PORTLAND, Maine — Perhaps the four walls of your friendly yoga studio are looking way too familiar. Maybe you just want to be outside during the best days of summer. Or it could be that goat yoga has lost its novelty.
No matter what the reason, if you’re looking for a new yoga experience, Shannon Bryan has got a six-pack of ideas—yoga with crepes, yoga at a 19th century fort, yoga with alpacas.
She had us at alpacas. Watch our conversation to get her recommendations.
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Paddleboard Yoga
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through summer. $40. York Harbor, York. koanwellness.com
KOAN Wellness leads 75-minute SUP yoga classes on the York River most weekends throughout the summer. Classes are open to folks who are new to yoga or paddleboarding and include all equipment (discount if you bring your own SUP). * Special Sunset SUP yoga class on August 25!
Yoga at the Fort
8-11:15 a.m. August 18. Starts at Portland Paddle, Portland. $60. portlandpaddle.net/yoga-at-the-fort
Part kayaking, part yoga (but not at the same time). This class includes a guided kayak out to Fort Gorges and a 45-minute yoga class in the fort. You'll have some time to explore the fort, too! Open to new paddlers and new yogis.
Yoga with the Alpacas
10:15 a.m. Saturdays through summer. Lulu's Barn, Westport Island. $15. www.lulusbarn.com
Do some yoga in the grass while the alpacas - Marty, Will, Fleecy & Gussy - hang about. You can even get some treats in your hand and feed them during class, perhaps while holding a tree pose. BYO mat.
Yoga (+beer!) in the hopyard
6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 15. Alna Hopyard, Alna. $5-10 suggested donation. www.mainefarmlandtrust.org
Hang out with Maine Farmland Trust for an all-levels sunset yoga class at the Alna Hopyard and Farm. After class, stick around for Oxbow Farmland beer, bonfire, and potluck!
Brewery Yoga
10:30-11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 (and once a month all year). Corner Point Brewing Company, Berwick. $15.
Once a month you can enjoy an all-levels Sunday-morning yoga class with instructor Annie Leslie, followed by a 16-ounce beer from Corner Point Brewing Company. BYO mat.
Yoga, Crêpes + Sunset
6-7 p.m. Tuesdays all summer. Bug Light Park, South Portland. $7-15 sliding scale. kellyrichyoga.com
Kelly Rich leads outdoor yoga at Bug Light Park a few days a week and the views are always amazing. But on Tuesdays, the Crêpe Elizabeth food truck is also there, so you can do yoga, enjoy the sunset, and eat a crêpe!