Donna Farhi MasterClass Review: Yoga Foundations

“I want to get back to yoga” is a recurring thought I’ve been having lately.

I still occasionally practice it at home, but not as actively as when I attended yoga classes on a weekly basis. And I’m starting to feel like my body and mind really miss those classes…

So when I spotted Donna Farhi’s course on MasterClass, I thought to myself: well, maybe this is a great way to find some motivation and start practicing again.

Plus, it’s always good to get back to basics and remind yourself of what practicing yoga entails.

In this honest review, I’ll tell you everything about my learning experience so you can decide for yourself whether Donna’s MasterClass is worth taking.

Let’s dive in!

What is the Donna Farhi MasterClass?

“Donna Farhi Teaches Yoga Foundations” is an online course offered by MasterClass, a popular online learning platform known for its exceptional team of instructors.

Donna Farhi is a renowned yoga instructor with more than 40 years of experience. In her MasterClass, she teaches basic principles and poses of yoga while tackling physical and mental elements that make a safe and sustainable practice.

To Donna, the heart of yoga is learning how to be compassionate and kind to yourself. And in doing so, you can find a greater capacity to be compassionate and kind to others.

That said, this class is suitable for anyone who wants to learn or reassess the foundations of yoga and become more compassionate and mindful.

The course contains 10 video lessons with a duration of 1 hour and 58 minutes.

Who is Donna Farhi?

Donna Farhi is by far one of the most celebrated figures in the yoga world. She is now in her 60s, and she has been practicing yoga since the age of 16.

Donna started learning yoga in New Zealand and went to train in San Francisco, where she got certified as an instructor in the Iyengar yoga method. Eventually, she created her own method of practicing and teaching yoga, a method that felt in integrity with her values.

Donna now resides on a 30-acre farm in Christchurch, New Zealand, but continues to lead intensives and instructor-training programs around the world.

She has also authored yoga books, guides, and a seminal curricular text for teacher ethics.

Who is Donna Farhi’s MasterClass for?

Donna’s MasterClass deals with the foundation of yoga, so it’s ideal for novices and those who aren’t sure if that’s something they want to dive into.

In the course, Donna explains what yoga is and what kind of movement it requires at a beginner’s level.

But you might be asking yourself – am I flexible enough for this class?

Well, as Donna pointed out, there is not a single sutra that has the word flexibility.

Also, Donna explains and demonstrates each move in such a clear, thorough way so anyone can understand it and try it.

So, you can participate in this class regardless of your previous experience.

If you’re not new to yoga, you can benefit from this class as well – Donna’s lessons might help you reconnect with the practice or allow you to gain a new perspective.

What does Donna Farhi’s MasterClass cover?

Donna has been practicing yoga for more than 40 years. And as she points out in the first lesson, this MasterClass is a distillation of all of these years of experience.

This includes basic yoga poses such as downward-facing dog and the mountain pose, warm-up practices, traditional movements, breathing exercises, and meditation.

Since yoga requires both physical and mental practice, her class aims to explain how to practice as well as why. Foundational elements of yoga are key to a healthy mind, healthy spirit, and healthy body, and that’s precisely what Donna strives to convey with her teaching.

Her lessons are clear and concise, and they are suitable for first-time beginners as well as more experienced yogis.

Here is what you can expect from each lesson:

Lesson 1 is an introductory lesson where Donna introduces herself and the course.
Lesson 2 deals with the definition, meaning, and origin of yoga.
Lesson 3 is focused on the importance of proper breathing and exercises that can help you breathe more effectively.
Lesson 4 contains essential yoga warm-up practices.
Lesson 5 features fundamental movement principles that underlie the safe and effective practice of yoga.
Lesson 6 delves deeper into yoga movements. Donna teaches how to move fluidly from the core of your body to the periphery, which is an important skill for any physical practice.
Lesson 7 contains sun salutations.
Lesson 8 is based on the techniques that will help you center your body.
Lesson 9 is focused on backbend variations that can help you mobilize your back.
Lesson 10 is the final lesson, where Donna leads her students through the meditation and explains the importance of rest and relaxation at the end of each practice.

My favorite parts of Donna Farhi’s MasterClass

I genuinely enjoyed Donna’s course, and it was a pleasure to listen to her talk about what yoga means to her and how it can benefit people’s lives.

And, to someone who has years of experience but hasn’t practiced for some time now, taking her class felt like reconnecting – both with yoga movements and with myself.

So, it’s hard to pick the lesson I liked the most, so here are some of my personal favorites.

What is yoga

At first, I thought this lesson was geared toward absolute beginners, but I found it interesting and inspiring, too.

Donna explained her understanding of what yoga is and brought up the definition she is fond of the most. To her, yoga is ‘settling of the mind back into its original silence,’ and I think that’s very well put.

She also said that learning yoga can be seen as re-finding your place in the world.

Essential breath

Breath control is a crucial element of a safe and efficient yoga practice. But paying attention to your breath is also a great way of helping yourself calm down at the end of the day.

The benefits of breathing exercises are immense whether you practice yoga or not, and it was nice to be reminded of them.

Restoring your mind

Yoga is not just a physical practice. It’s also about finding a balance between your body and your mind.

One of the ways to achieve that is by noticing the sounds around you as well as paying attention to your thoughts and emotions.

Getting into a deeper meditative state requires time and practice, and it’s not as easy as it might seem, but Donna explained all the steps of getting there really nicely.

How much does the MasterClass cost?

MasterClass is a subscription-based learning platform, so it’s not possible to purchase courses individually. If you want to take this MasterClass, you have to become a subscriber.

The standard annual plan has been renamed "Plus" and is available at $120 a year (which makes it $10 per month, billed annually), and now provides access to all MasterClass courses on two devices instead of one. The Premium plan, providing access for up to six devices costs $240 per year.

A MasterClass subscription gives you unlimited access to a catalog of 200+ classes, so if you want to take multiple classes throughout the year, the subscription is definitely worth it, and there are pleny of interesting courses on related topics to explore.

Also, the platform offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, so if you’re not happy with your learning experience, you can request a full refund.

Note that the "Standard" membership, priced at $72 per year, only gives you access to their short-form learning content – none of their full MasterClasses are included.

What I liked about Donna Farhi’s MasterClass

It’s obvious that Donna lives and breathes yoga. As she says in the course, yoga helps her sustain all the activities in her life that have meaning to her.

One of the best things about this course is the feeling of power Donna managed to create and convey – the feeling of power, calmness, passion, and dedication.

I do wish the course was longer, though, but I guess it offers a solid foundation and encouragement to keep exploring.

In any case, if you’re passionate or curious about yoga, I believe you’ll enjoy the class as much as I did. And here are some of the reasons why.

It’s practical

This is a rather practical MasterClass, which means it offers hands-on lessons that will teach you how to practice yoga.

With the help of her students and colleagues, Donna demonstrated basic movements and yoga poses while providing the theory and meaning behind each move.

So, it’s a mixture of physical activity and theory, but it’s mostly based on exercises and demonstrations that will allow you to practice in front of the screen.

Well-rounded

As I just mentioned, Donna’s course covers practice as well as theory.

She also shared some of her personal stories and experiences that led her to become a yoga instructor.

Finally, she talked about the body as well as the mind and finding that balance is a crucial step in becoming a yogi.

Great instructor

I think I already said enough about Donna, so I’ll be brief here.

When I say someone is a great instructor, I usually mean they can convey their knowledge in an effective way. In my opinion, this requires eloquence, confidence, and a level of warmth, all of which I sensed in Donna Farhi.

Useful class guide

If you want to learn more, there’s an accompanying PDF guidebook at your disposal.

The guide contains some really useful stuff, including a yoga glossary, a brief history of yoga, explanations, and illustrations of basic poses, a ‘find your yoga practice’ questionnaire, and a list of seminal texts to expand your knowledge.

Drawbacks of Donna Farhi’s MasterClass

Although I did enjoy Donna Farhi’s class, there’s the other side of the coin.

It’s hard to practice while watching

Honestly, I found it a bit inconvenient to follow Donna’s instructions and practice while she was speaking. She took her time to explain every move, so it’s normal that things didn’t flow very fast or smoothly, but that also kept me in a half-practicing state the whole time.

There’s also an option to simply watch the lessons and absorb them – but that also seems a bit inconvenient if you want to learn how to actually do these movements.

But I guess that’s just the nature of online lessons.

Review conclusion: Is Donna Farhi’s MasterClass worth it?

At the end of the day, I think Donna’s MasterClass is worth taking.

She is an amazing teacher – calm, inspiring, and patient – and she explains every yoga move in a very clear and understandable way.

Since they’re focused on essential poses and principles, Donna’s lessons are ideal for yoga beginners, but they also offer a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for more experienced practitioners like me.

For novices, it might be a bit challenging to practice while watching the videos, but that’s just the general disadvantage of online lessons. At the end of the day, Donna’s classes offer a foundation, and it’s on you to keep practicing and improving your skills.

Hopefully, this review answered all of your questions and encouraged you to start exploring the magical world of yoga.