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It’s Saturday morning. You hit your snooze button at least a couple times before easing your way out of bed and sipping your morning bevvie. As you grab your yoga mat, water bottle, and natural sunscreen, you drop a quick “On my way!” in the group chat with your besties and head out the door. It’s finally summer. And that means rooftop yoga.

As the practice of yoga evolves in response to the contemporary world, so do the places we find ourselves experiencing it. The traditional studio setting continues to hold its charms, although taking your practice to (literally) new heights with an unexpected location can bring something electrifying to the experience.

And who knows? The urban escape might inspire you to engage in a little more socializing than usual after class, fostering community and connection. Whether you’re a local or passing through town, consider the following rooftop yoga classes and seek out additional options in your city.

8 Rooftop Yoga Classes Around the Country

1. Studio Three Summer Rooftop Sessions, Austin, TX

Immerse yourself in the famous “weird” Austin vibes with Studio Three Summer Rooftop Sessions. Located on the serene patio of the fourth-floor pool deck of the Thompson Hotel, the complimentary classes offer breathtaking city skyline views along with a centering and rejuvenating yoga experience.

Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 a.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. Through August 30.

 

2. Delve Rooftop Yoga at Coco Cabana, Oceanside, CA

Breathe in the ocean air during rooftop yoga at The Brick Hotel in Oceanside, California. The Sunday morning vinyasa flow is chill and playful while the Tuesday “Taco ‘Bout Twists” classes are all about challenging yourself (and indulging in the taco menu afterward at the Coco Cabana rooftop bar). Beginners as well as those “with a ‘beginner’s mind’” are welcome.

Sunday Funday Flow, 9 am, and Tuesday Taco ‘Bout Twists, 9:30 am. Through July 30

3. Sunset Yoga with Brooklyn Grange, Brooklyn, NY

Escape the concrete jungle and unwind as the Sun slips behind the Manhattan skyline at Brooklyn Navy Yard. The 1.5-acre urban farm was the brainchild of Brooklyn Grange, a New York-based green roofing business, and includes a rooftop space overlooking the East River where evening yoga classes (and the occasional wedding reception) take place. Expect both movement and meditation.
Tuesdays, 6:30 pm. Through October 10.

4. La Vita Yoga at The Durham, Durham, NC

Embrace a “health at every size” experience featuring accessible movement and inclusivity from the tip-top of a stylish, mid-century modern hotel. The open-air rooftop at The Durham affords you unencumbered views of its namesake city during rejuvenating all-level asana classes led by teachers from La Vita Yoga.

Saturdays, 9 a.m.; Sundays, 10 am. Ongoing.

5. Espadín Rooftop Wellness Events, Denver, CO

Explore what resonates with you—whether chakra meditations or sound baths, stretching or candlelight vinyasa—with the robust schedule of summer yoga classes at The Espadín LoHi in Denver. The series includes ample sunset options so you can partake without sacrificing necessary shut-eye. Yoga remains at the forefront of each class experience in support of a calmer,  healthier, and happier Denver.

Days vary. Through August 31.

6. 360 Sky Yoga, Chicago, IL

Practice 1,000 feet closer to the sun at 360 Chicago. Cleverly dubbed “America’s Highest Yoga Class,” this weekly vinyasa class gives you unbeatable 94th-floor views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago bay. It is an enclosed rooftop. But there’s a reason it’s called the “windy city.” We imagine the sprawling views still make this class worth noting (and worth the trek up to the top.)

Saturdays, 7:45 am. Ongoing.

7. Sunday Salutations, Tucson, AZ

Take in the views of Tucson’s sprawling cityscape as well as surrounding mountains with Sunday Salutations at the Graduate Hotel. Perched above the University of Arizona’s campus, the desert retreat brings you an intense vinyasa-stye class at a rooftop sanctuary. After your practice, you’re welcome to linger for a dip in the rooftop pool.
First Sunday of the month, 8:30 am. Ongoing.

8. Denver Yoga Social Sunset Skyline Yoga, Denver, CO

Groove to the beat of live DJs and take in the backdrop of the Denver skyline and the Rocky Mountains at the Denver Yoga Social classes. The all-level vinyasa-style classes take place from the tented rooftop of the Cat Bird Hotel in the charming River North Arts District. There’s dancing afterward. Yoga, music, and community await you.
Wednesdays, 5:30 pm. Ongoing.

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Pārśvottānāsana (Intense Side Stretch) has many different interpretations, from the physical expression of the posture to how people pronounce the word in their classes. For example, you’ll often hear two different English translations. One is Pyramid Pose, and the other is Intense Side Stretch. When you break down the word, you see that in the literal translation “parsva” means side, “ut” means intense, and “tan,” means to stretch. You may hear the first S in the word pronounced with a standard S sound as in sandwich, but the accent over the S suggests that it’s pronounced more like a shh sound in hush.

Many interpretations means many benefits

In the most commonly seen shape of Pārśvottānāsana, you take your hands behind your back in Pascimanamaskar (Reverse Prayer). This encourages a backbend in the upper spine. But the body folds into a forward bend at the hip joint, a position in which you may tend to round and relax your spine forward. By combining these two movements—extension in the spine and flexion in the hips—the pose demonstrates how  to maintain your commitment even when it feels like you are working against opposing forces.

Pārśvottānāsana can also be something of a heart opener.  Of course, there are times when heart-opening may not be appropriate. When your heart is broken, for example, it can be helpful to do postures that are more rounded or folded inward, which allows the pieces of your heart to be mended back together. Thankfully, there are many variations of Pārśvottānāsana that allow you to discover whatever interpretation of the pose you need at any given time.

Here are 7 variations of Pārśvottānāsana

Getting into the pose 

Stand at the top of your mat and place your hands on your hips. Step your left foot back 3-4 feet, maintaining  hip-width distance between your feet. Turn your left foot and hip forward enough that you feel stable, and your pelvis is working toward a neutral rotation, meaning your hip bones are facing the front of your mat. Now choose among the arm options and upper-body positions you see below. To come out of the pose, lift your torso upright and step your back foot up to meet your front foot. Repeat each pose on the second side.

Choosing Your Hand Position

Hands in reverse prayer

This reverse prayer shape can be complicated if you have any restrictions in your shoulders. This pose offers lots of options to achieve the same effect. If you are able to bring your hands into reverse prayer easily, it can be an excellent way to open up your chest and shoulders, as well as your wrists and forearms. Those areas tend to get tight from using the smart phones, computers, and other devices we all rely on.

Hands on hips

The traditional  variation is not accessible for all bodies. Furthermore, there are many days where you may not want to work so hard. Keeping your hands on your hips allows you to focus on opening your chest without being distracted by the complexity of the work in the shoulder joint of reverse prayer.

Interlaced hands

Similarly, interlacing your hands behind your back can be an alternative to reverse prayer. This position of the hands also allows for a lot of variability. For example, if your shoulders are more mobile, you can practice squeezing your palms together. Conversely, if your shoulders are on the tighter side or you are dealing with injury, open your hands so that the heels of your hands are further apart. Alternatively , you can hold a strap behind your back, as wide as you need to, and achieve chest-opening.

Upright Backbend

While I’m an enormous fan of practicing a backbend while folded forward, there are also lots of benefits to staying upright in your torso. First, it is an excellent way to prepare for deeper backbends. It’s also helpful if folding is contraindicated for any reason, such as pregnancy or eye injuries. And there is something quite freeing about leaning back and going with gravity, when you normally have to fight against it in this pose. You can use any of the hand variations above when exploring being upright.

Hands on blocks

Backbending isn’t the only goal of Pārśvottānāsana. It could be argued that the forward-bending element is equally important. It’s half the pose, after all. Forward bends lengthen the entire back side of your body, which include your calves, hamstrings, and spine. You can get creative with where you place your blocks, too. Placing  your blocks toward the back of the mat can help you fold more deeply.  Walk your blocks farther forward for more length. You can also position  your hands directly underneath your shoulders and keep your torso at the same height of your pelvis.

Holding a block behind your back:

If you want  to gain strength in your arms while creating space in the shoulders, try squeezing a block behind your back. With your fingers  interlaced or your hands in reverse prayer, there is a temptation to rely on your flexibility, which can mean  overstretching at your joints without engaging the necessary stabilizing muscles. Because the arms are squeezing in toward one another when holding a block, it fires up the muscles of the outer arms, including your triceps and deltoids.

Hands on seat of chair:

Many people prefer not to let their head fall lower than  their heart for a variety of reasons including eye injuries, unregulated blood pressure, vertigo, or migraines. Having our hands on the seat of a chair keeps your torso at the same height as your hips. It is still technically a forward fold, in that you’re bending at your hips, but when your torso is elevated, it doesn’t cause the same kind of pressure in your head. This is also simply an excellent variation to encourage length.

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About Our Contributor

Sarah Ezrin is an author, world-renowned yoga educator, popular Instagram influencer, and mama based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her willingness to be unabashedly honest and vulnerable along with her innate wisdom make her writing, yoga classes, and social media great sources of healing and inner peace for many people. Sarah is changing the world, teaching self-love one person at a time. She is also the author of The Yoga of Parenting. You can follow her on Instagram at @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok at @sarahezrin.