USA TODAY International Edition
Yoga classes stretch tourist experience
Yoga may be an inner journey, but it doesn’t mean you can’t combine it with your next trip. Classes provide a way to meet new people, and are sometimes held in top tourist sites, like monuments, parks and museums. “It’s a lovely way to have a unique experience in a town,” says Meghan Rabbitt, executive editor of Yoga Journal (yogajournal.com). She shares some favorites.
San Antonio Missions National Park, San Antonio
Yoga’s roots may be in Asia, but San Antonio’s Spanish missions still make a good fit for classes, says Rabbitt. “It’s an inspiring backdrop for the ancient practice of yoga.” Monthly Saturday morning sessions alternate between Missions San Jose and Concepcion. mobileomtx.com/ sponsored-series#sponsored
OUE Skyspace LA, Los Angeles
Yoga reaches new heights with a class atop a Los Angeles skyscraper. Sessions are offered at sunrise and sunset, and once a month in the evening with DJs and immersive art. They all provide 360-degree views from an observation deck in the U.S. Bank Tower. After class, you can zip down an enclosed transparent slide attached to the outside of the building, which carries passengers from the 70th to the 69th floor. “This is for adventure seekers, for someone that likes adrenaline with their yoga,” Rabbitt says. oue-skyspace.com
Sunrise yoga at the Gateway Arch, St. Louis
Free Tuesday morning classes let you start your day with yoga near the Gateway Arch at Kiener Plaza. “To do your sun salutations outside to the sun at sunrise can be really powerful,” Rabbitt says. “The fact that you can have a free class in an iconic spot in a city is cool, too.” Offered through Oct. 16. yogabuzz.org/events/ free-sunrise-yoga-kiener-plaza-6/
3rd Street Beach Yoga, Miami
Why not try out your dolphin pose on the edge of the ocean? These donationbased morning and evening classes started when a yogi began practicing on the beach 20 years ago. Soon people joined her, and it became a daily tradition. “The setting itself is relaxing and yoga ups that,” Rabbitt says. 3rdstreetbeachyoga.com
Heliyoga, Las Vegas
Helicopter might sound like an advanced yoga pose, but in this case, it’s the transportation you’ll be taking to a mountain-peak session in the Valley of Fire state park. An instructor will guide you through a 75-minute class on wireless headphones, while you take in the beauty of the red rock canyons. The trip, which runs nearly $3,500 for up to six passengers, includes a limousine to the helicopter, a lululemon yoga mat and champagne at the end of the class. maverickhelicopter.com/heliyoga.aspx
Yoga with cats, Marietta, Ga.
Do your cat-cow poses with cats at this Atlanta-area class at the Good Mews no-kill cat shelter. “It’s not pure yoga because you’ve got little kitties crawling around, but it’s a way to engage with these animals and potentially adopt one,” Rabbitt says. goodmews.org/ongoing-events
Yoga @ the Museum, Milwaukee
Even if your downward dog isn’t a work of art, you’ll at least be surrounded by masterpieces during Saturday morning classes at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Sessions overlook Lake Michigan and provide early access to the striking building, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. “What better way to start a day visiting an art museum than with a grounding, heart-opening yoga class?” Rabbitt says. mam.org/calendar/events/yoga.php
Laughing Lotus Church of Yoga, New Orleans
This donation-based yoga center transformed a former Baptist church that had been damaged during Hurricane Katrina into a place to “party and pray.” The studio offers regular classes and special events such as gospel yoga, Lady Gaga yoga and yoga to movie soundtracks, including “Titanic,” “Rocky” and “Saturday Night Fever.” “At a studio like this, you’re getting worldclass teaching in an amazing setting,” Rabbitt says. nola. laughinglotus.com
Point Reyes Yoga, Point Reyes, Calif.
This studio, inside an old feed barn about an hour north of San Francisco, is co-owned by MC YOGI, a recording artist who incorporates music into his classes. “Even if you don’t typically practice to music, it’s kind of fun to switch it up,” Rabbitt says. Afterward, reward yourself with a visit to Tomales Bay for fresh oysters. pointreyesyoga. com
North Fork Yoga Shala, Greenport, N.Y.
In a former Masonic temple on the North Fork of Long Island, this studio has 24-foot vaulting ceilings and is popular with New Yorkers visiting the region’s wineries and beaches. “It’s a real local spot and the space is really amazing,” Rabbitt says. northforkyogashala. com