{"id":16078,"date":"2023-07-05T19:06:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T19:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/?p=112301"},"modified":"2023-07-05T19:06:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T19:06:45","slug":"the-9-best-airports-for-practicing-yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/05\/the-9-best-airports-for-practicing-yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"The 9 Best Airports for Practicing Yoga"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I was six hours into my travels during a recent layover at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport when I happened to walk by a space in Terminal E labeled a \u201cyoga room.\u201d It wasn\u2019t a yoga studio. Although it was a (relatively) quiet place where I could take a few minutes away from the chaos and crowds to focus on my physical and mental well-being. And it was as much a surprise as it was a relief.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what officials at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) had in mind 11 years ago when they redesigned one of their terminals to include a yoga room, says Doug Yakel, public information officer at SFO. \u201cWe thought it would be great to have a unique amenity that also reflected that idea of, \u2018Let\u2019s make this a place where you can catch your breath and relax a little bit,\u2019\u201d says Yakel.<\/p>\n

Travelers responded by clamoring for more. \u201cEvery airport should have a yoga room,\u201d blogged<\/a> yoga teacher Kate Davis after experiencing the area, affirming that it makes \u201cair travel so much more bearable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, airports from Miami to Frankfurt have designated similar spaces for weary flyers. Sometimes the yoga rooms mimic yoga studios. Other times there\u2019s less of an emphasis on aesthetics and more on a simple place where you can stretch without having to contend with stares from strangers.<\/p>\n

The yoga rooms also remind you that yoga can foster connection not just with yourself but others. Yoga and mindfulness teacher Kate Mitcheom once found herself coming into poses alongside a fellow traveler at Midway International Airport\u2019s yoga room. The strangers mused about their relief at being able to stretch quietly in an airport and then parted ways. Mitcheom said<\/a>, \u201cI still don\u2019t know who she was\/is except that her beautiful practice touched my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following are a list of yoga rooms where you can sneak in a practice or a few quiet moments of sitting before your next flight.<\/p>\n

9 Best Airports for Practicing Yoga<\/h2>\n

1. Burlington International Airport (BTV)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Second floor<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 4 a.m.-10 p.m.<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> Can anyplace in an airport be so relaxing you forget you\u2019re in an airport? The yoga room in BTV might be exactly that. Sponsored by a local studio, the space features hardwood floors, pale green walls, soft lighting, and mats and rollers. It\u2019s been lauded<\/a> by at least one parent traveling with children as a calming space and another traveler, en route to a funeral, wrote in the guest book<\/a>,\u201cTruly appreciated having this space to center myself before a long day of airports.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 5\/5<\/p>\n

2. O\u2019Hare International Airport (ORD)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Terminal 3<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> One of the world\u2019s busiest airports provides a quiet place for flyers to connect with their breath. Combined with earth tones, natural light, and gentle music, ORD\u2019s yoga room is a \u201clittle oasis of relaxation in the desert of chaos that are most modern airports,\u201d according to one Yelp reviewer. A TV screen displays yoga techniques for those practitioners who appreciate reminders.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 4\/5<\/p>\n

\"Yoga
(Photo: Courtesy of Midway International Airport)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Midway International Airport (MDW)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Concourse C<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> With its sustainable bamboo floor, natural light, mats, and plants, this yoga room pretty much resembles a small-scale yoga studio. Although there are no blocks or straps, notes blogger Shannan Younger on Between Us Parents<\/a>, she asserts it still might be \u201cthe best kept secret in the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 4\/5<\/p>\n

\n
\"Airport
(Photo: Courtesy of San Francisco International Airport)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

4. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) <\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Terminals 2 and 3<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 5:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> SFO holds the distinction of constructing the world\u2019s first airport yoga room. The sound insulation, low lighting, and stash of free yoga mats makes the designated yoga spaces in both terminals ideal for a restful pre- or post-flight flow.<\/p>\n

Rating: <\/strong>4\/5<\/p>\n

5. Helsinki Airport (FIN)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Gate 52<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 24 hours<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> While not specifically a yoga space, the Maja Living Room is a place where weary travelers can relax and, if they choose, practice a few poses. It was inspired by requests from flyers who wanted somewhere they could stretch during a long bout of sitting and waiting. The room features wood finishes and ample room to move through a gentle flow (albeit sans mat). It also contains a Quiet Room<\/a>, which offers exactly what the name implies.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 3\/5<\/p>\n

6. Frankfurt Airport (FRA)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Terminals 1 and 2<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 24 hours<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> The yoga rooms are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, so you can lose yourself in your flow no matter when you find yourself at this German airport. Free mats, blocks, and cushions support your body and your practice, while floor-to-ceiling mirrors allow you to check your alignment.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 3\/5<\/p>\n

\"Airport
(Photo: Courtesy of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Terminal E<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 24 hours<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> Located along the concourse, this designated yoga space is separated from the rest of the terminal by sturdy privacy partitions\u2014yes, the room dividers you wanted in college to create space from your roomie. Still, it serves its intended purpose, which is a place to stretch and decompress. Yoga mats are provided, although, unless your pratyahara<\/em> practice <\/a>is strong, you might want your own ear buds to block out ambient noise from the terminal.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 3\/5<\/p>\n

8. Miami International Airport (MIA)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Terminal H near Gate 21<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong> 9 a.m.-9 p.m<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> Bamboo wallpaper and ambient music help create a tranquil atmosphere in a room that also features a 14-foot mirror wall for alignment adjustments. However, mats aren\u2019t provided.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 2\/5<\/p>\n

9. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> Terminal 3<\/p>\n

The Deets:<\/strong> Okay, this spiral-shaped sculpture is situated in the middle of a bustling concourse, not a dedicated yoga room. But the bronze work of art in India\u2019s busiest airport is a lovely reminder of the strength and ease that yoga can cultivate. Created by sculptor Nikhil Bhandari and architect Ayush Kasliwal, the piece is titled \u201cSurya Namaskar\u201d<\/a> and comprises 12 statues, each of a different pose in the traditional Sun Salutation<\/a>. Even if you exhale a little more slowly as you walk past, that, too, is yoga.<\/p>\n

New York\u2019s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), London Heathrow (LHR) and Hong Kong (HKG) also offer yoga lounges, although the services are available exclusively to members or at a cost.<\/em><\/p>\n

About Our Contributor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Skyler Aikerson is a freelance journalist and copyeditor. She has written for <\/em>Chicago magazine, <\/em>In These Times, and <\/em>Baltimore magazine. She enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and exploring Chicago.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/figure>\n

Practice spaces designed to make your layover a little more tolerable.<\/p>\n

The post The 9 Best Airports for Practicing Yoga<\/a> appeared first on Yoga Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37,35,36],"class_list":["post-16078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayurveda","tag-blogs","tag-yoga","tag-yogacourseware"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16078\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}