Bendʼs flourishing community of yogis

Find your center with Bend’s yoga scene.

Bend may be known for its great outdoor recreation, but many Bendites have developed an incredible passion for a predominantly indoor activity: yoga. Unlike mountain biking, snowboarding and paddle boarding that have gained popularity in just the last few decades, yoga is an art that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. And Bendʼs community of yogis embrace their fellow participants, whether young, old, beginner or experienced.

Why is it so popular here? Besides the obvious increase in flexibility, posture and strength, accompanied by a decrease in stress, locals can find their own personal use for the practice. Take skiing cycling, or rock climbing, for example. Cross training for each of these with yoga can improve balance, strength, focus, and coordination, and therefore improve performance on the mountain, in the saddle, or at Smith Rock, while decreasing risk of injury. So you donʼt have to miss a second of what you love to do in the outdoors.

There is a yoga studio for everyone here. In addition to various beginner though advanced classes, Namaspa (voted best yoga studio in the 2012 Source Weekly poll) offers classes for kids and tweens, as well as “Shake Your Asana,” which is accompanied by music for an upbeat end to your busy week. All classes at the 2011 Source poll winner Groove Yoga studio are taught to music, and you can occasionally take classes from world-famous snowboarder and surfer Gerry Lopez. For a more strenuous but highly rewarding experience, Bikram Yoga offers yoga classes in heat over 100°F. Thankfully, itʼs located right on the Deschutes River, so you can always go jump in and cool off after.

These are just a few of the many great studios in Bend. It is recommended that you take a class at several different places to find one that feels right for you. Most studios have a one-month introductory special of some kind, which is just enough time for you to feel out the studio and to start to notice your tracks getting a little crisper on the slopes.

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