The Aspen area is home to a variety of endurance athletes, both professional and recreational, who participate in sports such as skiing, snowboarding, cycling, hiking, running, and rock climbing. This group also includes a growing number of internationally trained yoga experts aiming to make Aspen one of the fastest-growing yoga communities in the world. With all of the high-intensity athletic activities popular in the region, yoga is a perfect complementary workout to reward hard-working athletes while also enhancing flexibility and strength.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is not only great for the body, but for the mind as well. It’s a great way to engage in mindful movement, practice meditation, enhance sleep quality, strengthen immunity, and promote overall well-being. While yoga is often linked to physical fitness, its rewards extend beyond exercise. Regular practice can help to improve mental health, alleviate stress and anxiety, manage chronic pain, and foster spiritual growth and self-awareness.
There are many different styles of yoga, each focusing on particular benefits. Here is a list of some common styles taught locally:
Vinyasa Flow
Vinyasa is a style of yoga characterized by stringing postures together allowing you to move from one to another seamlessly, using breath. Vinyasa is a broad classification that encompasses many different types of yoga such as Ashtanga and power yoga.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga focuses on posture and breathing techniques, traditionally to channel vital energy sources. The practice involves breath, body, and mind, and classes are usually 45 minutes to 90 minutes of breathing, yoga poses, and meditation.
Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga that incorporates principles of traditional Chinese medicine. It targets the deepest tissues of the body including ligaments, joints, bones, the deep fascia networks of the body, and the meridians.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram is a rigid style of yoga known for two specific things: a very hot environment and the incorporation of 26 specific poses that must be performed in an exact order over 90 minutes. The prescribed cycles that are set cannot be altered or it cannot be considered Bikram Yoga. These poses were chosen to keep the oxygenated blood flowing steadily throughout the body.
Power Yoga
Power Yoga is aimed at building strength and endurance by increasing heart rate and burning calories through a full-body workout. A blend of Vinyasa-style poses, at least half of the postures in a power yoga class come from Vinyasa yoga sequences, linking breath to movement.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative Yoga is a restful practice that holds yoga poses for a longer duration using props like yoga blocks, blankets, and bolsters. It is a practice of deep relaxation that emphasizes the meditative aspect of yoga—the union of body and mind.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar Yoga is a form of yoga as exercise with a focus on the structural alignment of the physical body through the practice of poses. Precision, sequence, and the use of props differ iyengar from other styles of yoga. Precision is sought in body alignment in every pose.
Top Aspen Yoga Spots
If you are searching for a welcoming place to practice yoga and work on mind and body wellness, we’ve put together a list of our favorite Aspen yoga studios. Check out the classes available at any of these locations, and don’t forget to partake in the popular mountaintop yoga for a one-of-a-kind yoga experience!
Aspen Shakti
535 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen
Be sure to check out this Aspen yoga studio that emphasizes a strong community among locals and visitors. You’ll never be bored at Shakti with their mix of HIIT (high interval intensity training) sessions, dance choreography, below-the-moon yoga, and even Rosé-all-day yoga classes.
Arjuna Yoga
517 E. Hopkins Ave., Aspen
Be ready to sweat in this hot yoga-only studio that offers both Vinyasa and Bikram lessons. Arjuna provides classes in a heated studio that emphasizes the importance of sweating to detoxify the body and breathing in motion. You’ll leave feeling energized and relaxed as you experience a wide range of dynamic postures.
Mountain Top Yoga
Aspen Mountain
Aspen Mountain provides the perfect natural setting for scenic hikes, outdoor adventures, relaxation, rejuvenation…..and yoga! From June through August, Aspen Shakti offers curated experiences atop Ajax for yoga with a view.
O2 Aspen
408 S. Mill St., Aspen
What started as a small yoga and pilates studio in Aspen has evolved into a brand that caters to all aspects of holistic well-being. O2 hosts a variety of yoga classes in their downtown Aspen studio, targeting all levels.
Wild Yoga at ACES
Hallam Lake Nature Preserve
In partnership with Lead with Love, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies offers summer evening yoga classes. Suitable for all levels, the class blends philosophy, asana practice, and contemplative exploration of ACES magical nature preserve into a playful and holistic experience.
You can also hike up Aspen Mountain and ride down for free. Check here for ticket information.
Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, and Spirit in Aspen Snowmass
If you are interested in combining your love of yoga with the beauty of Aspen Snowmass scenery, let us help you plan a visit. Alpine Property guests have access to our knowledgeable concierge for recommendations on local activities such as yoga classes and studios, assisting in making your experience an amazing one with a selection of fun things to do in and around the Aspen Snowmass area.
Our Aspen and Snowmass rentals provide the comforts of home so you can thoroughly enjoy your vacation and come back and relax with the finest amenities and services available. When you’re ready to book, call 1-866-209-1540, or send us an email if you are interested in learning more about our available properties and how we can help you enjoy an amazing getaway.
