Why Yoga Under Glass at Chihuly Garden and Glass is a Must

This post was in partnership with Travel Mindset and Chihuly Garden and Glass.

A big goal of mine for 2020 has been to do more exploring. Working from home has its perks, don’t get me wrong (sweatpants!), but I realized as I closed out 2019 that I spent so much time chained to my desk. Since I have the luxury of being able to work from wherever there’s WiFi, shouldn’t I take advantage of that? 

In 2019, I also started doing a lot of yoga at home to save time. Most of my favorite studios are, of course, in the busiest parts of the city. This often means driving around frantically looking for parking and swearing under my breath, while also cursing myself for not being yogic enough. You know the feeling? So, I switched to a home practice. Practicing at home is relaxing, deeply intimate, and gave me the opportunity to connect with my own yoga practice in a way I haven’t for a few years. I loved it! But I also ached for the community of going to class, befriending the yogi next to me and getting heavenly hands-on adjustments in Child’s Pose. I decided that part of my 2020 goal to “get out more” also needed to include a yoga element. I am, at my core, a deeply social person. While I saved a ton of time and money working and working out from home last year, I also felt like I missed out on a lot of chance interactions that light me up. 

Because the universe works in mysterious ways (is it obvious that I’m a yogi yet?), immediately after declaring this resolution, I was invited by Travel Mindset and Chihuly Garden and Glass to a Yoga Under Glass class at Chihuly Garden and Glass, a truly magical exhibition nestled under the Space Needle. Dale Chihuly is a prolific glass artist. His creations look like they’re straight out of some sort of Dr. Seuss psychedelic trip (in the best possible way, of course). The thought of doing yoga surrounded by his creations felt like such a magical way to kick off my 2020 resolution of more yoga outside the home. 

For as much as I gripe about being a sleepy person, I do love starting the day early. There’s something magical about waking up early on a Sunday morning for yoga; it feels like being part of a secret group, of belonging to something greater. I lived the Seattle cliche that morning bopping through downtown with a large coffee in hand, yoga mat strapped to my back. Even my reluctant Instagram husband, who doesn’t quite love yoga, seemed enthusiastic to be going somewhere new. We’re both born and raised in the Seattle area, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love being tourists in our own city from time to time.

One of my favorite parts about yoga events, other than moving through the poses somewhere new, is that they often tend to be populated with yogis that are looking for a good time. I’ve grappled with my own identity as a yogi over the years because the practice, admittedly, can get very dry at times. Like anything in life, yoga can have a competitive edge that takes the joy out of it. I suppose, as I’m writing this, that that competitive flare from other yogis might also have steered me more towards a home practice as of late. Sometimes I just need to move without worrying about performance or accomplishment, you know? 

All of this to say, I know that yoga can be intimidating, but this event was the opposite. The Seattle-freeze was nowhere in sight at Chihuly, we were all giggling and scooching our mats to make space and greeting each other with sleepy eyes. Our instructor, Lara, built a class that felt challenging, accessible, and playful all at once. The more I teach yoga (how has it been over six years?!) the more I appreciate classes like this - they’re not easy to find. I was sweaty, tired, and energized in the way that only happens on a yoga mat. I looked around at the students next to me after class and eavesdropped on their conversations. I heard so many I’m so glad that we did this! And this was the perfect thing for this trip! as well as a handful of yoga is WAY harder than I thought it was! 

It was a delightful morning.

Tickets for Yoga Under Glass at $28/person and can be purchased here. Upcoming classes are February 22nd and March 14th. 

This post was in partnership with Travel Mindset and Chihuly Garden and Glass.