By: Shayne Benowitz
Free yoga in Bayfront Park and throughout Miami is the perfect way to stay balanced during your travels.
Miami has a robust yoga community with talented teachers leading classes at local studios and resort spas in a variety of styles and traditions. It’s also easy to practice yoga for free in Miami at parks across the city and on the sands of South Beach. There’s perhaps nothing more peaceful and invigorating than a yoga practice connecting to the outdoors with a gentle sea breeze keeping you cool and palm trees swaying overhead. Yoga’s benefits include improved strength, flexibility, balance and peace of mind. Whether you’re a beginner or a longtime devotee, don’t miss out on getting Zen in Miami—for free!
Bayfront Park
Free yoga classes are held three times a week at Bayfront Park underneath the shade of the Tina Hills Pavilion. Since its inception, over 100,000 participants have gotten their downward dog on in downtown Miami with classes offered at 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and at 9 a.m. on Saturdays. The open level classes are taught by certified yoga teachers and are designed to accommodate beginner, intermediate and advanced students. All you need is your yoga mat, a bottle of water and a pair of shades. You’ll be ready for a rejuvenating 75-minute class.
The organizers behind Bayfront Park’s free community yoga classes have branched out to Little Havana and Little Haiti in the spring and summer months. On Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m., April through July, free yoga is offered at Little Havana’s Jose Marti Park. On Thursdays during that same timeframe, the Little Haiti Cultural Center offers free yoga to their community.
Sunrise and sunset yoga classes are offered daily in South Beach by the Third Street lifeguard tower. Rise and shine at 7 a.m. or come in the evening at 5 p.m. during winter and fall months and at 6 p.m. in the spring and summertime. This tradition started in 1998 when newly certified local yoga teacher October Rose began her daily practice on the beach at Third Street. Over time, other locals joined her and before she knew it, she was leading an impromptu morning class. While Rose moved to India in 2008, a roster of local yoga teachers has kept the practice going in her honor. Participants are asked to bring a big beach towel, water and sunscreen. These classes are free and donations are accepted.
In Coconut Grove, take your pick between yoga at a beautiful park overlooking Biscayne Bay or on the rooftop of one of the city’s most historic hotels. Gather with Grovites at Peacock Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. for a free community yoga class, or rise and shine at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning on the rooftop of the Mayfair Hotel & Spa. The city’s Business Improvement District teamed up with popular local yoga studio Dharma to offer these free classes and bring the community together. Expect an energetic Vinyasa flow class focusing on breath work, meditation and relaxation. All ages are welcome and participants are asked to bring their own yoga mat, water and towel.
This is just a sampling of free yoga throughout Miami. Many boutique hotels also offer complimentary yoga to their guests, so be sure to check with your concierge for information on all the latest yoga happenings. It’s the perfect way to stay balanced during your travels—especially if you have a little too much fun while in Miami.