You’ve probably heard by now: Yoga’s not just for those who were seemingly born double-jointed. You don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel in order to relax, stretch and forget about road rage. And just because Yoga Month has wound down, it doesn’t mean you have to ditch your quest for balance. Here’s our rundown of the most Yoga-licious locales, based on Foursquare check-ins:
This charming Larchmont Village space spans two floors at the Center for Yoga (the first yoga studio in LA) iand has three yoga rooms including a rope wall and a giant main room with high ceilings and a life size Buddha.
9. Milwaukee, WI – Bikram Yoga
Yoginis here say it’s “sweaty but healing – just do it”. Eco-bonus: Their new state of the art heating systems uses about “one-third the amount of natural gas we would use with a traditional heating system” to fire up their Bikram yoga classes.
8 . Austin, TX – Pure Bikram Yoga Downtown
This place is gonna make you sweat! Bring your own towel. With 2 studios at this location, there are plenty of classes, so you’ll find something to fit your schedule, and located just a few minutes from Whole Foods, where you can stop to get a juice after class to maintain your healthy glow. Good karma: babysitting service offered for select classes.
7. Santa Monica, CA – Bryan Krest’s Power Yoga
This donation-based studio has a bevy of teachers that students rave about. Even venerable Vogue magazine says “Bryan Kest is synonymous with Power Yoga, a high sweat aerobic variation of Ashtanga yoga that has a meditative side.”
6. Seattle, WA – Urban Yoga Spa
This award-winning yoga studio and spa is what some call “the best yoga in Seattle—period”. They offer an alternative to Bikram–Hot Hatha–which is highly recommended, and great if Bikram style is too intense for your warrior pose.
“Rock Your Asana” here! Not only is that the name of a class, you can throw down to Hip Hop Yoga too, along with Vinyasa classes that flow along a more traditional tip.
4. Chicago, IL – Core Power Yoga
With numerous locations around the city, you can get your asana to a class, be it the raved-about Yoga Sculpt class or chill out and take a class lit only with candlelight and elevate your Mudra.
At this Nob Hill location, they teach strictly Bikram style, with belief that “anything worthwhile is worth doing, and anything worth doing is worth doing in 100-degree heat.” Survival tip: “Hyrdate the day before, and the day of class, and don’t eat anything before (class).”
2. Austin, TX – Black Swan Yoga
Sweaty Yoga and Power Yoga are definitely favorites here (bring a towel!), but you can brush up on your Sanskrit as you peruse a wide range of styles, including Hatha (recommended for beginners and runners), Vinyasa Flow and Prana.
1. Minneapolis – Core Power Yoga
Bow to this location in the Warehouse District and Downward Dog-it in your choice of classes, among them Yoga Sculpt, Vinyasa Flow, or a range of heated Core Power classes, rated 1-3 based on heat, humidity and intensity.
