Long Island outdoor yoga classes to try this fall
Thalia Gavriel leads a yoga class on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at Steppingstone Park in Kings Point, Sept. 25, 2022. Credit: Linda Rosier
When the fall air gets crisp, Long Island yogis head outdoors for calming views of the water and meditative sounds of the leaves falling in the breeze.
Practicing yoga outside "helps you connect with nature, which enhances the yoga practice," explains Jennifer Tzimas, owner of Yoga Blue in Northport Village, who leads a Saturday morning class at Northport Village Park along Northport Harbor.
The Giving Room Yoga Studio and Juice Bar, based in Southold, holds outdoor classes at the Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck. Credit: Paula DiDonato
“It really is transporting,” adds Paula DiDonato, owner of The Giving Room Yoga Studio and Juice Bar in Southold. Her studio hosts outdoor yoga classes through October at the Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck, a botanic property that DiDonato describes as having an open grass space but is “surrounded by all this nature.” The spot also has a labyrinth, where classes will also sometimes engage in a walking meditation.
Further east, morning yoga classes run Saturdays and Sundays through October atop the Menhaden Hotel in Greenport. Company founder Claire Copersino says such a setting is beneficial to learning to better one’s concentration. “When you're on the roof, the fire whistle might go off, and you can smell bacon cooking over at the Sterlington Deli … it's chillier, it's noisier, it’s a less controlled environment,” she says, which requires participants to work harder on maintaining focus.
Here are some classes, open to all levels, to try this season.
OCTOBER
Gentle Yoga and Meditation at Landcraft Garden Foundation
The 8:30 a.m. one-hour classes are led by instructor Allison Delaney on Saturdays throughout October; blankets to place under yoga mats are recommended. Rates start for one-time drop-in classes at $27.
INFO 4342 Grand Ave., Mattituck; 631-765-6670, givingroom.net
Yoga With Thalia
The 9 a.m. one-hour classes are led by Thalia Gavriel, a Manhasset-based certified yoga instructor; Wednesdays through Oct. 19 and Sundays through Oct. 23. Registration for all remaining classes is $98 for Great Neck Park District residents; nonresidents $128. Yoga blocks are recommended.
INFO 38 Stepping Stone Lane, Kings Point; 516-487-9228, gnparks.org
Rooftop Yoga at The Menhaden
People taking part in the "Rooftop at The Menhaden" outdoor yoga classes, led by the North Fork Yoga Shala studio, atop the Menhaden Hotel in Greenport. Credit: Claire Copersino
The 8 a.m. one-hour classes on Saturdays and Sundays through October are led by either Copersino or another member of her team; $25 per class.
INFO 207 Front St., Greenport; 516-443-5626, northforkyogashala.com
Yoga in the Vines
The Solntse Hot Yoga studio in Wading River holds "Yoga in the Vines" outdoor yoga classes at Terra Vite Winery and Vineyard in Jamesport. Each session includes a post-class wine tasting. Credit: Ina Visich
Led by Ina Visich, owner of Solntse Hot Yoga (5768 Rte. 25A, Wading River), this one-hour class will be held Saturdays at 10 a.m. through October. Classes are beginner-friendly and are followed by a wine tasting at Terra Vite Winery and Vineyard ($30).
INFO Terra Vite Winery and Vineyard: 250 Manor Lane, Jamesport; 631-965-8334, solntseyoga.com
NOVEMBER
Free Fall Foliage Yoga Flow
The Pop Up Prana Yoga mobile yoga service holds several free outdoor classes at the Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum in Farmingdale. Credit: Jennifer Eagen
This free one-hour class starts at 3 p.m. on Nov. 5 and is good for all levels of experience. Class is to be held under ginkgo and maple trees at the Louis Natalie Mall Garden.
INFO Pinelawn Memorial Park And Arboretum: 2030 Wellwood Ave., Farmingdale; popuppranayoga.com
