Outdoor Yoga: New York’s newest crave.

Yoga in the park.
Yoga on the rooftop.
Yoga on the pier.
Outdoor yoga has been practiced for ages now and New Yorkers have made it their business to reintroduce it and make it a trendy activity.
Want to know where you can do outdoor yoga for FREE in NYC? Before the summer is over stop by one of these places & try it out:
Bryant Park Yoga and Prospect Park Yoga
FREE
Make use of those $98 Lululemon yoga pants you just bought with these free vinyasa classes organized by the funky yoga-apparel line. Mats are provided at the Bryant Park sessions (42nd St at Sixth Ave; 212-768-4242, bryantpark.org. Tue 10 am–11 am, Thu 6–7 pm; free. Through Sept 27.), which are taught by more than 15 instructors from various studios including Pure Yoga, YogaWorks and Sonic Yoga. Hundreds of people take part in the hour-long practices, so arrive early to stake out your favorite spot on the park’s picturesque westward-facing lawn. Lululemon has also partnered with Bend & Bloom Yoga to organize the weekly classes in Prospect Park’s expansive Long Meadow (enter at 9th St and Prospect Park West, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 347-987-3162, bendandbloom.com. Thu 7–8 pm; free. Through Sept 6.), which draws 60 to 80 participants to each session as well as instructors from studios such as Yoga Sole, Park Slope Yoga and Abhaya Yoga. Though the sessions are considered open-level, beginners might have a tough time keeping up—it’s no walk in the park!
Bryant Park and Prospect Park
Sunset Yoga in Fort Tryon Park
FREE
Salute the setting sun at these open-level twilight classes on Abby’s Lawn. The free sessions are led by seven rotating instructors from studios including MindBodySoul Yoga and Beloved Yogi Harlem, so expect a variety of styles and practices. BYO mat or towel, and follow @nancercize on Twitter to keep abreast of weather-related cancellations. (212-795-1388, forttryonparktrust.org).
Wed 6:45–8 pm. June 6–Aug 29
Cabrini Blvd, (at Fort Washington Ave)
Yoga in Socrates Sculpture Park
FREE
With programming that includes capoeira, film screenings and Shakespeare performances, Socrates Sculpture Park has come a long way since its days as a landfill. Show up to the earlier 9:30 am class for a smaller, more intimate group (and a better chance of hearing the instructor) than you’ll find at the 11 am session. Monique Schubert, who taught the same series last year, leads the group through a gentle flow and always takes time to demonstrate the poses; she focuses on the Kripalu system of hatha yoga, which incorporates postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation. (718-956-1819, socratessculpturepark.org).
Sat 9:30–10:30 am, 11 am-noon. Through Sept 30
32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway, Long Island City, Queens
Yoga in Community Gardens
FREE
The New York Restoration Project, which has successfully beautified 52 community gardens across the five boroughs, offers intimate open-air workouts every Saturday in two locations. Instructors hailing from Harlem Yoga Studio and Brooklyn Holistic like to incorporate the bucolic setting; Harlem Yoga Studio’s Erica Barth says that they “call students’ attention not only to the union between body and breath, but also to the union with nature, incorporating the feel of the sun and breeze on their skin, and the earth beneath them.” Target East Harlem Community Garden, 415-417 117th St between First and Pleasant Aves • Garden of Hope, 392 Hancock St between Sumner and Throop Aves, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. (212-333-2552, nyrp.org).
Sat 11 am-noon. Through Sept 29
Target East Harlem Community Garden and Garden of Hope
Laughing Lotus beneath the High Line
FREE
On Saturdays, Laughing Lotus Yoga Center leads a family-friendly version of its signature Lotus Flow vinyasa class in the Meatpacking District’s unsung 14th Street Park, situated beneath the High Line. Bring the whole family and your own mats (or just stretch out directly on the grass) to enjoy the upbeat, music-accompanied teaching style of LLYC’s staff, all of whom have youth training experience. Seasoned practitioners should not expect to be challenged; instead, consider it a chance to introduce your passion to the uninitiated yogis in your life. (212-414-2903, laughinglotus.com).
Sat 9–10 am. Jun 9–Aug 25
14th Street Park, 14th St at Tenth Ave