Practicing Yoga in Boulder

Practicing yoga in Boulder has been an absolutely blessing. Surely enough, practicing yoga anywhere is a blessing onto itself. That being said, the place and space where we practice has an effect on the results we get. Our environment and the context of our practice influence the karma that is being generated.

Ultimately all yogas are the same and all practices are the same. The objective of yoga is to experience union with ourselves, each other and the divine. Once yoga is achieved, everything else looses meaning. Once yoga is achieved, there are no more differences, duality vanishes.

Yet, we are still human and we are having a human experience. That human experience is grounded in duality, without it this world would not exists. Many people who practice yoga in Boulder wish to transcend. Their goal is absolute liberation. They want to become so enlightened that all problems will disappear forever.

There are other students and practitioners who are happy in this world and even though they too have their own fair share of challenges, they do not wish to transcend just yet.  These people are still attached to the physical world and they have all the right to be so. I know I am quite attached to it and there is nothing wrong with that.

This is the reason why I have chosen to practice yoga in Boulder, instead of moving to India to sit in a cave. I love Boulder, it is a beautiful city, with beautiful people and plenty of awesome things to do. Practicing yoga in Boulder is my hobby and I enjoy sharing my experiences with you.

What Makes Yoga in Boulder so Special?

There is an infinite number of cities where you can practice yoga. Out of all of them, Boulder is one of my favorite.

There are more than 20 yoga studios in Boulder. Many of them are very “old” yoga studios with some of the best teachers in the world. For example, the Yoga Workshop studio in Boulder opened in 1987 and it is one of the first Ashtanga yoga studios in the United States. We also have the Iyengar Yoga Center in Boulder which has established more than 20 years ago. The founder, owner and teacher who runs the studio, Laura Antelmi hs been a teacher since 1988. She actually studied in person with B.K.S. Iyengar for many years.

There is also a number of newer yoga studios in Boulder that have already built a strong reputation around yoga students in town. The Yoga Loft studio in South Boulder is an excellent example. This yoga studio opened less than four years ago but it is already one of the most popular studios in town. The studio hosts classes with some excellent teachers including Jeff Bailey, Jon Kolaska and Sarah Hathaway, among others.

Yoga in Boulder is on the Rise

Yoga in Boulder has become more popular over the years as the yoga culture continues to expand across the United States. Most yoga studios in Boulder have been active for less than five years and new yoga studios open up every year. It is important to note that in addition to the 20 yoga studios established in Boulder there is another couple dozen establishments that offer yoga classes including gyms and clubs in town.

With so many studios in town one could argue that there is a lot of competition in the local yoga market. Despite that, studios are able to bring in new students every month. One of the main reasons is that the city is home to the University of Colorado in Boulder which brings more than 5,000 new students every year.

Another factor is the city’s booming population and growing economy which has been riding the high-tech wave. On top of that, since the legalization of marijuana, Colorado has been one of the fastest growing states in the United States with more than 100,000 people moving to the state over the last year. Of course, Denver is the city that is attracting the most people, but Boulder isn’t lagging that much farther behind. Home prices seem to be the only thing keeping most people from moving to Boulder.

The Culture of Yoga in Boulder

Boulder not only has 20+ yoga studios in town, it also supports multiple yoga-friendly businesses. The city has a growing number of vegetarian/vegan restaurants and it is known for it multitude of local non-profit organizations.

Boulder residents are also well known for their love for the outdoors and the city is also a destination point for many top level athletes. Both of these factors contribute to the desire to practice yoga in Boulder, both by local residents as well as visitors.

Another huge contribution to the culture of yoga in Boulder is the University of Naropa which has several campuses around town. This Buddhist university was funded on 1974 and recently lunched it’s 1,000 hour yoga teacher training which is one of the most extensive yoga teacher training programs in the world.

Yoga Teacher Training Programs in Boulder

Naropa is not the only institution offering a Yoga Teacher Training in Boulder. Studios like Yoga Loft, The Little Yoga Studio and Core Power Yoga offer yoga teacher training programs of their own. There are other institutions which offer a 200 hour yoga teacher training and 300 hour yoga teacher training program as well. These are the Shoshoni Yoga Ashram and the Colorado School of Yoga.

The ongoing waves of new yoga teachers produced by these yoga teacher training programs continue to stoke the fire of yoga in Boulder. New students bring new enthusiasm and a unique approach to teaching and inviting new yoga students to join their classes. This cycle of creation continues to support the growth of yoga in Bulder and make this one of the best cities to practice yoga in the world.

– Bruno Treves