{"id":4254,"date":"2021-07-26T22:22:22","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T22:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/?p=4254"},"modified":"2022-06-17T02:01:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T02:01:15","slug":"best-cities-outdoor-yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/best-cities-outdoor-yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"2021\u2019s Best Cities for Outdoor Yoga"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s nothing more relaxing than doing a sun salutation while watching the sunrise, but which cities are the best for unrolling your yoga mat and stretching outside?<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawn Love ranked over 80 of the largest cities in the United States to determine the Best Cities for Outdoor Yoga. We looked for cities with lots of green space, a high number of yoga instructors, and yoga instructors with good ratings.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use our rankings, spotlights on popular yoga cities\/regions, and practical tips to get the most out of your next outdoor yoga travel destination.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>    <h3 id=\"in-this-article\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">In this article<\/h3>    <ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#rankings\">City rankings<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#results\">Results in depth<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#methodology\">Methodology<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#final\">Final thoughts: Staying grounded<\/a><\/li><\/ol>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"rankings\"><span id=\"city-rankings\">City rankings<\/span><\/h2>   <div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"15dc9912-bb82-424f-bc32-dd88ec638d2a\" data-type=\"interactive\" data-title=\"Copy: Best Cities for Yard Sales and Garage Sales\"><\/div> <p><script>!function(e,i,n,s){var t=\"InfogramEmbeds\",d=e.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(\"script\");o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\",d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,\"infogram-async\");<\/script><\/p>    <div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1524\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2.png\" alt=\"infographic offering the best and worst cities for outdoor yoga\" class=\"wp-image-4287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2.png 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2-157x300.png 157w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2-538x1024.png 538w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2-768x1463.png 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2-610x1162.png 610w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2-390x743.png 390w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_best-cities-for-outdoor-yoga-v2-577x1100.png 577w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note: Data for Park Acres per 1,000 Residents were not available for Indianapolis and Las Vegas. Only 84 cities, therefore, were ranked for this particular metric.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"results\"><span id=\"results-in-depth\">Results in depth<\/span><\/h2>    <h3 id=\"be-rooted-in-the-boro\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be rooted in The Boro<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Greensboro, North Carolina, is no stranger to a good stretch. The Boro lands at the top of our rankings, being the city with the best combination of high-quality yoga instruction, affordability, and environmental factors.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Greensboro is a great place to enjoy the outdoors, with plenty of fun places to try a new yoga sequence, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/greensborobeautiful.org\/gardens\/bog_garden.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bog Garden<\/a> at Benjamin Park, the Tanger Family <a href=\"https:\/\/greensborobeautiful.org\/gardens\/bicentennial_garden.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bicentennial Garden<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/greensborobeautiful.org\/gardens\/greensboro_arboretum.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Greensboro Arboretum<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be sure to keep an eye on the weather before signing up for an outdoor yoga class. It rains around 111 days a year in Greensboro, and warm seasons in the Southeast are notoriously humid.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tired of doing the same old yoga sequence? Yoga studios in Greensboro love to spice things up with interesting yoga classes. Feel the beat with <a href=\"http:\/\/yogawithpatrice.com\/index.php\/sign-up-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trap yoga<\/a>, which is yoga set to the rhythm of trap music (a Southern subgenre of hip hop). If you\u2019re an animal lover, you have to try trendy <a href=\"https:\/\/uniteusyoga.com\/goat-yoga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">goat yoga<\/a>. Last but not least, grab a stout after wrapping up your savasana with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitgreensboronc.com\/yoga-in-greensboro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">beer yoga<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>    <h3 id=\"stretching-across-the-southeast\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stretching across the Southeast&nbsp;<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Greensboro, five other cities in our top 10 lie in the Southeast region of the U.S.: Atlanta (No. 2), Winston-Salem, North Carolina (No. 5), Arlington, Virginia (No. 6), St. Petersburg, Florida (No. 7), and Richmond, Virginia (No. 8).<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the mountains, beach, and its proximity to D.C., it\u2019s no wonder Virginia is a premier destination for yogis of all ages and skill levels. Arlington hosts the <a href=\"https:\/\/interfusionfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Interfusion Festival<\/a>, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/kidsyogaconference.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Kids Yoga Conference<\/a> also taking place in nearby Alexandria. Richmond is home to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaceloverva.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peace Love RVA<\/a> yoga festival and is about 1.5 hours east of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/lifestyle\/travel\/finding-nirvana-was-tucked-away-in-virginias-back-roads\/2014\/11\/26\/d20db684-7007-11e4-8808-afaa1e3a33ef_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yogaville<\/a> &#8212; a unique yoga destination along the Blue Ridge Mountains.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to go even farther into the wilderness? <a href=\"https:\/\/floydyogajam.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Floyd Yoga Jam<\/a> is an annual festival in rural southwestern Virginia, hosted by a town with a population of less than 1,000.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of Virginia, there are plenty of other events in the Southeast to check out. Atlanta is home to <a href=\"https:\/\/dirtysouthyogafest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dirty South Yoga Fest<\/a>, as well as popular community events such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlantadowntown.com\/do\/free-yoga-woodruff-park-2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yoga in the Park<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/colonysquare.com\/events\/yoga-on-the-square-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yoga on the Square<\/a>. Dog lovers should head over to St. Petersburg for <a href=\"https:\/\/thebark.com\/content\/doga-yoga-you-and-your-dog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doga<\/a> (dog yoga) and try a downward dog next to your pup (<a href=\"https:\/\/dogbarstpete.com\/dogbar-events\/rescue-dog-yoga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">or a rescue<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/p>    <h3 id=\"where-to-say-no-to-hot-yoga\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to say no to hot yoga<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scorpions thrive in desert landscapes, but that doesn\u2019t make the desert an ideal place to try the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YyFcNzSlI9A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scorpion pose<\/a> yourself. Many of the cities that fall to the bottom of our list are located in Arizona and Texas &#8212; two states with a reputation for being hot and dry. These states\u2019 lack of pleasant weather conditions directly impacts the number of outdoor yoga events being held, so you won\u2019t have much luck finding interesting outdoor yoga destinations.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Albuquerque, New Mexico, is another city in the desert, it ranks No. 9 in our top 10. New Mexico is on a higher elevation than Arizona, making the weather conditions more tolerable. Another benefit of ABQ\u2019s climate is that it only rains 57 days a year, giving you plenty of sunny mornings to try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abqtodo.com\/addmievent\/stand-up-paddleboard-yoga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paddleboard yoga<\/a> on the Rio Grande. Albuquerque is also home to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cabq.gov\/artsculture\/albuquerque-museum\/events\/yoga-at-the-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yoga at the Museum<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IntoxicatingYoga505\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YogaRitas<\/a> (yoga, margaritas, and a pig named Tequila Barbie).&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Irvine, California (No. 10), is another desert-adjacent city where you can find plenty of fun outdoor yoga experiences. Get out of your comfort zone and unroll your mat for a noga (nude yoga) session on one of Irvine\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.californiabeaches.com\/nude-beaches-in-california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nude beaches<\/a>. If you want to test your balance, grab a partner for some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/video\/yoga-acro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">acro yoga<\/a> at French Hill.&nbsp;<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"methodology\">Methodology<\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We ranked 86 of the largest U.S. cities from best to worst (1-86) based on their overall score (out of 100 points), averaged across the weighted metrics listed below.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note: Data for Parks per 10,000 Residents and Park Acres per 1,000 Residents were not available for Indianapolis and Las Vegas. In these cases, a city\u2019s overall score is the average of only the weighted metrics for which data were available.&nbsp;<\/p>    <h3 id=\"access\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Access<\/h3>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Yoga Instructors per 100,000 Residents &#8211; Weight 3<\/li><\/ul>    <h3 id=\"outdoor-friendliness\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outdoor Friendliness<\/h3>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Average yard square footage &#8211; Weight 2<\/li><li>Parks per 10,000 Residents &#8211; Weight 2<\/li><li>Park Acres per 1,000 Residents &#8211; Weight 2<\/li><li>Air Quality &#8211; Weight 2<\/li><li>Average Monthly Rain (in Inches) &#8211; Weight 1<\/li><li>Average Amount of Sunshine &#8211; Weight 1<\/li><li>Number of Very Hot Days &#8211; Weight 1<\/li><li>Number of Very Cold Days &#8211; Weight 1<\/li><\/ul>    <h3 id=\"quality\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quality<\/h3>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Average Rating for Yoga Instructors &#8211; Weight 3<\/li><\/ul>    <h3 id=\"cost\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cost<\/h3>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Average Price per Session &#8211; Weight 2<\/li><\/ul>    <h3 id=\"popularity\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Popularity<\/h3>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Average Google Search Interest for &#8220;Yoga&#8221; Over Past 12 Months &#8211; Weight 1<\/li><li>Yoga Events per 100,000 Residents &#8211; Weight 1<\/li><\/ul>    <h3 id=\"sources\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources&nbsp;<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Yoga Alliance, LawnStarter, The Trust for Public Land, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Thumbtack, Google Trends, Eventbrite<\/em><\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final\"><span id=\"final-thoughts-staying-grounded\">Final thoughts: Staying grounded<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After spending months cooped up inside, we are venturing out of our homes and visiting dream travel destinations. Self-care seems more important now more than ever, so why not make outdoor yoga a part of your routine?<br><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/wellness-and-prevention\/9-benefits-of-yoga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">benefits of yoga<\/a> that come with starting and sustaining a routine, with a big emphasis on mindfulness and relaxation. Outdoor yoga adds more relaxing elements, such as birdsong, sunshine, and gorgeous views to your practice. However, nature is unpredictable, so it\u2019s important to be prepared before you head out.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some practical tips for practicing yoga outdoors:<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Consider where you put down your mat. <\/strong>If you\u2019re just starting out, you need to place your mat in view of the instructor. However, it\u2019s common for beginners to feel too self-conscious to be a front-row student; yoga is an intimate practice. Honor your privacy needs, and find a balance between being able to see the teacher and being in a comfortable spot.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look for dangerous materials.<\/strong> If you\u2019re practicing in a public space, there\u2019s no guarantee that the ground will be clear of debris. Sharp materials, such as glass, wire, and rocks, are commonly found in parks and other outdoor spaces, so take a careful look around before settling in your spot. If you\u2019re near the edge of the woods, it\u2019s a good idea to make sure there are no poisonous plants you could accidentally brush with your leg during a sequence.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Be ready to get dirty. <\/strong>Even with your trusty yoga mat, that doesn\u2019t guarantee that you won\u2019t get a little dirty doing outdoor yoga. Wear clothes that you wouldn\u2019t mind getting grubby. Always bring water to stay hydrated. And it\u2019s never a bad idea to bring some hand sanitizer with you. Take it a step further by stepping off the mat and fully reconnecting with the ground &#8212; this is known as <a href=\"https:\/\/yogainternational.com\/article\/view\/earthing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">earthing yoga<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Check the weather ahead of time. <\/strong>Make sure the weather will suit your yoga excursion. Avoid practicing during bad weather, and that includes high temperatures. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/hot-yoga-benefits#bottom-line\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hot yoga<\/a> is all the rage, it\u2019s not a great idea to embrace those conditions in an uncontrolled environment &#8212; it can be life-threatening if you have underlying health conditions. <\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When there are unfavorable weather conditions, you can always stay inside and do <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/yogawithadriene\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yoga with Adriene<\/a>. If the weather\u2019s good, throw on some sunscreen and bug spray, and you\u2019re ready to go.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Main Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/female-teacher-leading-group-mature-men-1549485239\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shutterstock<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s nothing more relaxing than doing a sun salutation while watching the sunrise, but which cities are the best for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":4291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[348],"class_list":["post-4254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-studies","tag-studies"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_shutterstock_1549485239.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sav Maive","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/sav-maive\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4254"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4254\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}