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Close your eyes and picture this: Your PTO was finally approved. Your taxing travel day—complete with cramped airplane seat and overly chatty seatmate in 11D—is behind you. You even made it to the hotel in time to take advantage of the afternoon yoga class within sight of the ocean. As you unfurl your mat, the sun drenches your skin and the sticky salt air fills your lungs.
As you stretch to relieve jet-lagged joints, desk hips, and stress-storing shoulders, the rhythmic sound of the waves helps set the pace of your breath and quiet your overworked mind. It quickly registers, even though vacation brain fog has already started to set in, that this isn’t your typical class—and it has everything to do with the fact that you’re practicing outdoor yoga.
In recent years, more and more resorts have been skipping the standard gym and sterile studio scenarios and taking their yoga programming outside. The vibe shift among students is immediate and undeniable, says Ashley Kohler, yoga teacher and director of wellness for Destination Kohler. She sees proof of its benefits in students following every outdoor yoga class held on Yoga on the Lake’s rustic platform situated among the Wisconsin woods.
“The sounds, sights, and smells of nature contribute to a more holistic meditative sensory experience, enhance the feeling of peace, and deepen the yoga experience,” explains Kohler, who finds that students exhibit increased energy levels as well as more relaxed, content facial expressions. “General enthusiasm [seems] higher in outdoor classes.”
She also attributes the enhanced engagement and focus of students to the lack of artificial distractions that accompany indoor spaces, such as mirrors and unnatural lighting. “Outdoor settings offer a break from routine, providing a fresh perspective,” Kohler says.
Why Outdoor Yoga Enhances Your Experience
Scholars dating back to the era of Hippocrates suggest that “green exercise,” which is simply fitness that takes place outdoors amongst nature in fresh air, is highly beneficial to physical, mental, and emotional health. Moving in proximity to blue spaces, as in aquatic and marine environments, has also been shown to bring positive effects on well-being.
More recently, scientific studies indicate that spending time in nature boosts your mood in multiple ways, including encouraging the release of endorphins (the body’s pain reliever), reducing anxiety, exposing you to beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and helping regulate your body’s clock thanks to the release of sleep-promoting melatonin from taking in natural light.
Getting your alfresco asana on also increases oxygen levels in the brain, which in turn raises levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter found in most antidepressants that mediates satisfaction, happiness, and optimism. Sun-on-skin time also triggers the synthesis of vitamin D, low levels of which are associated with depression, osteoporosis, even, in extreme cases, death.
16 Most Tranquil Outdoor Yoga Spaces
Following are some of the most beautiful, tranquil, and awe-inspiring outdoor yoga venues around the world, whether you’re feeling like ashtanga along an Aspen grove, vineyard vinyasa, or seaside Savasana. Bonus: Outdoor yoga classes are often complimentary with a reservation at the property or are included in resort fee perks.
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Our Habitas AlUla
AIUIa, Saudi Arabia
Catch the early morning light show while practicing outdoor yoga surrounded by towering ocher sandstone walls in the ancient Ashar Valley. Choose from yin, hatha, or meditative dance classes. The open roof and wide doorways of the agora make it an equally memorable place to meditate when the stars come out to play. You can extend the serene vibe of Savasana by picking up locally made herbal tea and essential oils at Thuraya Spa’s Alchemy Bar. Staying in one of the wellness villas ensures you extra amenities, including an in-room yoga mat and massage. You’ll also be closest to the agora so you can always snag a good spot in class.
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Hotel San Cristóbal
Todos Santos, Mexico
Don’t let the dusty bumpy road to get to this Baja California boutique deter you. What awaits is serenity-instilling yoga classes held in the breezy mirador (Spanish for “lookout”), a second-story pergola-topped terrace that peers out at the gleaming Pacific and the craggy promontory Punta Lobos. The breathtaking pair may distract you a little from standing poses while the resort’s signature—and groovy—retro tile makes forward folds an experience as well. Intensify your post-class bliss by hiking through the ruins of a former abalone cannery and past the hills to see a sea lion colony or soothe your soul with a Saturday afternoon sound batch.
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Carmel Valley Ranch
Carmel, California
The hilltop yoga class amid the central coast’s Santa Lucia Wilderness starts with a steep trek past manicured lawns and wild fields and takes you across a bridge, through the farm (where you can take a quick break to pet the cow, horses, and goats), and upward to a peak where a rustic wood platform awaits. At first glance, the setup is deceptively simple. But as you settle in, you’re sure to spot the enormous oak trees (one of which is fitted with a swing), shifting clouds, and a valley unfolding below. Your stay comes with access to tons of complimentary classes and experiences, including power yoga, foam rolling, water aerobics, and hiking with grazing goats.
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Finca Victoria
Vieques, Puerto Rico
It’s easy to fall in jungle love with yoga at this ayurvedic retreat plopped atop a lush hill in Puerto Rico. Morning classes take place in a modular maloka with walls of retractable windows that mean you never lose sight of the plant-filled panorama. From here the wind carries in Mother Nature’s perfume and lets out the calming sounds of the singing bowls. Smaller groups make use of the uncovered connected deck, where fire ceremonies take place. Occasionally, the rain sweeps in an island baptism of sorts that washes away stress. You’ll also find restoration lying in a hammock at the pool or indulging in a medicinal coconut-milk bath.
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Joali Being
Bodufushi, Maldives
Let’s be brutally honest: It’s complete torture to get to The Maldives from the US. We’re talking two to four flights and a boat ride plus a cruel time difference. But it’s unequivocally one of the most beautiful places on the planet. To make the journey worthwhile, settle your soul in an overwater, open-air ocean sala so gorgeous that it rivals the local scenery. The experience benefits from a soundtrack of crashing waves and an overhead show of constantly changing light and clouds. Multiple movement and meditation classes take place each day, including antigravity and power yoga. When you’re not holding poses, you’re invited to experience the sound therapy hall, sensory deprivation room, hydrotherapy circuit, and herbology center.
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Rancho de los Caballeros
Wickenburg, Arizona
The warm-up to your yoga class at this historic high Sonoran desert guest ranch is a 45-minute horseback ride into the desert, where you’ll unmount to mats already set up for you amid the survivalist flora. Here you’ll experience a 60-minute flow focused on energizing your body and mind. Prefer to skip the steeds? You can make cactus arms in front of saguaros and Joshua trees on the lawn at the ranch during sunrise and evening restorative sessions. Further clear your mind with a ramble through the stone labyrinth and then tend to any aches with a sit in the infrared sauna or a soak in an outdoor clawfoot tub.
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ORIGINS Lodge
Pueblo Nuevo, Bijagua, Costa Rica
Simply follow the fern- and flower-lined path to the giant bamboo shala, which is slowly being reclaimed by climbing vines. Balance your Sun and Moon energies with an hour of hatha as natural light filters through the white canvas dome at its peak and the open sides ensure you take in the infinite green of the high valley jungle. Birds serenade you and the breeze on your face calms you. Cacao ceremonies are also held in the shala and feature Kirtan musicians and chanting. The eco-lodge is situated on 111 acres of rainforest where you can supplement classes with breathwork classes, waterfall hikes, hot tub soaks, and cranial sacral therapy as well as superfoods from the on-site organic farm.
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Thatch Caye, A Muy’Ono Resort
Dangriga, Belize
Situated on an 11-acre, plastic-free, private island playground along the world’s second longest barrier reef, this outdoor yoga studio is aptly named Serenity Point. It’s hard not to settle into your exhalation, sink deeper into poses, and count your blessings when you’re practicing underneath a thatched roof and over water so clear you can watch fish swim by as you transition between poses. The palapa sits at the terminus of a long boardwalk at the end of the palm-dotted island with an easy access point for you to slip into the crystalline Caribbean to help you cool off post flow.
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Moksha Yoga Amazonica
Moyobamba, Peru
A large circular stone floor and shala creates a practice space themed to the elements. Settled among cedar bungalows, blue lagoons, and patches of terrestrial orchids, the yoga space is also bookended by a water feature and a statement sunburst sculpture. Practice active yang in the wee hours of morning while shrouded in an ethereal mist (with occasional cameos by monkeys and hummingbirds) and wrap up the day with yin yoga as the light fades. The South American eco-hotel in a cloud forest is becoming a base camp for yoga retreats geared toward serious yoga students, aspiring teachers, and longtime teachers looking for a little training tune-up.
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Montage Healdsburg
Healdsburg, California
Connect with the same terroir that dictates the bold favor of this Sonoma resort’s house Cabernet Sauvignon with an hour-long class between rows of the on-property vineyards. Practices are led each day by the resort’s resident yoga instructor. Round out your stay with unique add-ons, such as foraging, e-biking, or bee-lining with a pro apiarist.
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Susona Bodrum
Bodrum, Turkey
You might come closer to attaining samadhi, that elusive state of enlightenment, as you gaze at the undulating landscape while practicing yoga on an elongated jetty that juts out into the Aegean Sea. Or perhaps you’d prefer to sit and meditate as you entrain your inner rhythm to the trance-inducing beats of local music somewhere in the distance. Or maybe you want to try to catch a glimpse of the mythological mermaid for which the LXR Hotel & Resort is named. If you’d rather be surrounded by green than blue, private sessions can be arranged in your suite’s private garden. Help your muscles recover by spending some quality time in the sauna, steam room, or the authentic hammam (Turkish bath) complete with marble interiors and exotic oils.
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Brush Creek Ranch
Saratoga, Wyoming
During class on a cliff-hugging platform situated thousands of feet above sea level and surrounded by boulders, you could conceivably watch an eagle soar past while you’re practicing Eagle Pose (Garudasana). The overlook is conducive to that meta moment as well as majestic views of the Sierra Madre Mountains, the North Platte Valley, and acres of national forest. There’s also a yoga class that begins with a hike to Magee Homestead and ends with yoga in a yurt where goats occasionally invite themselves to join in the fun. When the mercury plummets, throw on the puffer and snowshoes and traipse to the garden for snowga.
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The Loren at Pink Beach
Bermuda
Slow flow and vinyasa yoga lessons are convened on a stone promenade that’s open to the sky, backed by emerald landscaping, and fronted by a pastel shade of sand that Barbie would approve of and that leads to a cerulean expanse. Yoga classes at this tucked-away refuge are usually led in the round to further the rooted-in-community concept of Salt Yoga Bermuda, although you can also book a one-on-one on the beach. Prenatal practices are offered and would make the perfect babymoon or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can join an instructor for off-property SUP yoga.
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Live Aqua Urban Resort
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Mother Nature and some extremely talented architects worked in tandem to create the garden sanctuary on the outskirts of the charming colonial town known for attracting artists and expats. The living tapestry is a jumble of eye-pleasing colors, materials, tilework, and elevations sequestered at the back of the modern hotel. A fountain gurgles to add an extra layer of calm to its array of outdoor yoga classes, including hatha, vinyasa, and ashtanga. You can chase class with a stint in the resort’s take on a temazcal, modeled after a traditional Mayan sweat lodge.
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Juniper Preserve
Bend, Oregon
Long before this high-desert hideaway became a gathering place for golfers with its 72-par course, a lava flow meandered underground, leaving an elongated cave in its wake. Someone had the smart sense to activate the unique rocky-walled, sandy-bottomed geographical feature as a destination for yoga classes and sound baths. (And the acoustics are as killer as you’d expect!) If you consider caverns a little claustrophobic, classes are also held on Juniper’s Spirit Island, a manicured lawn in the middle of a large pond with clear sightlines to Mt. Bachelor and Three Sisters Wilderness.
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Spice Island Beach Resort
St. George’s, Grenada
Salute the Sun from a beachside yoga pavilion as you stare at the ombre waters of the Caribbean, cottony clouds, and sculpture-like trees with wildly contorted branches amid the bleached landscape. Group classes meet three times a week near the sands of the Grand Anse Beach with instructors trained in hatha, vinyasa, and yin. Couples can book private sessions to build intimacy while individuals can dabble in the emerging field of yoga therapy, which integrates yoga, somatics, ayurveda, and functional movement to address ailments ranging from arthritis to migraines. Also, the Restoration Hardware catalog-esque resort’s spa incorporates the same spices that gave the island its nickname for some sense-of-place pampering.
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