Known for iconic concerts, Red Rocks Amphitheater is so quiet on a summer Saturday morning that the birds get to sing solos as the sun paints the rocks an array of colors from grey to green to red, of course.
Then you actually hear 2,000 people breathe in and breathe out altogether as they do yoga in this stunning outdoor venue.
They finish their class at Yoga on the Rocks by giving thanks for their lives, their bodies and the universe. Then, in unison, they hum the Sanskrit chant, “om.”
Red Rocks is known for its fabulous acoustics, so the chant fills the amphitheater with what can only be described as the vibrating sound of peace.
If you can imagine it, you can do it
Yoga practitioners rave about the chance to do yoga anywhere, anytime. And Colorado’s divine summer weather makes outdoor yoga classes even better. If you can imagine it, you can do it: from yoga on a paddleboard to yoga with goats to yoga at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Nate Roston of Denver is a yoga instructor who practices daily and often teaches free yoga classes for children and people of color. He loves Red Rocks and has been participating in Yoga on the Rocks for the last couple of years.
“You get the essence of Colorado. This has been very empowering and enlightening. You really feel like you’re immersed in nature,” Roston said while at Yoga on the Rocks in July 2019.
He wishes more African American men would do yoga.
“A lot of people of color are displaced. If more black men were more aware of their bodies, they would feel better,’’ Roston said.
He said he has learned to feel tension in his body and get rid of it rather than holding on to stress.
“These are my people,” Roston said as he was surrounded by a sea of people wearing turquoise, lime and fuchsia and sitting on equally colorful yoga mats.
Silent and peaceful yoga practice
Nicole Kelly of Lakewood has made Yoga on the Rocks an annual family tradition. She comes with her dad and aunts, and outdoor yoga has become as special as any of their holidays.
“You get to have silence. You can hear the birds chirping. There are so many people, but it’s peaceful,” Kelly said.
Vivienne Barnett Hibler, 4, came with her mom and dad, Lyndsey Barnett and Matthew Hibler. They have been coming to Yoga on the Rocks since before Vivienne was born. As her parents shift from pose to pose, Vivienne tucks into her mom’s belly like a baby kangaroo or sits on her dad’s back as he stretches his arms and legs.
“We love to do yoga as a family,” Lyndsey said. “It’s fun to see Red Rocks in the morning, and these will be moments she’ll remember for the rest of her life.”
Outdoor yoga opportunities
Yoga at the Gardens, Denver Botanic Gardens. Wednesday. Fee. All levels welcome. Advanced registration required.
Standup Paddleboard Yoga, Boulder, Denver, Longmont and Lakewood. Varying Friday, Saturday and Sunday schedule, June, July, August and September. Fee.
Dragonfly Paddle Yoga, Monument and Colorado Springs, various dates starting in May. Fee.
Yoga on the Green, Yampa River Botanic Park. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, May through August. Donation.
Yoga at the Rocks, Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs: Various dates throughout the summer. Fee.
Free Yoga in the Park, Civic Green Park, Highlands Ranch. Saturdays. June through August. Free.
