Even the most Zen yoga studio spaces come with drop-in fees and membership paperwork that can knock curious parties off balance. We've told you about Karmany Yoga studio in Dallas, which runs on whatever cash students can bear to drop in the donation box by the door. But the best yoga sessions in DFW this summer are the ones that overtake public places with stretching and breathing and being. You shouldn't need studio mirrors or copious amounts of cash for that anyway, right?
The Adventurers' Guide to Free Yoga
*All the classes listed are completely free, except where suggested donations are noted.
IN THE GARDEN: Nasher Sculpture Center adds to the draw of free admission on Thursdays with a yoga session by YogaSport, set among the more than 170 trees and large-scale pieces in the scultpure garden. That series runs through the end of July with classes starting at 6 p.m. For weekenders, a continuing Yoga in the Garden feature stays on the center's Target First Saturdays lineup at 11:30 a.m. Remember to bring a large towel as mats aren't allowed.
ABOVE DINNER: The Mango Lassie drink at vegetarian paradise Cosmic Cafe does a fair amount of soul-cleansing itself. Still, there are five yoga classes a week on the second floor of the Indian food restaurant in Oak Lawn. Beginner sessions deemed Community Yoga are held Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 10 a.m. A suggested donation of $5 holds for each class. Check out the activity menu for other delights.
ON THE FIELD: NorthPark Center's manicured CenterPark, usually purposed as a shortcut for frantic shoppers, is covered in mats each Saturday for relaxation-focused, hour-long classes by the Cooper Fitness Center before the parking garages fill up. The heat could make trouble even with the 9:30 a.m. start time... RSVPs are required -- and, more than ever, that water bottle. Bring your own mat or towel and don't dress to impress the Barneys salespeople. The series continues through August.
SURROUNDED BY GEAR: Clever lululemon athletica. The shop sells yoga merch that makes you feel like a fit celebrity -- the comfortable, neutral, $40 for pants kind -- and they host a weekly yoga session featuring reps from a different area studio each month at their Galleria storefront on Tuesdays. Bikram Yoga Richardson shows their stuff in July. Lululemon provides the mats if you can hoof it over after work for the 5:30 p.m. class. Look for another option to pencil in as a lululemon opens at NorthPark on July 31.
