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    Enjoy the Weather With Outdoor Yoga

    Summer 2017 in Columbus promises multiple great outdoor yoga events, including Goat Yoga and an afternoon at Rockmill Brewery. Here is a sampling of events, with some offered for free!

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    Starting this weekend, Kasa Yoga in Worthington begins their ‘yoga on the Green’ series at 8:00 a.m. Katherine Yannucci will conduct flow yoga and meditations on May 20, June 3, July 1, August 5, Sept 2 and Oct 7. Classes are free, and you can enjoy the Worthington Farmers’ Market after.

    Also in Worthington this Sunday, May 21 at Selby Park, is a donation-based class to benefit Asia’s Hope, a charity helping sex-trafficked youth. Presented by Ashtanga Yoga Columbus, the class starts at 11:15 a.m. and goes until 12:15 p.m. There will be more park yoga from AYC this summer, too.

    Mat Happy Yoga outdoors at Hilliard’s Station Park.

    In Hilliard’s Station Park this summer, MatHappy has Saturday outdoor classes. This is a sharp venue with lots of nearby ice cream and other places to eat for after-yoga fun. From June 10 to August 5, MatHappy holds vinyasa flow classes every Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

    PAI Yoga & Fitness has Sunset Yoga sessions coming up at Jorgensen Farms in Westerville beginning Wednesday, June 14.

    Yoga and other fitness classes will be in the Columbus Commons all summer, and they are all free! Tuesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. will be free yoga classes taught mainly by acro-yoga leader/flow teacher Catherine Salin Derrow and Seven Studios’ Julia Wilkes. Like Columbus Acro Play on Facebook to catch the acro jams when they happen in various locations around town.

    In the Whetstone Park of Roses gazebo, Yoga Well-Being holds Saturday yoga/meditation classes from 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. on Saturdays weather permitting. In case of rain, they go to the cozy studio at 1510 Hess in Grandview. Sipra Pimpukar is one of those very wise yoga teachers you really should experience. Sign up online at ywbyoga.com/classes.

    June 21 is the Summer Solstice and at least two yoga studios in Central Ohio will celebrate this ancient tradition with “a full male” of 108 Sun Salutes that day. Balanced Yoga has an event in the works; permits are pending. PAI Yoga’s lovely Sara Goff will lead 108 sun salutes from varying traditions from 7 – 9 p.m. in Dublin’s beautiful Amberleigh Park for only $20.

    Yoga with goats! Happening at Harrison Farm.

    Goat Yoga! Harrison Farm in Groveport has sessions (including selfie-time) on June 11, July 9, August 13, and September 10. There are two sessions each day led by Dana Bernstein. Registration is $20 and includes complimentary snacks, farm tours, and goat snuggles after yoga. Sign up via Harrison Farm or Bern Yoga on Facebook. Book well in advance; goat yoga is insanely popular.

    Yoga hikes are planned by several studios this summer. Thank Yoga leads yoga hikes at various locations the first and third Saturday now thru August. Yoga On High usually has a series on their website. The vivacious Cheryl Huntzinger of Rise Yoga leads walks in the new Scioto Grove Metro Park on Saturdays; details on her Facebook page. If you want to go way out to Yellow Springs, lively Loretta Zedella is working with the House of AUM on a Hike and Roll event June 24. Locally, Christine Bowden holds a ‘yoga boot camp’ at Hoover Dam on May 29 and plans other events this summer off Bowden Road in Pickerington; more details here.

    If you want a super-awesome ab challenge: hit the water! There is nothing like trying to do a headstand on a floating board to work the core. There are several opportunities for yoga on various types of paddleboards around town. New Downtown is Aquafit which has several outdoor Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) classes this summer, including a Father’s Day weekend at Apple Valley. Outdoor SUP classes are also conducted by PAI Yoga on Alum Creek and in Powell July 2 through August 27; check their website for details. There are also usually SUP classes at Hoover from Yoga on High and Aloha SUP. There are rumors of SUP classes on Lake Coe in Berea and Lake Snowden in Athens this year, too.

    July 8 at Rockmill Brewery, Balanced Yoga will have a Vinyasa flow and mediation session on the lovely rolling lawns. Last time, there was a tasty buffet of various veggie pizzas and, of course, samples of their excellent beers. By the way, there is a rumor that the BrewDog brewery is yoga-friendly, so watch their website for possible events, too.

    Two yoga studios in Columbus are noteworthy for their access to the outdoors via very big doors. Replenish Spa in Downtown Columbus has donation-based yoga programs all year-round in their delightful refurbished carriage house. In favorable weather, they open their big garage door to let the outside in. A particular favorite of mine is Joyce Eubank’s Gentle Yoga class on Sunday morning. Laying down in Savasana after a series of relaxing poses by Joyce is a great way to unwind and get ready for the week.

    If you want to feel a lot of air, Aaron King conducts both nude (and clothed) yoga classes at Dharma House just off 161 in Dublin, and he sometimes takes students out the sliding glass doors and onto the secluded deck. Aaron is very serious about meditation and a good yoga teacher. He loves students connecting with nature inside and out; Dharma House is off 161 and the deck overlooks a densely wooded ravine. More information at Dharmahousecolumbus.com.

    Lifetime Fitness, Lululemon and Athleta in Easton usually have some outdoor yoga over the summer. Jess Cox at Athleta notes, “It is really cool to close down the street and yoga at Easton [in front of the Athleta storefront].” There are no firm dates yet, but keep an eye on their Facebook pages and websites.

    Fitness Yoga on the Square at Easton. Photo by Steve Brady.

    Also at Easton is Fitness Yoga on the Square: Fridays, June 2 through September 29, from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Designed for first-timers and mainstream fitness fans, it is an introductory yoga class focuses on strength, conditioning and flexibility. It’s free and open to the public, ages 13 and older. Bring a mat.

    If you know of some outdoor yoga coming up, feel free to add to the Columbus Underground events calendar. This is just a sampling of some organized, outdoor yoga events in central Ohio this Summer, 2017.

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    Nancy Alkire
    Nancy Alkire
    Nancy Alkire has practiced yoga off and on since WOSU broadcast Lilias, Yoga and You in the 1970’s. She has attended classes with Charlotte Bell, Bryan Kest and Kino MacGregor. Since turning 50, she has become much more interested in fitness and often calls on the expertise of athletic trainer, Jennifer Schiff, and Daniel Snider (almost a) PhD in physical therapy. “I am open to polite suggestions for other yoga or fitness experiences. I love documenting and sharing.” Get in touch with her by email.
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