Kassandra Reinhardt: Yoga, YouTube and community

Kassandra Reinhardt, the face behind popular YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra, tells us of her journey into yoga, the importance of practice and why bitesize might be better

Whether you’re a regular yogi or are just starting out, it’s likely you’ll be familiar with Kassandra Reinhardt - or at least her YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra.

As one of the first instructors to embrace online teaching, Kassandra is on a mission to help others feel great through yoga, and with over 230 million views, it’s clear the bitesize, accessible approach is resonating. So what’s next for Kassandra and her +2 million community?

Hi Kassandra, when did your yoga journey begin?

I started yoga at 18 years old without knowing much about it. I grew up doing ballet and always struggled with my flexibility, so a friend suggested I try yoga. I took a few drop-in classes here and there, and eventually found a teacher and a style that I really resonated with. I liked how yoga placed no emphasis on the way I looked, and instead focused on mindfulness and personal growth. I ended up leaving the world of dance and completely immersing myself in yoga.

Once I understood the richness of this spiritual practice, I knew I wanted to dive deeper and learn more. After a few years of practicing, I took my first teacher training and haven’t looked back since.

Remember that this is a practice about embracing the journey, there is no destination

Tell us more about your bitesize approach to yoga

I’ve always believed that doing a little bit of yoga every day is more powerful and effective than doing a one-hour session once a week. Longer sessions on the mat are really wonderful, but not always realistic to fit into people’s daily lives, so I wanted to give students permission to embrace a “less is more” philosophy.

Our yoga practice is so much more than poses we do on our yoga mat, it’s also in the way we treat ourselves and others, and how we show up in the world.

By spending a little bit of time every day moving mindfully with our breath, we can remind ourselves of what matters and come back to our center.

Can anyone practice yoga?

In the west, we’ve come to think of yoga as a strictly physical practice, but it also encompasses breathwork, meditation, ethics and philosophy. If you can breathe, you can do yoga!

If movement isn’t accessible for people for any reason, practicing pranayama or breath control is an excellent place to start, as is meditation. For those interested in asana or yoga poses as a beginner, I always recommend starting off slow.

We’re lucky to live in a day and age where so much is accessible to us for free on the internet, so I’m confident that there’s an online yoga class out there for everyone. Search for ‘beginner-friendly yoga classes’ and remember that this is a practice about embracing the journey, there is no destination.

Props are a great way to make yoga poses more accessible, but beginners practicing at home often don’t have any. Instead, you can substitute traditional props like blocks, bolsters and straps with household items such as thick books, dense cushions and blankets and belts.

I liked how yoga placed no emphasis on the way I looked, and instead focused on mindfulness and personal growth

You often include an affirmation at the start of your practice. Do you have any affirmations that we can use, for those days where one doesn’t come to mind?

Here are my 5 favorite affirmations from my new “I Radiate Joy” card deck:

• I am at peace with the flow of life.
• My self-esteem is growing day by day.
• Good things are coming my way; I’m ready for them.
• I breathe in love and breathe out peace.
• I am unique and it is my greatest strength.

You’ve created hundreds of videos, what are your favourite flows for certain times of the day?

If you’re looking for a morning practice:

If you’re looking for a stretch after work:

If you’re looking for a practice to boost energy:

Finally, what’s next for Yoga with Kassandra?

In April, I’ll be launching my third 30-day yoga challenge! This means there will be a new, free yoga class on my YouTube channel every day from 1st - 30th April.

My previous two challenges had hundreds of thousands of participants from all around the world, and I believe this third one will be even bigger and better! I’ve put a lot of work into it and I’m excited to share it. These projects take months for me to create and they require a lot of my time and energy, but so far it has always been worth it.

It’s really special to be able to connect with people in this way and to motivate them to add even just a little bit of yoga to their everyday lives.

Ottawa-based Yin and Vinyasa Yoga Instructor, YouTuber, and author, Kassandra Reinhardt, is on a mission to help others feel great with yoga. As one of the first yoga instructors to embrace online teaching, her YouTube channel has grown to more than 2.1 million subscribers and has over 230 million views.

Kassandra is the author of “Yin Yoga: Stretch The Mindful Way” (DK Books), has led yoga retreats internationally, and offers online workshops and in-person Yin Yoga training. Kassandra is also the creator of the Yoga with Kassandra app, a source for yoga with exclusive video content, journaling features, and more.

With over 2.3 million people in her online community, Kassandra has truly provided accessibility to yoga and she is expanding her expertise further, with the recent release of her guided yoga journal, My Yoga Journey: A Guided Journal, and her daily affirmation card deck, I Radiate Joy.