Yoga International, a deep, education-rich on-demand yoga, meditation and Ayurveda platform with roots in the Himalayan Institute: unusually, it has genuine menopause content and outstanding restorative and mind-body depth · joint-friendly and good value · but it builds no strength or bone, its menopause and pelvic-floor content is yoga-therapy based with no clinical or medical advisory, and its app and billing are a weak point, from a platform now owned by Gaia. One of the better yoga apps for a midlife woman, with real caveats.
How this profile is different. This is a research-based data profile, not a hands-on test. It draws on Yoga International’s official information, its library and course pages, app-store listings, current pricing, verified user reviews, ownership news and the exercise science, then scores it on our standard criteria. Where we describe a feature, that reflects published information, not a personal trial. This is education, not medical advice; check with your clinician before starting a new programme, especially with joint, pelvic-floor, heart or bone concerns.
Yoga International Review 2026: Quick Answer
Research-based data profile: assessed from official sources, library and course pages, pricing, user reviews, ownership news and the science, not personally tested
Women who want deep, calming yoga, meditation and Ayurveda, with some genuine menopause and healthy-ageing content
You want strength or bone-building work, clinical pelvic-floor or hormone-phase programming, or a flawless app
An on-demand library of about 3,000 yoga classes plus meditation, breathwork, courses and articles
About 3 to 90 minutes, so it flexes to any day
A mat, plus blocks, a strap and a bolster for restorative and menopause classes
Low-impact and joint-friendly, with many gentle options
Excellent for flexibility, sleep, stress and mood, with real menopause and healthy-ageing content
Minimal: bodyweight yoga with no loading, so little for muscle or bone
Strong for a yoga app: structured menopause, perimenopause and pelvic-floor content, but no clinical track
iOS and Android apps, the website, and TV apps, though the Android app rates poorly
About $19.99 a month or $169 a year, with a 7-day free trial
Live and actively updated, now owned by Gaia, a public company under some financial pressure
5.6 / 10
Quick Verdict
Worth it for women over 40? For deep, calming yoga with real menopause content, for many, yes. As a strength or menopause-specialist plan, no, so use it as a mind-body and recovery layer alongside perimenopause strength work.
Yoga International earns 5.6/10 on our research-based evaluation, and it is one of the stronger yoga platforms for a midlife woman. It is genuinely deep: about 3,000 classes plus meditation, breathwork, Ayurveda, courses and a large article library, with roots in the Himalayan Institute. Unusually for a yoga app, it has real menopause content, including a yoga-for-menopause course and hot-flash-relief classes, and its restorative, yin and yoga-nidra practices are excellent for sleep, stress and joints. It is also good value at about $19.99 a month with a 7-day free trial.
Where it is limited for our audience. It is still yoga, so it does almost nothing for the strength and bone that a midlife body most needs, and its menopause and pelvic-floor content is yoga-therapy based, with no clinical or medical advisory or supervised rehabilitation, so it is not a clinical menopause specialist. The Android app rates poorly and there are recurring billing and cancellation complaints, and the platform is now owned by Gaia, a public company under some financial pressure. Choose it if you want deep, joint-friendly yoga and mind-body support, and pair it with real strength training.
Is Yoga International right for you?
Yoga International is strongest for perimenopause and menopause support (5.4 out of 10, against a 3.2 average across the 105 programmes scored) and weakest for building bone density (2.3 against 5.1).
| Question | Verdict | Rating | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it suits a perimenopausal body | |||
| Is Yoga International good for pelvic floor problems?Based on pelvic floor support and low-impact design | Moderate, but better than mostmost score 4.7/10 | 6.8 / 10 | |
| Does Yoga International include perimenopause and menopause education and programming?Based on programming, education, hormone awareness and credibility | Moderate, but better than mostmost score 3.2/10 | 5.4 / 10 | |
| Is Yoga International good for painful joints?Based on low-impact design and recovery provision | Strong, and better than mostmost score 6.1/10 | 7.3 / 10 | |
| Is Yoga International manageable when your energy is low?Based on recovery provision and mind-body support | Strong, and better than mostmost score 5.6/10 | 7.3 / 10 | |
| Is Yoga International good if you are new to strength training?Based on beginner on-ramp and mind-body support | Strong, and better than mostmost score 6.1/10 | 7.3 / 10 | |
| Is Yoga International good for building bone density?Based on bone loading and progressive strength | Low, and worse than mostmost score 5.1/10 | 2.3 / 10 | |
| Does Yoga International help with nutrition?Based on midlife nutrition support | Low, about the same as mostmost score 3.6/10 | 3.5 / 10 | |
| How it performs as a product | |||
| Can you fit Yoga International into a busy week?Based on time efficiency | Moderate, and worse than mostmost score 7.5/10 | 6.5 / 10 | |
| Is Yoga International worth the money?Based on value for money | Strong, about the same as mostmost score 6.9/10 | 7.5 / 10 | |
Jump to Section
Status and Ownership
Who Is Behind It
Content and Features
Equipment You Need
Full Scoring
Good for Women Over 40?
Menopause and Midlife Fit
What the Research Says
What Users Report
Devices and App
Pricing 2026
Will You Stick With It
Pros and Cons
How It Compares
vs Glo
Best Alternatives
FAQ
Verdict
Assessment Status
Sources
What Yoga International Actually Is
Yoga International is an on-demand streaming platform with an unusually deep library: around 3,000 yoga classes from 3 to 90 minutes, plus more than 700 guided meditations, breathwork practices, over 2,700 articles, and a few hundred structured courses and challenges, spanning styles from gentle hatha, yin and restorative through to vinyasa, ashtanga and kundalini, alongside yoga nidra, pranayama and meditation. You filter by teacher, length, level and style. It began in 1991 as a print magazine from the Himalayan Institute, a long-standing yoga and Ayurveda nonprofit, which is where its depth in meditation, philosophy and Ayurveda comes from. There are few or no live classes; this is a library to draw on, not a live-class studio.
Which product this is. This is Yoga International, the subscription yoga, meditation and Ayurveda platform, and its iOS, Android, web and TV apps. It is an education-led wellness library rather than a strength or menopause programme, though it has more menopause and healthy-ageing content than most yoga apps.
For this audience it helps to be clear about what it is and is not. Yoga International is a strong choice for deep, calming yoga, meditation and Ayurveda, and it has more menopause content than almost any yoga platform, including a structured Yoga for Menopause challenge, separate perimenopause and postmenopause classes, and dedicated pelvic-floor sessions. What it is not is a strength or bone-building programme, nor a clinical menopause product with a supervised medical or pelvic-floor rehabilitation track. Read it as an excellent mind-body and recovery layer with a genuinely strong menopause angle, best paired with dedicated strength work.
Status and Ownership
Live and actively maintained, under a parent worth understanding. Yoga International is owned by Gaia, a publicly traded wellness and streaming company that acquired it at the end of 2021, and both its apps are updated roughly monthly through 2026, so this is a maintained, live product with content still being added, not an abandoned one.
Two caveats belong here. First, Gaia itself has been under some financial pressure lately, reporting a revenue dip and a quarterly loss in 2026 and signalling a pivot toward AI-powered features, which is worth weighing when you think about a platform’s longevity. Second, Gaia’s flagship streaming service has a long-standing reputation for pseudoscience and conspiracy content; that reputation attaches to the parent company, not to Yoga International’s yoga library, but it is fair to know who owns the platform. Note too that Gaia is a different company from the similarly named Glo and Gaiam. None of this is a reason to avoid the yoga content, but the ownership picture is part of an informed decision.
Who Is Behind Yoga International? Credibility
Rather than a single celebrity face, Yoga International curates a large roster of experienced, well-credentialed teachers, including widely respected names such as Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman Yee and Dianne Bondy, and its Himalayan Institute heritage gives it real depth in Ayurveda and yoga therapy. Its menopause content is led by teachers such as Kathryn Templeton, an Ayurveda and yoga therapist, and it acts as a continuing-education provider, with many courses, including its Yoga for Menopause challenge, counting toward Yoga Alliance credits.
How to read that credibility. As a yoga and Ayurveda platform it is legitimate and unusually deep, with qualified, experienced teachers and genuine educational substance. What it does not have is a formal medical or menopause-clinician advisory board, so its menopause content is yoga-therapy and Ayurveda framed rather than clinically supervised. For a midlife body that is a meaningful distinction: it is a credible yoga education resource, but not a clinical menopause authority, and it should sit alongside, not replace, medical guidance.
Content and Features
At a glance: a deep, education-led library of yoga, meditation, breathwork, Ayurveda, courses and articles, joint-friendly and with genuine menopause and healthy-ageing content. Capped for our audience by no strength or bone loading, a yoga-therapy rather than clinical approach with no medical advisory, and a weak Android app.
| Format | On-demand library of yoga classes, meditation, breathwork, courses and articles, largely self-guided. |
| Library | About 3,000 classes, 700+ meditations, 100+ breathwork practices, 2,700+ articles and hundreds of courses. |
| Styles | Hatha, vinyasa, ashtanga, kundalini, yin, restorative, yoga nidra, pranayama and meditation. |
| Class length | About 3 to 90 minutes. |
| Midlife strengths | Excellent for flexibility, sleep, stress and mood, with real menopause and healthy-ageing content. |
| Strength and bone | Minimal: bodyweight yoga with no external load, so little for muscle or bone. |
| Menopause programming | Strong for a yoga app: a structured Yoga for Menopause challenge, separate perimenopause and postmenopause classes, hot-flash-relief classes and dedicated pelvic-floor sessions, but no supervised clinical or medical track. |
| Nutrition | Some Ayurvedic recipes and e-books, but general, not midlife-metabolism focused. |
| Devices | iOS and Android apps, the website, and TV apps on Apple TV, Fire TV and Google TV. |
What Equipment Do You Need for Yoga International?
A good mat covers the basics, and because so much of the value here is in restorative, yin and menopause classes, a set of blocks, a strap and a bolster or a couple of firm cushions and a blanket make those practices far more comfortable. Because Yoga International builds no strength, the most useful addition for a midlife body is a set of dumbbells for dedicated strength work elsewhere.
Recommended spec examples. These picks are curated for convenience by specification and feature fit, not personally lab-tested for long-term durability. Prices are examples; verify before buying.
Exercise mat
A cushioned, grippy base for flow and floor work.~$45
Yoga blocks
Support restorative and menopause classes.~$15
Adjustable dumbbells
The loaded work yoga does not provide, added elsewhere.~$73
A quick heads-up: some of the buy links above are Amazon affiliate links, so if you grab something through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only ever point you to kit I would happily use myself.
Bottom line on equipment: a mat, blocks, a strap and a bolster cover the yoga; a set of dumbbells for separate strength work is the companion buy for the muscle and bone this platform does not build.
How We Scored Yoga International: the 5.6 / 10 Breakdown
Scores on our 9 weighted criteria, from our research-based assessment. Women Over 40 is our menopause-fit criterion, and its full 12-capability breakdown follows in the next section.
| Category | Weight | Score | Confidence | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time Efficiency | 15% | 6.5 | Med | Classes from 3 to 90 minutes flex to any day, though yoga is a modest driver of midlife strength results. |
| Muscle Potential | 18% | 2.5 | High | Bodyweight yoga with no external load or progression, so minimal strength stimulus. |
| Women Over 40 Specificity | 10% | 5.2 | Med | Strong menopause, perimenopause and pelvic-floor content for a yoga app, but no supervised clinical track; full breakdown below. |
| Joint Friendliness | 12% | 8 | High | Low-impact, floor-based and unheated, with abundant gentle and restorative options. |
| Recovery Compatibility | 10% | 7.5 | High | Restorative, yin, yoga nidra and breathwork are genuinely strong for sleep, stress and recovery. |
| Programme Structure | 12% | 6.5 | Med | Structured courses, challenges and continuing-education paths, though much of it is self-guided browsing. |
| Value for Money | 8% | 7.5 | High | A very large library of classes, courses and articles for about $19.99 a month is strong value. |
| UX and Design | 8% | 4.5 | High | The iOS app rates well but the Android app rates poorly, with recurring app and billing complaints. |
| Nutrition Integration | 7% | 3.5 | Med | Some Ayurvedic recipes and e-books, but general rather than midlife-metabolism focused. |
| Total | 100% | 5.6 / 10 | Research Score. |
Is Yoga International Good for Women Over 40?
For deep, calming yoga it is one of the better options, and more than most yoga apps it makes an effort for our audience. Yoga is good for flexibility, balance and mood, its restorative, yin and yoga-nidra practices are excellent for the disrupted sleep and stress so common in midlife, and it has genuine menopause content, including a yoga-for-menopause course aimed at women over 50 and classes for hot-flash relief. It is unheated and joint-friendly, and at about $19.99 a month it is good value.
Who it suits, and what is missing. It suits a woman who wants a deep, gentle yoga and meditation practice with a strong menopause angle, as part of a broader routine. It even includes dedicated pelvic-floor classes and a structured menopause challenge, which is rare for a yoga app. What is missing is what yoga cannot provide: there is no strength or bone loading, and the menopause and pelvic-floor content is yoga-therapy based with no clinical or medical advisory or supervised rehabilitation, so it is not a clinical menopause specialist. The app experience is also uneven, particularly on Android, and billing and cancellation draw recurring complaints.
What the wider picture shows. Yoga International is a genuinely good yoga, meditation and Ayurveda platform with real menopause and healthy-ageing content, held back for a midlife body by the absence of strength work, a yoga-therapy rather than clinical approach with no medical advisory, and app and billing friction. The best way to use it is as a deep mind-body and recovery layer, sitting alongside dedicated progressive strength training and, if you want clinical menopause or pelvic-floor programming, a purpose-built option too.
How Yoga International Fits Perimenopause, Menopause and Beyond
Our capability breakdown of how well Yoga International suits women across perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. Women Over 40 is our menopause-fit criterion, and this is the full breakdown behind the Women Over 40 row above.
Yoga International is strongest for low-impact movement, recovery and mind-body support, and it has genuinely deep menopause education and programming, including a structured Yoga for Menopause challenge, perimenopause and postmenopause classes and dedicated pelvic-floor sessions; it is weakest on strength and bone loading and on a supervised clinical or medical track, in our menopause and midlife capability assessment.
| At a glance | Score |
|---|---|
| Right training for a midlife body | 4.8 / 10 |
| Menopause education and programming* | 5.3 / 10 |
| Whole-woman support | 6.0 / 10 |
This is the perimenopause and menopause assessment, and it is separate from the overall score. Twelve things a programme either does for a midlife body or does not, each scored out of 10 with my reasoning next to it. Together they produce a single menopause fit score, and that becomes one of the nine categories in the overall scoring below.
How Yoga International Fits Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
Women Over 40 is our most important criterion, and here's the full breakdown behind it.
Yoga International is strongest for low-impact and mind-body support, and weakest for bone loading, progressive strength and midlife nutrition, in our menopause and midlife capability assessment for women over 40.
At a glance
What the app teaches about perimenopause and/or menopause, not whether the training suits a midlife body.
| Capability | Score | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right training for a midlife body | |||
| Low-impact | 8.5/10 | Strong | Floor-based, unheated yoga with abundant gentle and restorative options is genuinely low-impact and joint-friendly. |
| Progressive strength | 2.5/10 | None | Bodyweight yoga with no external load or progression, so almost no strength stimulus. |
| Bone loading | 2/10 | None | No weight-bearing loading beyond bodyweight, so little of the stimulus that protects ageing bone. |
| Recovery & deload | 6/10 | Some | Restorative, yin, yoga nidra and breathwork are genuinely strong for sleep, stress and recovery. |
| Menopause education and programming* | |||
| Menopause programming | 6/10 | Some | Strong for a yoga app: a structured Yoga for Menopause challenge plus separate perimenopause and postmenopause classes, though symptom-relief and mobility focused rather than clinical. |
| Pelvic floor | 5/10 | Some | Dedicated pelvic-floor classes exist (Pelvic Floor Care, Pelvic Floor and Core Stability), though it is not a supervised clinical rehabilitation programme. |
| Hormone awareness | 4.5/10 | Minimal | Programming distinguishes perimenopause from postmenopause and Ayurveda framing acknowledges life-stage, but there is no cycle-aware or hormone-phase logic. |
| Menopause education | 6/10 | Some | Genuine educational depth on menopause, healthy ageing and Ayurveda through a structured challenge, courses and a large article library. |
| Expert credibility | 5/10 | Some | Renowned teachers (Kathryn Templeton, Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman Yee, Dianne Bondy) and Ayurveda and yoga-therapy depth, but no clinical or medical menopause advisory. |
| Whole-woman support | |||
| Mind-body support | 8.5/10 | Strong | Outstanding meditation, breathwork, yoga nidra and philosophy content genuinely supports mood, sleep and stress. |
| Beginner on-ramp | 6/10 | Some | All levels and structured courses welcome newer practitioners, though the large self-guided library and app friction add hurdles. |
| Midlife nutrition | 3.5/10 | Minimal | Some Ayurvedic recipes and e-books, but general rather than midlife-metabolism focused. |
ScaleBest-in-classStrongSomeMinimalNone
* What the app teaches and programmes around menopause, not whether the training suits a midlife body. Many programmes that score low here are still a good fit, they simply never use the word. A high score is not proof either: a few menopause videos added to a general library lifts this score without changing the training.
These are evidence-informed suitability ratings, not clinical measurements. They combine exercise science with product-specific research and, where indicated, hands-on testing, alongside multi-source verification, and are approximate. Individual response varies. A starting point, not medical advice. How we score menopause fit
What the sources say: scores combine the platform’s features, user sentiment and the science. Yoga International does well on low-impact movement, recovery, sleep and mind-body support, and, unusually for a yoga app, it has genuinely deep menopause and healthy-ageing content: a structured Yoga for Menopause challenge with Yoga Alliance credit that covers hot flashes, bone health and flexibility across seven or more graded lessons, separate perimenopause classes (such as the Perimenopause Muscle Revolution series with Kathryn Templeton) and postmenopause classes, plus a set of dedicated pelvic-floor sessions. That lifts its built-for-menopause score well above most yoga platforms. It is still held back because it builds no strength or bone loading, and its menopause and pelvic-floor content is yoga-therapy based with no supervised clinical or medical advisory, so it sits below purpose-built clinical menopause platforms while ranking among the very best yoga options for midlife.
These are evidence-informed suitability ratings, not clinical measurements. They combine exercise science with programme research and multi-source verification, and are approximate. Individual response varies. A starting point, not medical advice. How we score menopause fit.
What the Research Says: Yoga International Checked
Yoga helps the things this platform is good at, with a realistic ceiling. For menopausal symptoms, yoga eases symptoms compared with no treatment, though it is generally no better than other exercise.[1] The detail matters for the hot-flash-relief classes here: in a well-run trial, yoga did not actually reduce hot-flash frequency, but it did improve insomnia, so the fair expectation is better sleep rather than fewer flushes.[2] Its meditation and breathwork have a genuine signal too, with mindfulness reducing perceived stress in midlife women, even where effects on anxiety and depression were less clear.[3]
For mobility, balance and the back, yoga earns its place. In older adults, yoga improves balance, flexibility, lower-limb strength, mood and wellbeing,[4] and for chronic low-back pain it improves function about as well as other exercise.[5] So the flexibility, recovery, sleep and stress benefits this platform is built around are well supported.
Where it falls short for midlife. For the muscle and bone that menopause erodes most, the strongest stimulus is heavy, progressive resistance training, which improved bone density in postmenopausal women where lighter exercise did not,[6] against a backdrop of falling muscle and rising fat across the transition.[7] Yoga provides none of that loading. So the fair reading is that Yoga International is an excellent mind-body, recovery and flexibility resource with real menopause education, but it needs pairing with dedicated strength training to protect a midlife body.
What Users Report: Verified Sentiment
Rating snapshot: user sentiment is markedly split by platform. The iOS app rates around 4.6 out of 5 from roughly 6,000 ratings, though that figure is cumulative and includes older reviews, while the Android app rates only about 2.1 out of 5 from around 1,740 ratings despite more than 100,000 installs. Both apps are updated roughly monthly through 2026, so the poor Android score reflects a genuinely frustrating app experience rather than an abandoned product.
What users praise and criticise. The praise is consistent and specific: the depth and breadth of the library, the quality of the teaching and the education beyond postures into philosophy, Ayurveda, anatomy and continuing-education credit, the range of levels and body types welcomed, and the value for the price. The criticism is just as consistent: a clunky app with bugs and syncing problems, especially on Android, difficulty casting to a television, and, on complaint sites, recurring reports of auto-renewal charges, difficulty cancelling and email-only customer support. As one recurring theme puts it, the content is loved while the app and billing are not.
Consistently praised
- The depth and breadth of the library.
- Teaching quality and the education beyond postures.
- A welcoming range of levels and body types.
- Strong value for the price.
Consistently noted
- A buggy app, especially on Android.
- Casting and syncing problems.
- Billing, auto-renewal and cancellation complaints.
- No strength, and a yoga-therapy rather than clinical approach.
Source and credibility note: the app-store ratings are large and were checked in 2026, though the iOS figure blends several years of reviews; the billing complaints come from smaller, self-selected samples on consumer-complaint sites, so they are a real recurring theme rather than a measurable proportion. We did not find a meaningful body of menopause-specific user reviews, so we do not imply midlife women have specifically endorsed it. We also do not attribute complaints that appear to belong to unrelated third-party billing to Yoga International.
Devices and App
Yoga International runs on iOS and Android apps, the website, and TV apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Google TV, so you can practise on a phone, tablet, computer or television. A Roku app does not appear to be confirmed, and offline downloads are not clearly documented, so if either matters to you it is worth checking before you rely on it. The apps support building playlists and a personal class library.
A practical note on the app. The clearest weakness here is app quality, particularly on Android, where the low rating reflects real usability and syncing frustration, and casting to a television can be fiddly. If a smooth app experience is important to you, it is worth trying it during the free trial on your own device before committing, and being aware of the billing and cancellation complaints when you set up your subscription.
Yoga International specifications
- Free trial
- 7 days, card requiredSource: https://yogainternational.com/
- Cancellation
- Auto-renews; cancel in membership settings at least 2 days before the trial or billing date ends; deleting the app does not cancel. User reports of billing and cancellation frictionSource: https://yogainternational.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/15376792036891-Free-Trial-and-Membership-FAQ
- Session length
- About 3 to 90 minSource: https://yogainternational.com/classes/
- Who makes it
- Owned by Gaia since end of 2021; teachers include Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman Yee and Dianne Bondy; menopause content led by Kathryn Templeton, Ayurveda and yoga therapist. No clinical or medical advisory boardSource: https://yogainternational.com/
- Still maintained
- Active; iOS v26.6.0 (Aug 2026), Android updated 6 Aug 2026
- What is included
- On-demand classes: yesLive classes: noRecovery content: yesMenopause education: yesStructured programmes: yesMeditation: yesNutrition guidance: partly
- Women over 40
- Pelvic floor work: yesMenopause clinician involved: noInjury modifications: partlyBone-health focus: noPrenatal options: yes
- Devices and access
- Casting to TV: partly
- Support
- Clinical advisory board: no
- Last verified
- 17 September 2026
Yoga International Price 2026: What You Actually Pay
| Plan | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | ~$19.99/mo | Full access to classes, meditations, courses and articles. |
| Annual | ~$169/yr | About 30% cheaper than monthly, roughly 12 months for the price of 9. |
| Free trial | 7 days | Full access; not billed if cancelled before it ends. |
| Free (no login) | $0 | Some articles and pose guides; classes and courses are paywalled. |
Cost and Cancellation
Yoga International costs about $19.99 a month or $169 a year, with the annual plan working out roughly 30% cheaper, and there is a genuine 7-day free trial with full access that is not charged if you cancel in time. You can cancel anytime, with access continuing to the end of the billing period. It is worth flagging that user complaints about auto-renewal and difficulty cancelling recur on consumer sites, so set a reminder before any trial or renewal date and cancel through the account settings in good time. Prices are in US dollars and were checked in 2026, so confirm the current figures before subscribing.
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Will You Actually Stick With It?
Yoga International has strong adherence potential for the right person: the library is deep enough that you rarely run out of material, the short options make a daily practice realistic, and the meditation, breathwork and restorative content give you gentle sessions for low-energy days, which is exactly what keeps a midlife routine going. If you value depth and calm over novelty and hype, it is easy to keep coming back to.
The risks to sticking with it are the app and the browsing model. A large, self-guided library can feel overwhelming without a clear path, so leaning on its structured courses and challenges helps, and the app frustrations, especially on Android, can wear on you. If the app runs well on your device and you use the courses to give yourself structure, consistency is very achievable; if the app gets in the way, that friction is the main thing likely to stop you.
Yoga International Pros and Cons
Pros
- A deep, education-rich library of yoga, meditation and Ayurveda
- A structured menopause challenge, plus perimenopause, postmenopause and pelvic-floor classes
- Excellent restorative, yin and yoga-nidra for sleep and stress
- Low-impact, unheated and joint-friendly
- Strong value with a real 7-day free trial
Cons
- No strength or bone loading
- Menopause and pelvic-floor content is yoga-therapy based, with no clinical or medical advisory
- A weak Android app and casting issues
- Recurring billing and cancellation complaints
- Owned by Gaia, a parent under some financial pressure
How Yoga International Compares
Here is how Yoga International stacks up against the alternatives women most often weigh it against, including a menopause-built strength option as a contrast. Scores come from our own reviews; prices and ratings are approximate, so verify on each platform.
| Feature | Yoga International | Glo | Yoga with Kassandra | FitOn | Pvolve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 5.6 / 10 | 6.8 / 10 | 6.6 / 10 | 7.3 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 |
| Monthly price | $19.99/mo · $169/yr | $30/mo · $245/yr | $13.99/mo app · $139.99/yr · free on YouTube | Free tier · PRO $29.99/yr | $24.99/mo · equipment from $199 |
| Free trial | 7 days (card required) | 7 days | 7 days (app) | No trial needed, free tier | 14 days (card required) |
| Best for | Deep yoga, restorative practice, meditation, menopause yoga courses | Yoga and Pilates with over-40 strength content | Calm, short low-impact yoga for mobility and sleep | Maximum variety for free | Low-impact functional strength, menopause, joint health |
| Equipment required | Mat; blocks, strap and bolster for restorative and menopause classes | Mat, blocks, small Pilates ball, dumbbells | Mat; Yin props (blocks, bolster, blanket, strap) | Mostly bodyweight; filter by dumbbells, bands, mat | Bundle recommended ($199); bands + dumbbells work for most classes |
| Session length | About 3 to 90 min | About 5 to 90 min, most 10 to 60 | About 5 to 90 min, mostly 10 to 30 | 5 to 60 min | 5 to 60+ min; 20-min sessions plentiful |
| Injury modifications | Partly: many gentle, therapeutic options; no dedicated injury series | Chair and knee-friendly options | Partly | Limited, many workouts lack modifications | Yes + dedicated injury series (knees, back, hips, shoulders) |
| Perimenopause content | Strong for yoga: Yoga for Menopause challenge, peri and postmenopause classes, pelvic-floor sessions; no clinical input | Menopause Support programme, Pilates + Strength Over 40, pelvic-floor classes | None dedicated, only sleep and hormone-adjacent classes | No dedicated programme | Very strong: Menopause Strong, pelvic floor, endometriosis, clinical study |
| Coaching style | Recorded, education-led teaching from a large faculty; no live classes | Explains each movement and why; calm | Calm, clear follow-along cueing | Recorded and live classes with celebrity and certified trainers; no 1:1 | Verbal throughout; demos alongside you |
| Nutrition included | Some Ayurvedic recipes and e-books | None | None | Meal plans with PRO | Not included in streaming |
| Community forum | None documented | None documented | Yes, plus free email challenges | Challenges and friend workouts | Included |
| App Store rating | 4.6 (about 6,000 ratings, Sep 2026) | 4.9 (about 32,000 ratings) | 4.5 (about 100 ratings) | 4.9 (about 283,000 ratings, Sep 2026) | Not publicly listed in UK App Store |
| Best suited to women aged | 40+, yoga-first, wanting menopause yoga and calm | 40+, yoga and Pilates with some strength | All ages, stress, sleep and mobility focus | All ages, variety on a budget | 35 to 55, perimenopause, joint issues, busy schedule |
Competitor prices approximate. Verify on each platform’s website. Scores reflect our independent reviews, see each full review for methodology.
Yoga International vs Glo: Which Is Better for Women Over 40?
These two are the closest comparison, both deep, subscription wellness libraries with genuine menopause content. Glo spans yoga, Pilates and some strength and meditation, with a polished app and its own menopause and pelvic-floor content, at around $30 a month. Yoga International goes deeper on yoga, meditation, breathwork and Ayurveda, with a large article and course library and continuing-education credit, and it is cheaper at about $19.99 a month, but its app, especially on Android, is weaker and it leans more on yoga therapy and Ayurveda than on Pilates or strength.
For women over 40 the choice comes down to breadth versus depth. If you want a slightly broader mix with Pilates and some strength and a smoother app, Glo is the more rounded pick. If you want the deepest yoga, meditation and Ayurveda education with real menopause content and better value, Yoga International is compelling. Neither builds meaningful strength or replaces clinical menopause care, so whichever you choose, add dedicated progressive strength training and, if you want menopause-built strength, a purpose-designed option like Pvolve alongside.
If Yoga International Is Not Right for You: Best Alternatives
If you want a smoother app, a broader mix, or dedicated strength, these published alternatives pair or compare well.
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Close to Yoga International, if it is not quite right for you
These are not part of this review’s score. Each shares a goal or training style with Yoga International, and each is worth a look if it is closer to what you need.
Deep, calming yoga, Pilates, meditation and walking with genuine over-40, menopause and pelvic floor content. Joint-friendly and beginner-welcoming, b…
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One of the most enjoyable fitness platforms for women in midlife: outstanding filtering, signature 28-minute classes, genuine menopause programming. U…
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Yoga International FAQ
Yoga International is an on-demand subscription platform with an unusually deep library of yoga, meditation, breathwork and Ayurveda, plus courses and thousands of articles. It offers around 3,000 classes from 3 to 90 minutes across styles from gentle hatha, yin and restorative to vinyasa and kundalini, and it began in 1991 as a print magazine from the Himalayan Institute, which is where its depth in meditation, philosophy and Ayurveda comes from. It is now owned by Gaia and runs on iOS, Android, the web and TV apps.
For deep, calming yoga it is one of the best options, and it has more menopause content than almost any yoga app: a structured Yoga for Menopause challenge, separate perimenopause and postmenopause classes, hot-flash-relief classes and even dedicated pelvic-floor sessions, plus excellent restorative and yoga-nidra practices for sleep and stress. Its limits are that it builds almost no strength or bone, and its menopause and pelvic-floor content is yoga-therapy based with no clinical or medical advisory or supervised rehabilitation. So it works well as a deep mind-body and recovery layer, paired with dedicated strength training, rather than as a clinical menopause specialist.
It offers hot-flash-relief classes using cooling postures and breathwork, and many women find them calming. But it is worth setting realistic expectations: in a well-run trial, yoga did not significantly reduce the frequency of hot flashes, though it did improve sleep. So the most reliable benefit from these classes is better sleep, stress relief and a sense of calm rather than fewer flushes, and anyone whose symptoms are disruptive should also speak to their clinician about medical options.
Yoga International costs about $19.99 a month or $169 a year, with the annual plan working out roughly 30% cheaper. There is a genuine 7-day free trial with full access that is not charged if you cancel in time, and a limited amount of free content, mostly articles and pose guides, without a login. You can cancel anytime with access to the end of the billing period. Because user complaints about auto-renewal and cancelling recur, set a reminder before any trial or renewal date. Prices are in US dollars and were checked in 2026, so confirm before subscribing.
Yoga International is owned by Gaia, a publicly traded wellness and streaming company that acquired it at the end of 2021. It is live and actively maintained, with its apps updated roughly monthly through 2026 and content still being added. Two things are worth knowing: Gaia has been under some financial pressure recently and is pivoting toward AI features, which is a longevity consideration, and Gaia’s flagship service has a reputation for pseudoscience content, though that attaches to the parent company rather than Yoga International’s yoga library. Gaia is a separate company from the similarly named Glo and Gaiam.
For a woman who wants deep, calming yoga, meditation and Ayurveda with genuine menopause and healthy-ageing content, and good value, it is one of the stronger yoga platforms, and the free trial makes it low-risk to try. It is a weaker choice if you want strength or bone-building work, clinical menopause or pelvic-floor programming, or a flawless app, since the Android app in particular rates poorly and billing draws complaints. On our research-based evaluation, Yoga International is a very good mind-body and recovery layer for midlife, best paired with dedicated strength training.
Final Verdict
Research Score: 5.6 / 10 · Research-based data profile
Yoga International is one of the better yoga platforms for a midlife woman. It is genuinely deep in yoga, meditation, breathwork and Ayurveda, its restorative and yoga-nidra practices are excellent for sleep and stress, and, unusually for a yoga app, it has real menopause and healthy-ageing content, all at good value with a real free trial. For our audience the limits are clear: it builds almost no strength or bone, and while it even has dedicated pelvic-floor and structured menopause content, that content is yoga-therapy based with no clinical or medical advisory or supervised rehabilitation. Its app also draws real complaints especially on Android, and it belongs to a parent company under some financial pressure.
Yoga International is for women who want deep, calming yoga, meditation and Ayurveda with a genuine menopause angle, as a mind-body and recovery layer. It is not for women who want strength or bone-building work, clinical menopause or pelvic-floor programming, or a flawless app. The best way to use it is alongside dedicated progressive strength training, leaning on its courses for structure and its restorative content for recovery, with a reminder set before any renewal date. As a research-based profile, this reflects official information, the library and course pages, pricing, user reports, ownership news and the science, not a hands-on test.
Assessment Status
Research-based data profile: this profile is based on Yoga International’s official information, its library and course pages, app-store listings, current pricing, verified user reviews, ownership news and the exercise science, scored on our standard criteria. It is not a hands-on test, and no personal-testing claims are made. If we test it hands-on in future, we will upgrade this to a sample-tested review on the same page. How we score and test.
Sources and Further Reading
- Cramer, H., Peng, W. & Lauche, R. (2018). Yoga for menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas, 109, 13 to 25. DOI 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.12.005. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Yoga eased menopausal symptoms versus no treatment, but was generally no better than other exercise.
- Newton, K.M. et al. (2014). Efficacy of yoga for vasomotor symptoms: a randomized controlled trial (MsFLASH). Menopause, 21(4), 339 to 346. DOI 10.1097/GME.0b013e31829e4baa. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Yoga did not significantly reduce hot-flash frequency or bother, but it did improve insomnia.
- Liu, H. et al. (2023). The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety, depression, stress, and mindfulness in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1045642. DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1045642. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Mindfulness significantly reduced perceived stress in menopausal women, with non-significant effects on anxiety and depression.
- Sivaramakrishnan, D. et al. (2019). The effects of yoga compared to active and inactive controls on physical function and health-related quality of life in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1), 33. DOI 10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Yoga improved balance, flexibility, lower-limb strength, mood and wellbeing in older adults.
- Wieland, L.S. et al. (2017). Yoga treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1, CD010671. DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD010671.pub2. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Yoga produced small-to-moderate improvements in back function, with little difference versus other exercise.
- Watson, S.L. et al. (2018). High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 33(2), 211 to 220. DOI 10.1002/jbmr.3284. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Heavy, progressive resistance and impact training improved bone density where lighter exercise did not.
- Greendale, G.A. et al. (2019). Changes in body composition and weight during the menopause transition. JCI Insight, 4(5), e124865 (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation). DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.124865. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Fat mass rose and lean mass fell across the menopause transition (observational cohort).
This is a research-based data profile, not a hands-on test. Pricing and features were verified in 2026 and may have changed. Some affiliate links may be present. This site does not accept payment from platforms reviewed. Education, not medical advice; check with your clinician before starting a new programme, especially with joint, pelvic-floor, heart or bone concerns.
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