Where to Namaste for International Yoga Day, June 21

WEST COAST

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, San Diego, California

Spanning 45 lush acres of gardens, nature trails, meticulous olive groves, and casitas, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is ideal for the premier active lifestyle and healthy retreats for even the most discerning travelers. Seeking to inspire resort guests, wellness was a major initiative during Rancho Valencia's recent $30 million renovation. In addition to resurfacing all 18 on-property tennis courts, The Spa at Rancho Valencia and fitness center were expanded with a new line-up of 95 fitness classes a week, spa treatments and wellness programs. The resort's fitness center was further expanded with the addition of a 1,000-square-foot Serenity Yoga Pavilion that now hosts numerous Yoga sessions, fitness classes, exercise programs and retreats hosted by top-tier fitness and wellness professionals. Rancho Valencia's fitness offerings include Spin, Pilates, Tennis, TRX and Yoga in the new Serenity Yoga Pavilion. Fitness classes are complimentary for spa and resort guests and are all concluded with a fresh cold-pressed juice or protein shake.

In addition, Rancho Valencia offers monthly yoga workshops focusing on different topics each month. Throughout each workshop, Yoga Director Anna Spalding, will offer various tips on yoga, mind and body. The workshop is open to all levels and is complimentary to spa members and $40 for non-members.

MOUNTAINS

the ART Hotel, Denver CO

Roll out your mats and grab a mimosa! Just in time for International Yoga Day on June 21, The ART Hotel is excited to announce their new collaboration with CorePower Yoga - "Vinyasa and Mimosas," taking place on the FIRE terrace every other Saturday, starting June 11th through September. Denver locals and visitors can start their mornings with a complimentary yoga class from 9am - 10am, taught by CorePower Yoga instructors, with poses inspired by the ART hotel's collection of over 50 pieces created by the “who's who” of contemporary art. After the morning vinyasa class, guests can linger for rooftop brunch and refreshing $10 bottomless mimosas.

Rooftop Voga and Yoga at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago

Take your vinyasa to a new level this summer - the roof of the historic Water Tower building to be exact. Beginning on June 10, The Ritz-Carlton will offer Voga, yoga done while voguing to 80s music, classes for guests on Friday's at 4 p.m.. Let loose and work out those muscles in a fun, lively environment with iconic views of the Chicago skyline.

Washington School House | Park City

Celebrate International Yoga Day with Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga Adventure in a 10,000-year-old Crater through a partnership between the luxury boutique hotel Washington School House and Park City Yoga Adventures. The instructor demonstrates yoga poses from the dock while participants move and bend on paddleboards that float in the 90-plus-degree natural therapeutic pool. In the water, tiny effervescent bubbles of CO2 exfoliate and rejuvenate dry skin and the hot mineral water lowers blood pressure. Add in the 1 and a half hour hike along a winding stream and Aspen forest, and it's a day full of health and wellness.

The luxury 12-room hotel includes a private lounge, 24-hour concierge, heated pool, private chef available any time of year and a dedicated Washington School House team to ensure guests enjoy a cultivated and curated experience. As one of the last surviving schoolhouses built in 1889, Washington School House's stunning renovation and redesign respects the building's historical integrity while re-imagining the stunning interior. It is truly a brilliant feat of design with breathtaking spaces, including twelve spectacular suites with original antiques and art punctuating rooms within the original structure.

Keystone Lodge and Spa | Keystone, Colorado

This International Yoga Day, participate in the 8 a.m. Align & Flow class, the 12 p.m. Body Burner class or the 4:30 p.m. restorative class at Studio K, or attend all three for an entire day of yoga wellness! Any length of stay at Keystone Lodge & Spa includes one free yoga class per person on the reservation, so one class is already taken care of. With spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains, Keystone Lake and the Continental Divide, on-site restaurants and spa, and 153 rooms, everything is within reach at Keystone Lodge and Spa.

The Lodge at Vail | Vail, Colorado

On June 21, celebrate International Yoga Day with a special 7 a.m. Sunrise Yoga class poolside at The Lodge at Vail. Afterwards, rehydrate with Pure Inventions Coconut Water and smoothie samples from Cucina, the on-property restaurant, which offers a fantastic healthy breakfast for those looking to dine. The Lodge at Vail is a historic property (the first hotel in Vail) that is a favorite spot among locals and Vail visitors alike. Located just steps away from the new Gondola One and at the heart of the city's dining and shopping scene, the historic hotel offers an alpine chalet charm coupled with impeccable service.

EAST COAST

Gurney's Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa - Montauk, NY

Situated on Montauk's most pristine stretch of oceanfront real estate, Gurney's is a Hamptons icon and the perfect yogi escape. Providing guests with direct access to a 2,000-foot private sand beach, Gurney's offers a variety of practices - with undisturbed ocean views - including: Flow into Yoga, Vinyasa Flow and Beach Yoga. Additionally, through partnership with healthy hospitality firm, Wellthily, guests can enjoy yoga classes in the summer with some of the country's top studios and instructors, such as Y7 Studio. Guests of Gurney's can retreat to the Seawater Spa following the yoga practice or one of the 146 rooms, suites, and beachfront cottages that deliver dramatic ocean views.

Sunrise Yoga Sessions at The Betsy | Miami, Florida

The Betsy-South Beach is the only Forbes Four Star and AAA Four Diamond rated boutique hotel in Greater Miami. Home to Miami's only outdoor spa, The Wellness Garden & Spa, The Betsy's Ocean Deck is a multipurpose roof deck that offers a place to lounge, nap, eat, drink and of course, practice yoga. With endless views of the Atlantic, the sounds of ocean waves and a light breeze in the background, The Betsy's Sunrise Yoga Sessions offer a “distinctly Miami" way to start the day. Offered to guests four mornings a week, the yoga sessions are guaranteed to harmonize the body and mind for the remainder of the day.

Sun-Up Sessions at Mission Point | Mackinac Island, Michigan

Set on 18 acres of lakefront property on the east end of where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan, lies the iconic Mission Point. With the exclusive Sun-Up Sessions, guests can start off the day off with a distinctly Mackinac experience: taking in the sunrise over Lake Huron. The Sun-Up Sessions begin with a light hike, followed by picnic of locally sourced foods on the Great Lawn and optional yoga on the Courtside Patio.

Twin Farms, Barnard, VT

The all-inclusive Relais & Chateaux property and only five-star resort in Vermont, Twin Farms is the perfect destination to get your yoga on with its new yoga deck surrounded by 300 acres of meadows and woodlands. The new yoga deck, which wraps around a stream overlooking the Green Mountains offers a variety of yoga practices such as Sunrise yoga, Gentle Flow Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Yoga hikes. In addition, to the yoga guests can take advantage of the Furo, a 104 degree Japanese style soaking tub (clothing optional) to truly cleanse and revitalize the mind and spirit.

INTERNATIONAL

Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, MX

Rancho La Puerta is the original “fitness resort” and spa welcomes some 140 guests each week to its 3,000 private acres of gardens, mountains and meadows in Baja California, Mexico. All facilities and land are for the exclusive use of guests who come for an entire week, Saturday to Saturday, or partial-week stays of three or four nights. It's a unique warm winter escape for women and men offering over 80 fitness classes including TRX, yoga, pilates and advanced hiking trails as well as spa treatments and therapeutic sessions. In addition to fitness and spa experiences, the Ranch offers daily lectures and workshops to inspire guests. Each week the Ranch has visiting guest speakers, talented performers and workshop leaders–authors, politicians, musicians, artists, MDs and other leaders in their fields -- to present afternoon learning experiences and evening lectures.

Yoga first soared in popularity at Rancho La Puerta and throughout North America almost simultaneously. Although there were many sources of new yoga programs in the United States in the mid-20th century, leader Indra Devi (whom many credit as being the most influential yoga teacher of the time) was at the Ranch as well as their sister spa, the Golden Door. She even opened her own yoga retreat center next door to Rancho La Puerta. Rancho La Puerta offers a variety of yoga classes including Restorative Yoga, Yoga/Fundamentals Level One and Two, and Yoga Sculpt.

In addition, Yoga Retreats at the Ranch are offered year-round, featuring visiting guest speakers, talented performers and workshop leaders–authors, politicians, musicians, artists, MDs and other leaders in their fields -- to present afternoon learning experiences and evening lectures. The Ranch also offers unique fitness retreats covering a wide range of exercise specialties led by fitness enthusiasts from all over the world. Examples include:

• Hatha Yoga by Mehrad Nazari, Ph.D. in June 2016 - For over a quarter century, Dr. Mehrad Nazari has successfully straddled the worlds of business and spirituality. A master yoga and meditation teacher as well as a San Diego business leader, Mehrad holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Human Behavior. He served as an adjunct professor of business negotiation for ten years at the United States International University in San Diego. For over thirty years, Dr. Nazari has been the President and CEO of California Real Estate Services, a high-profile real estate investment brokerage and consulting firm based in La Jolla, California. He is also the co-founder of the Raja Yoga Institute and has been a spiritual guide, teacher, and practitioner of yoga and meditation for over twenty-five years.

• Mindful Yoga by Ann-Marie Ahye in July 2016 - From over 30 years of Yoga & Meditation experience, Ann-Marie has crafted a form of Mindful Yoga that elicits both inner and outer strength. While Yin Yoga awakens a quality of receptivity from the depths of stillness, Yang Yoga emphasizes a conscious and attentive movement and flow that awakens a reverent body awareness. Throughout her teaching, Ann-Marie infuses a wisdom approach that instills a grounded tranquility and an ease of being. She credits her ability to teach the deeper meaning of yoga to her ongoing self-inquiry and experiential learning.

• Yoga for Every B.O.D.Y. by Shayne and River Morgan in October 2016 - This dynamic mother and daughter have been co-teaching yoga, meditation, and guided hikes in Aspen, Colorado, where both reside, for the past 10 years. They have been featured in Forbes Magazine, Aspen Peak Magazine, Yoga Journal, Gaiam Catalogues, Healthy Planet, and Elephant Magazine among other publications. River (ERYT-500) is a third generation yogini, who blends her dance, GYROKINESIS® exercise and somatic therapy with an alignment-based vinyasa flow that caters to all levels of practitioners. She has been teaching dance and yoga for over 18 years. Shayne has a background in Rolfing, massage therapy and Iyengar Yoga, in which she has integrated a therapeutic approach that makes yoga accessible to all ages and body types. Join Yoga for Every B.O.D.Y. and witness your practice flourish and evolve no matter what your level of experience.

The Resort at Pedregal | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Release your mind and connect your body and spirit with the moon and sea energies on this unique yoga retreat at the ultra-luxury, landmark destination resort, The Resort at Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas. Starting at $520 USD, Luna y Mar Spa's Yoga Getaway includes the following:

• Two private yoga classes at the beach palapa - 60 minutes each
• One moon meditation and night yoga at the beach palapa - 90 minutes
o Moon mediation is a healing and regenerative process, and utilizes a specific breathing pattern that clears the mind, revitalizes the physical body, and balances emotions with the lunar and sea energies. Maximum physical and emotional benefits, along with expanded states of awareness, are the natural products of increased oxygenation that Moon Meditation breathing and yoga on the beach brings.
• One Moonstone Flow Treatment - 90 minutes
o Specific, gentle hand placing along the whole body, pressure points on the meridians and moonstone placement on energy patterns, initiate a process of self-healing and help you deeply relax. Moonstone, a stone that has the properties of opening the heart to nurturing qualities as well as assisting in the acceptance of love, is also known as the traveler's stone for the uplifting quality of hope and the protection it affords. Moonstone helps in this energy work journey to rest the body, emotions, mind and spirit, creating many beneficial effects that include feelings of peace, security and wellbeing, transmitting positive impulses to the body through the nervous system.

The Yoga Getaway is offered year-round, and all classes and treatments must be booked in advance at Luna y Mar Spa. For more information visit www.theresortatpedregal.com or call 844-733-7342 toll free or +52 624 163 4300 for general enquiries.

Sunrise Yoga at Madinat Jumeirah | Dubai, United Arab Emirates

This 60-minute sunrise yoga class is the perfect way to start the day and feel calm yet energized in the early morning hours. The classes take place on the stunning rooftop terrace of Pacha Ibiza Dubai, overlooking the breathtaking waterways as the sun rises overhead. Yoga is led by a Talise Fitness resident yogi and is followed by a healthy breakfast at Frioul in Souk Madinat Jumeirah, complete with gluten free options, home-made granola, egg white omelettes and more.

Yoga Retreat at Madinat Jumeriah | Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Under the guidance of qualified instructors and practitioners, Madinat Jumeirah's Yoga Retreat allows participants to learn to restore balance, release stress and improve health. The retreat, which is set in the lush and serene surroundings of the Talise Spa, offers an exclusive rejuvenation experience for anyone wishing to learn more about the ancient practice of yoga. Open to both beginners and advance students, the retreat includes yoga, a juicing class with Wellness Resort Chef Gabi Kurz and a yoga theory seminar to help develop overall wellbeing.

Full Moon Yoga at Madinat Jumeirah | Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Once monthly, Talise Spa experts at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai lead guests through a journey of inner peace with Full Moon Yoga on the beach. Guests are invited to participate in an invigorating session of 90-minute yoga while uniting their bodies, minds and spirits under a full moon. The session focuses on harnessing the energies of the full moon with special meditation and asanas for their effects on the Svadhisthana chakra, the chakra most open to lunar energies. Accompanied by the full moon, gentle sounds of crashing waves and soothing classical music, Madinat Jumeirah's in-house yoga guru takes guests on a journey of self-discovery that will leave any level of yogi feeling revived, centered and calm.

Grace Santorini | Santorini, Greece

With a focus on health and wellness, Grace Santorini provides a number of yoga sessions per day for their guests. Yoga and pilates classes are taught in a luxurious and spa-like environment that offers unique views of the Aegean Sea and are designed for both experienced and beginner yogis. For those who have a deep love for nature and want to discover their true potential, join a personal trainer for sunrise yoga in the mountain of Santorini near the site of Ancient Thira above the Aegean.

The Mulia & Mulia Villas | Bali, Indonesia

Located on the majestic coastline of Nusa Dua, The Mulia & Mulia Villas is the ideal destination to relax the mind, body and spirit for International Yoga Day. Offering a variety of yoga classes throughout the day, guests can enjoy the following traditional practices:

• Kriya Yoga: Kriya yoga is a meditation technique to help spiritual seekers attain self realization by taking the body through various asanas to start your mindful day.
• Kundalini Yoga Meditation: This practice concentrates on awakening the energy at the base of the spine and draws it upward. In addition to focusing on various postures, this class will also include chanting, meditation and breathing exercises.
• Hatha Yoga: The word “hatha” means ‘willful' or ‘forceful.' Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises that takes the body through sequences of asanas (or postures), all designed to align your skin, muscles and bones.
• Kapha Yoga: Kapha refers to cool, heavy, slow, smooth, soft and stable asana yoga poses.
• Sunrise or Afternoon Stretch: Structured poses and stretches to warm the body to either prepare it for the day ahead or wind it down after a long day of activity.

Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa in Nicaragua

Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa has just announced a series of yoga retreats featuring notable instructors, including:

Nicola Torrent, October 22-27
Jennifer Pansa and Jim Rohr, November 2-6
Jessie Potter, November 5-10
Dana Covello & Christy McKenzie, November 10-14
Karissa Holly, November or December 2016

While each retreat will be as unique as the yogi leading it, guests can expect a full experience in wellness: healthy meals, plenty of time in nature and meditation, and other active pursuits such as surfing, hiking and bike riding.