These Are the Most Popular U.S. Cities for Yoga
Plus, our favorite teachers and studios in each metropolis.
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When it’s nearly impossible to snag a spot at your favorite 6 p.m. yoga class, it might feel like everyone in your city does yoga. But now, thanks to data from ClassPass and Mindbody, we have a better idea of which cities truly are the most popular for yoga—and some on the list may surprise you.
ClassPass—a platform that connects members to fitness classes, salon and spa services, and wellness experiences in more than 2,500 cities around the world—combed through its data to find out which cities booked the highest number of yoga classes in 2021. The top three? San Diego, Austin, and Columbus, Ohio. But that’s not all they discovered. Yoga ranked number two in overall bookings, just after strength training. Data from ClassPass also showed that Tuesday was the most popular day for users to book a workout, and 5:30 p.m. classes were the most in-demand. (So yeah, those super-full weekday evening classes are not just in your imagination.)
If your city didn’t make the cut for ClassPass, no worries. We reached out to Mindbody—the ever-popular online booking app—to get their take on the most popular cities for yoga. Data from the 2022 Mindbody Wellness Index found that Miami, Oakland, and Atlanta were the cities with the largest population of residents who practice yoga. The same index, which surveyed more than 16,000 adults in the 50 most populated cities in the county, found that Miami, New York City, and Tucson had the highest number of residents opting to take in-person yoga classes.
See also: This 15-Minute Yoga Flow Is Perfect for Those Busy Days
A few of our favorites in these yoga-centric cities
Whether you live in one of these yoga-loving cities or are just dropping by for a visit, we pulled together a list of some fantastic studios, classes, and teachers to seek out.
San Diego
Bria Hamlet, founder of JustBriFree Yoga & Wellness
Naika Smith, founder of Serendipity & Soul
Dr. Ingrid Yang, physician, author and yoga therapist and YJ cover star
Austin
Nityda Gesssel, founder of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute
Leah Cullis, yoga teacher, holistic health coach and author
Columbus
Daniel Sernicola, founder of Danja Yoga
Miami
Adrian Molina, cofounder of Warrior Flow
Kino MacGregor, founder of Omstars
Oakland
Leslie Howard, creator of Pelvic Floor Yoga
Atlanta
Octavia Raheem, yoga teacher and author
Acharya Swami Jaya Devi Bhagavati, spiritual director of Kashi Atlanta
Danny Fluker, executive director of Black Boys OMÂ
New York
Dana Slamp, founder of Prema Yoga Institute
Neeti Narula, yoga and meditation teacher
Tucson
Ashlee McDougall, owner of Yoga Loft Tucson
See also: The 7 Best Yoga Mats of 2021