0

9 best places to do yoga around Salt Lake

When you hear about yoga, you might think of stick thin girls in skin tight pants or old granola men with bushy beards.

I confess, I used to be against yoga. I didn’t think yoga was for me, it was basically just glorified stretching, and not really a workout.

But as I got more and more into fitness, I decided I’d give yoga a try.  It was so hard! My wrists hurt just from downward facing dog, I couldn’t stretch my legs all the way out, and I probably spent more time in child’s pose than any other.

I was sort of intimidated by all the ladies around me who made the poses seem effortless. Plus, some of the poses just seemed impossible, and to be honest, a little embarrassing. By the time we got to corpse pose, I’d never been so glad to be done with a workout – and I use that term very deliberately because it was a workout.

But I’d loosened muscles I didn’t even know were aching, and I felt totally relaxed and refreshed after the class was over.

After that first class, I was hooked.

I had a great first experience with yoga. While I did feel intimidated by some of the more difficult poses, I never felt that I was required to complete any of them. I felt fine doing modified poses, and then felt great when, as I continued attending class, I was able to perform some of the poses I’d thought were impossible in the beginning.

As I’ve continued to attend yoga, I’ve learned to be less worried about what what others around me are doing. Yoga practice is for me. It’s my time to focus on my body and mind, and to really just practice the poses, and see that I’m getting a little better every class. Now, I recommend yoga to everyone who even thinks they want to give it a try, and sometimes even those who don’t.

 

Whether you’re totally new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, there are yoga classes around the valley that are perfect for you.

 

1. Centered City Yoga

A photo posted by Centered City Yoga (@centeredcityyoga) on Aug 21, 2013 at 2:23pm PDT

Centered City Yoga, located around 9th East and 9th South, offers a variety of classes for everyone from beginners to experts. There is tons of variety, whether you’re looking to relax and meditate or you want something a little more fast paced.

 

2. Core Power Yoga

Core Power Yoga off Foothill drive is focused on building your core. Whether you choose a heated class or a fusion class, you’ll definitely be feeling the results from these yoga classes.

 

3. Lifted Life Yoga

A photo posted by Jenna Adams (@jenjen58) on Mar 3, 2014 at 9:53am PST

Lifted Life Yoga in Alpine encourages you to find which class works for you. Their classes are taught by highly qualified instructors and cover everything from basic yoga to hot vinyasa.

 

4. Xcel Fitness

A photo posted by XCEL Fitness (@xcelfitness) on Nov 3, 2014 at 1:40pm PST

While Xcel fitness in Highland is mainly a gym, it also offers a variety of yoga classes for those of you who want to get a more rounded fitness experience.

 

5. The Yoga Center

A photo posted by The Yoga Center In Holladay (@theyogacenter) on Dec 4, 2013 at 2:36pm PST

The Yoga Center in Holladay has a series of classes focused on meditation. If you want to focus on clearing your mind, this might be the yoga studio for you. They also offer a variety of massage services to really relax your muscles.

 

6. Paddle Board Yoga at Homestead Crater

A photo posted by Homestead Resort (@homesteadresort_utah) on Mar 7, 2014 at 2:18pm PST

If you want to try a totally unique yoga class, you might enjoy paddle board yoga held in Homestead Crater, in Heber. Not only will you challenge your sense of balance, you’ll get the benefit of the natural heat and humidity of the crater.

 

7. Body Infusion

Body Infusion yoga in West Bountiful offers a different class every day of the week. Whether you want to focus on weight loss or opening your chakras, Body Infusion yoga has a class for you.

 

8. Bikram Yoga at Brick Canvas

A photo posted by Bikram Yoga Salt Lake City (@bikramyogaslc) on Apr 30, 2015 at 6:53pm PDT

Be prepared to sweat when you attend Bikram yoga at Thanksgiving Point. You’ll increase your flexibility with the help of this hot, humid yoga class. The 90 minute classes are not for the faint of heart, but you should definitely give it a try.

 

9. Your Local Gym

A photo posted by Celeena (@csayani) on Nov 29, 2014 at 12:04pm PST

With yoga becoming more and more popular, nearly every gym offers some type of yoga class.

 

Find the yoga class that fits for you and then stick with it. It might seem hard or embarrassing at first, but stick with it. I’ve never regretted getting started with yoga and you won’t either.

---

Amanda is an Account Specialist with Foxtail Marketing. She loves learning, writing, and website design. In what little spare time she seems to have, she likes to explore the culinary world and try to fold into new yoga poses.