Yoga

Yoga is a big part of the Telluride culture, and you’re likely to find a variety of styles that fit your mood or current practice. For a small town, the yoga community is rather large.

Locals tend to visit the Telluride Yoga CenteYoga is a big part of the Telluride culture, and you’re likely to find a variety of styles that fit your mood or current practice. For a small town, the yoga community is rather large.Yoga is a big part of the Telluride culture, and you’re likely to find a variety of styles that fit your mood or current practice. For a small town, the yoga community is rather large.r, located on Colorado Avenue. It’s a beautiful upstairs space in the Nugget Building owned by Kristin Taylor and Albert Roer, that offers many classes honoring the traditions of yoga. From Hatha and Iyengar to Kundalini and Restorative; from Bhakti and Prana Flow to Gentle Yoga and Ashtanga, the opportunities exist for exploration of lineages. Punch cards are available at Telluride Yoga Center, and drop-in rates are $16 for regular classes and $8 for community classes. Co-owner Kristin Taylor manages the studio and teaches a Prana Flow class that has quite a following. A student of Shiva Rea, she integrates the ancient wisdom of the sutras into her powerful instruction.

The Telluride Yoga Center is also a home of a strong Ashtanga tradition, where followers of Pattabhi Jois can live their Mysore practice. Many workshop presenters, as well as kirtan musicians, make their way through Telluride via the Telluride Yoga Center. Check their schedule for happenings. Another option is Studio E, relatively new in Telluride, and owned and operated by Erin Gehrke. It is the only hot yoga studio in the canyon, offering other challenging classes like power vinyasa and weighted yoga classes as well.

For those looking for a slower, more spiritual class, find Venus Castleberg of Maitri Medicine. She is a massage therapist as well as Yoga Director at the Madeline Hotel in the Mountain Village. With roots in what used to be called the Anusara lineage, Venus opens the hearts of her classes with her dharma talks and teaching of the Spirit of Yoga. She is also on the schedule at Telluride Yoga Center.

For the pregnant women, there is a free class at the Wilkinson Public Library every Tuesday at 9:00 am. Taught by Regan Tuttle, the class is just an hour and a way for pregnant mothers to stretch, breathe, and connect with themselves and their babies. The Peaks Hotel is another great option in the Mountain Village for yoga. Alyssa Saunders, fitness director at the Peaks, is another Telluride area master teacher. Also trained in Anusara Yoga, Alyssa helps her students to breathe into the heart and move their bodies. Fitness trainers as well, Alyssa bring much anatomy knowledge to her work as a yoga instructor.

Telluride is also home to the Telluride Yoga Festival, happening every July in the box canyon. From all over the US come veteran teachers of yoga sharing their gifts through practice.  It’s a widely known yoga event, and the Town of Telluride is proud to call it its own. It’s really the perfect place to take a first yoga class, or deepen one’s practice and see what Telluride has to offer in the way of yoga.  You’ll find just about anything your mind, body, and spirit are desiring in the form of relaxation, peace, stretching, challenging, breathing, and letting go. Namaste.