Each year, new yoga trends emerge, while other ancient practices still hold their place strong in our hearts.
Yoga has become the ultimate tool for personal equilibrium, reinforcing our mind, body, and spirit connection. At our local fitness centers, home yoga studios, outdoor parks, and dedicated yoga retreats nestled in magical locations, the practice of yoga is celebrated.
We’ve compiled a guide of the yoga trends that will define 2024 to help you elevate your practice, motivate you to try something new or instill love for the time-hounoured traditions of yoga. All of the trends in this list are based on yoga statistics and an insight into the yoga community. Let’s do yoga together!
Yin Yoga
Everything in life is based on balance, and the ancient yin and yang symbol represents this concept. Most yoga practices that are popular in the Western world, such as Vinayasa, Power, Hatha, and Kundalini, embody the active yang energy. Yin yoga, on the other hand, is passive, feminine and promotes relaxation and contemplation. During Yin yoga, the poses are held for longer periods of time while utilising the power of our breath to help us reconnect with our breath and find peace of mind while stretching and lengthening our connective tissue.
It’s no surprise that yin yoga is one of the key yoga trends for 2024, as people are looking to find silence and repose in a world that’s constantly moving and changing. According to Google Trends, searches for ‘yin yoga’ have increased by 100% within the past five years in the UK, and by 450% in the US.
Outdoor Yoga
Outdoor yoga is set to boom in 2024. Perhaps it’s the yearning for reconnection with Mother Earth, the rise of the eco-friendly movement, or the growing body of literature that promotes grounding that’s driving this yoga trend. Whether it’s yoga by a sandy beach, a meadow flow, or a mountain pose practiced in honour of the mountain you’re standing on, we will see more outdoor yoga classes in 2024. Come spring/summer, this yoga trend will be the perfect companion to mindfulness in nature and forest bathing, which are other wellness trends on the rise.
SnowGa
Even when the weather is not as benevolent as in spring and summer, outdoor yoga is never off the cards. In fact, a new yoga trend has been penetrating the world of yoga enthusiasts, SnowGa, and it’s set to take an upturn in 2024. SnowGa stands for practicing downward dog in the puffy snow and perhaps getting a brain freeze, but all in the name of yoga. Joke aside, SnowGa has many benefits for your overall health.
Wim Hof aka The Iceman himself swears by Cold Therapy, so perhaps it’s worth giving SnowGa a try to see if you can practice your postures and reap the benefits of breathing through the brrrrrs! And with ski bookings increasing for winter 2023/2024, expect to see more ski enthusiasts pre-warming with a rejuvenating yoga session in the snow!
Face Yoga
One of the latest yoga trends that has been dominating the social media space for a while and is sure to keep prospering is face yoga. With over 2.5 billion views on TikTok and with celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle giving it a try, face yoga is becoming the ultimate self-care tool. Although a novelty amongst the beauty fans, it has its roots in ancient yogic practices.
Through a series of facial exercises and massage techniques, face yoga improves circulation, reduces wrinkles, and promotes skin elasticity. In a study published in Jama Dermatol, a small group of women aged 40 and older undertook face yoga exercises. At the end of the program, they showed minimised signs of aging and looked about three years younger. So, say goodbye to botox and fillers and hello to natural face sculpting that leaves your skin shiny and healthy.
Hot Yoga
People enjoy yoga practices that fuse ancient traditions with new methods to create something nostalgic yet forward-thinking. Hot yoga is a creation of the ‘80s that promotes the practice of dynamic poses in a really hot environment. Heating systems installed in yoga studios add up to the natural heat you create through movement in an invigorating and often challenging practice. But the results are incredible: detoxification, cardiovascular endurance, enhanced flexibility, and weight loss are only some of the effects of hot yoga.
In 2024, it’s not just the bright and bold fashion of the ‘80s that’s having a comeback. Yoga enthusiasts will be heading to the studios for a hot yoga session – a yang practice to calibrate your ‘inner system’. Because sometimes, you just have to sweat it out.
Multi-Sensory Yoga
Sound baths, aromatherapy, and colour therapy are all popular terms in the wellness community. Often, we use one or the other to enhance our yoga practice. We light up an incense or a candle to promote calmness and transcend us to a field of lavender or camomile blossoms. Tibetan singing bowls soothe our nervous system while bringing coherence to our brainwaves, and a red light lamp recharges our cells to help us focus and concentrate.
In 2024, we won’t be able to get enough of just one thing. That’s why, we’re invoking all the senses at once with multi-sensory yoga, quite a novelty in the yoga world. Such an experience can be really suitable / gracing for people with autism, disabilities, or injuries, which makes it very inclusive.
Yoga Retreats
The yoga tourism market is growing steadily at a 5.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Yoga retreats, which are the epitome of the yoga tourism industry, are the ideal combination of yoga classes with a certified instructor, mouth-watering food, and deeply nourishing activities in a calming and heaven-like ambience. As a getaway from our busy schedules and an opportunity to advance our yoga skills in a supportive environment, more and more yoga retreats will be booked.
Even if you’re not able to attend a week-long yoga retreat in a far-flung destination, single-day retreats are also a popular option for 2023 and 2024. They can be found in local yoga studios and are often hosted by yoga influencers, comprising in-person yoga classes, meditation sessions, live Q&As, and sharing circles. Single-day yoga retreats can sometimes include cacao ceremonies, kirtan, or sound healing sessions which can enhance the serene and vitalising experience.
Yoga For Kids
Speaking of inclusivity, yoga is going to attract its younger audience into a dance of wellbeing. Just like a game, children will be discovering the benefits of movement, breathwork, and the history of yoga / stillness presented in a fun way.
All that’s needed is a yoga teacher who knows how to work with children and make fun out of everything. In the fun is where learning starts! Whether it’s animal yoga where kids pretend to be animals and doing the poses as such, or story yoga that revolves around acting out different story lines through movement, yoga for kids can be beyond entertaining even for adults while instilling healthy living habits. There are various YouTube classes for kids such as Joe Wick’s ‘PE with Joe’ and Cosmic Kids Yoga, with the latter seeing a 500% increase in searches over the past year, according to Google Trends. In 2024, we will see those channels flourishing along with more school-based yoga classes and clubs blooming.
Sports-Specific Yoga Classes
Yoga is no longer a practice reserved for hippies and old people (as it was once thought of in the West) but is a well-rounded modality that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. There has been a rise in professional sports stars swearing by their yoga practice (think: Mohamed Salah, LeBron James, Andy Murray, and Jessica Ennis-Hill to name a few) keeping them fit and healthy both mentally and physically, and as such, sports-specific yoga classes are likely to be a burgeoning yoga trend in 2024. Whether you’re into cycling, golf, running, football, or triathlon, there will be a yoga class out there tailored to stretching out your overworked muscles and improving your strength and stamina.
Pranayama / Breathwork Classes
Along with the rising interest in new and time-honored yoga sequences, there is also an increased desire to learn more about the practice of yoga as a whole, including meditation, spiritual philosophy, and pranayama (breathwork). As we discover more about the importance of the breath for our overall wellbeing, the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga, Pranayama is likely to become a meaningful part of modern life. Yoga teachers will share more breathwork techniques during their classes with specific pranayama workshops and teacher training gaining in popularity.
The growth of the yoga community is inspiring, with new practices emerging and others cementing their place, all with the aim of improving our health and wellbeing. 2024 is looking beyond exciting when it comes to rejuvenating yoga trends, so you are sure to find your best fit.
