18 background music to match your yoga sessions
• HD yoga videos with live voice commentary
• 4 readymade yoga programs scheduled to make the best of yoga practices
• 3 workout intensities – Casual, Moderate, and Intense
• Ability to choose preferred durations
• Real scores and feedback on yoga progress
• Ability to exchange ideas and interact yoga practitioners on its forum

You will make the most of the app if you own a iPhone 5 device; however, the app is also compatible with all iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices running iOS 6.0 or later. The DailyYoga is a perfect app if you are looking for specific types of yoga programs such as prenatal yoga, Hatha yoga or yoga during menstruation. 

7.       Flying Therapeutics Acroyoga Beginners

If you are going to team up with your spouse, child or any other family, relative or friend to practice yoga, then Flying Therapeutics Acroyoga Beginners is the one you don’t want to give a miss! The app is designed to guide a pair of yoga partners with ample of yoga poses to perform together depending upon individual fitness and wellness goals. Developed to instruct beginner yogis in mind, Flying Therapeutics Acroyoga Beginners is the best yoga instructor and an economical alternative to any yoga studio classes, thanks to these features and benefits –

• Three flows to practice yoga
• 50 HD videos to get detailed view of yoga from multiple angles
• Detailed descriptions of every yoga pose
• No annoying ads
• Additional options to navigate to main website

Flying Therapeutics Acroyoga Beginners is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 7.0 and higher versions. 

8.       5 Minute Yoga

Try this app for a quick yoga session to shed stress and rejuvenate your mind and body in 5 minutes, then this is ideal for you. Similar to its paid iPhone yoga app counterparts, 5 Minute Yoga combines all the goodness like extensive library of yoga sessions, yoga poses and detailed guidelines to start yoga anywhere and anytime you want. These features will clearly explain you how –

• Each session comprises extensive selection of yoga poses
• Easy yet effective yoga poses to try and for beginners
• Clear demonstration of poses with detailed imagery instructions
• Fast yoga routines to fit in 5 minutes
• Different workout sessions on the basis of flexibility, strength, or stress level

The latest update on the 5 Minute Yoga app offers support for accelerometer to let you view exercises that are best viewed on landscape mode.

9.       Salute the Desk

Do you often feel like stretching and practicing quick sessions of yoga while sitting at your workstation? In case you do, then Salute the Desk app is ideal for you. Why? Check out its myriad features and benefits to know why you need this –

• Stretch, de-stress and energize your mind and body at the desk
• Numerous yoga poses to correct your posture and shed tension
• Schedule yoga sessions
• Sync with calendar and set reminders
• Monitor yoga progress
• Share yoga progress through text messages, email, Facebook, and Twitter

Salute the Desk is a great app to stay motivated and inspire your colleagues at work to improve their wellbeing and soothe stiffness that results from sitting at one place for prolonged hours.

10.       Beautiful Belly Pre & Postnatal Yoga

If you or any family member or friend is coping up with weight gain after childbirth, then Beautiful Belly Pre & Postnatal Yoga app offers various yoga solutions. Marked as one of the best yoga apps to date, Beautiful Belly provides extensive series of yoga sessions that are a must for pre- and postnatal stage to stay healthy. Following are the various features of the app –

• Help de-stress with specific yoga programs to suit different trimesters of pregnancy
• Weekly yoga practice calendar adds variations to help you find balance
• Customize yoga programs as per due date
• HD video instruction from yoga experts
• High-quality photos and videos
• Newsletters offering valuable tips and tricks for pregnancy

The developer of the Beautiful Belly Pre & Postnatal Yoga app, Briohny Smyth is a widely acclaimed yoga practitioners and instructors with extensive followers across the world. Hence, get access to her signature yoga classes on your device, for free.