Denver's Yoga Rocks the Park Offers Free Summer Classes
Denver is constantly rated as one of the fittest cities. And it’s easy to see why, with free events like Yoga Rocks the Park.
This outdoor yoga series — which brings the practice outdoors with live music and DJs — celebrates another season this year at Sunken Gardens Park. The event continues on select Sundays throughout the summer, beginning in May and going through September.
Join in for an hour and 15 minutes of an all-levels yoga class that allows you to bend, stretch and contort into yoga poses in the great outdoors.
Each week, a different instructor from a local studio — including Yoga Journal, Kindness Yoga and Mudra Yoga — leads the class. Live music and local DJs make this an even more interactive experience.
There are options for younger kids, as well, with Camp YRP for kids between three and nine years old by Radiant Beginnings Yoga, along with a new addition offered for kids up to 17 years old by MFG Yoga.
After the practice, vendors peddling healthy food and drink as well as food trucks will refuel you. Other vendors teach wellness workshops on everything from tai chi to juicing.
The creator of the event, Erik Vienneau, calls the program a grassroots movement. When he launched the series seven years ago, he wasn’t sure anyone would show up. The class ended up with 30 people and continued to grow in popularity, drawing hundreds of people into classes over the next few years.
Photo courtesy of Yoga Rocks the Park
That number has since grown to see more than 20,000 people in 20 cities across the United States. The momentum of Yoga Rocks the Park has also spread to other cities, including Phoenix, Ariz; Asheville, N.C.; and Omaha, Nev.
Vienneau’s goal wasn’t just to increase the amount of people practicing, but also to make yoga accessible for all income levels.
“Yoga and meditation inspire peaceful minds and healthy bodies, which in turn create a peaceful world. All people should have access to yoga and meditation, and now with our free-admission event, they do,” says Vienneau.
While the event is free, donations are accepted for Food Bank of the Rockies.
Vienneau is also the founder of Friday Night Yoga Club, which brings yogis together for a 75-minute, all-levels flow to a live soundtrack in studios across greater Denver all winter long.
The 2015 dates for Yoga Rocks the Park in Denver include May 31, June 28, July 26, Aug. 23 and Sept. 6. Registration opens at 8 a.m. on event day. Classes begin at 9 a.m.
