Yoga is for everyone. Unfortunately, in the western world, yoga is not priced for everyone. But Hawaii is the land of affordable yoga. Thanks to the number of people who practice in the Aloha State, there are an abundance of studios, instructors, co-ops and rogue lessons being taught out of houses, backyard, public parks and community centers. Many of these classes are priced at half of what they would cost on the mainland, and an equal number are donation classes, based on whatever you can afford.


A vacation to Oahu is an especially great time to either first discover yoga, take your practice to the next level or just say namaste in front of an incredible sunset with the sound of waves crashing as you exhale with a long “Alooohaaaaaaaaa.”


Yoga Classes On Oahu That Won’t Break The Bank


1. Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku

Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore is set between two gorgeous beaches with fun surf, unobstructed sunset views and abundant sea life. The resort’s Nalu Kinetic Spa was recently renovated and offers daily yoga classes taught by excellent instructors. Classes are open to guests and non-guests alike for only $10, and punch cards are for sale that bring the class prices down to about $6. The schedule changes monthly but can always be found on the spa website.

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2. Power Yoga Hawaii, Honolulu

If you’re looking for a vigorous workout taught by a top-notch instructor, Power Yoga Hawaii is your studio. All classes are now donation-based (suggested donation is $15). The studio has a robust schedule so it’s easy to find a class time that works for you. Really looking to detox on your vacation? Power Yoga Hawaii’s founder, Dorian, teaches a “2 Hours of Power” class on Sundays that is sure to leave you dripping sweat and ready to recover on the beach.

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3. North Shore Yoga Co-op, Waialua

Set in a community center in the quiet town of Waialua, the North Shore Yoga co-op is a collaboration among an impressive and diverse roster of teachers. The classes are donation-based. They cover a broad range of yoga types, including Yoga for Surfers, which emphasizes “range of motion of the shoulders, back and hips – the body regions most commonly overused and injured by surfers, paddlers and swimmers.” Non-surfers will appreciate this class as well for this promise: “Minimal to zero chaturangas [yoga push-ups] are practiced to ease the over use of the shoulders.”

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4. Yoga Loft Hawaii, Waipahu

Our favorite thing about this studio might be its Instagram account, which never fails to deliver incredible photos of yoga poses set against the most beautiful spots on Oahu. But Yoga Loft is also a great studio in its own right, set inside a warehouse-like space beautified with reclaimed wood and paper lantern lights. Set in Central Oahu, it’s an easy stop on your way from one side of the island to another. First-timers are treated to a class for only $6.

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5. Sunset Beach Recreation Center, North Shore

This rec center is the kind of place that makes you grateful for public spaces. It’s open air, clean, set against the mountains and across the street from a gorgeous beach on the North Shore. Community members gather for zumba classes, martial arts, and of course, yoga. Taught under the name Paumalu Yoga, the classes at Sunset Rec are donation-based. In true aloha spirit, no yogi will be turned away for lack of funds -- exchange of services is a payment option for those who truly need it. One can trade marketing assistance, local organic produce, house cleaning, carpentry or any other valuable service in exchange for yoga instruction. Note: See the Paumalu page for special instructions[13] on how to submit your donation.

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6. Sunset Yoga Hawaii, Waikiki

Trip Advisor-ranked as one of the best attractions in Honolulu, Sunset Yoga Hawaii has some prime real estate. The classes are taught at the eastern end of Waikiki, away from the crazy crowds and luxury storefronts but still walking distance from any hotel. An eclectic mix of locals and tourists gather seaside in Kapiolani Park, among “the trees, the powers of the sun and wind on the surf, the serenity of the glistening ocean, the expansive sky...it’s yoga the way it was intended to be.”Classes are taught five days a week and a 5-class pass can be purchased for $65.

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7. Noelani Studios, Haleiwa

Ok we know you were waiting for it. Where’s the FREE class? Well, it’s at Noelani Studios, which offers a complimentary class your first time, but once you visit, you’ll want to come back again and again. Right in the middle of Haleiwa Town, Noelani Studios is more than just a yoga studio. They offer dance classes and sell locally-made artwork, soaps and jewelry. Weekend workshops teach you how to create dreamboards, paint beach scenes and use essential oils. The studio just opened this summer and the pretty pink lotus flower painted on its wall still has that new studio glow.

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8. Waimea Valley Yoga, Waimea Valley

Set in the most picturesque locale of all, a class with Waimea Valley Yoga is a great way to make sure you explore Waimea Valley and Waimea Bay. The valley is a tropical, quiet oasis held sacred by Hawaiians for hundreds of years. You’ll be practicing Hatha-style yoga among over 5,000 types of plants and 78 archaeological sites, and nearby a waterfall where you can take a dip after class. Go across the street to Waimea Bay, a serene swimmers’ paradise in the summer and the occasional setting for 20-30 foot waves in the winter. Classes are taught every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30am by a long-time North Shore lifeguard and are donation based. Check the Facebook page to confirm the week’s schedule.

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Visiting a neighbor island? These hotels offer complimentary yoga for their guests:


Kauai: Sheraton Poipu

Lanai: Four Seasons Manele Bay

Maui: Lumeria Maui

Hawaii Island: Mauna Kea Resort[24] [25] [26] [27]


Namaste!



Also on HuffPost:




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  • Antigravity Yoga


    It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's -- yoga, in a suspended hammock?

    Antigravity Yoga (also referred to as Suspension Yoga, Upside-Down Yoga and Aerial Yoga) is not for the faint of heart. The practice incorporates traditional yoga poses mixed with acrobatics in a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling.

    What are the benefits of yoga off the ground? Kayda Norman, <a href="http://news.health.com/2012/08/07/aerial-yoga-learning-to-fly/" target="_hplink">who documented her Aerial Yoga experience for Health.com</a> writes, "Aerial yoga allows you to stretch further and hold positions longer than other types of yoga. Suspension yoga also helps to decompress tight joints and relieve pressure."

    Alexandra Sifferlin, a reporter for <em>Time</em>, <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/22/we-tried-this-aerial-vinyasa-or-upside-down-yoga/" target="_hplink">also shared her go with a Suspension Yoga class</a>. She <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/22/we-tried-this-aerial-vinyasa-or-upside-down-yoga/" target="_hplink">reported in a video of her experience</a> that the aerial class was helpful for "better controlled movements as you strengthen your core muscles."

    And for those without the strength and control for traditional inversions like headstands, Aerial Yoga gives us a chance to try these out.




  • Tantrum Yoga


    Tantrum Yoga can help you access your inner child: the grumpy one, who needs to throw a tantrum to get back to center.

    It isn't violent; instead, it's an outlet -- a release -- that combines traditional yoga poses, dancing and, yes, some yelling.

    <a href="http://www.hemalayaa.com/" target="_hplink">Yoga teacher Hemalaaya </a>developed this therapeutic kind of yoga as the next step in her fusion-focused classes. And, as <a href="http://www.hemalayaa.com/?p=1629" target="_hplink">she puts it</a>, throwing a little tantrum works to relieve her own frustrations. She encourages her students to release stress by yelling, chest-pounding and laughing.

    "I believe we are emotional beings and there are times we need to express in order to let go of emotion, especially old stuff that is sitting in there, festering. Otherwise it gets stuck in our bodies and could turn into stress, disease, etc." she told <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=8666290" target="_hplink">ABC News</a>.




  • Wheelchair Yoga


    Perhaps it is Wheelchair Yoga that best demonstrates the versatility of the yoga practice.

    Many of the actions performed in Wheelchair Yoga (or, similarly Chair Yoga) are traditional poses adapted for those who are in wheelchairs. The <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/319124-yoga-exercises-for-someone-in-a-wheelchair/" target="_hplink">Cat Stretch, Cow Pose and Eagle Pose</a>, for example, have all been modified to be performed while sitting.

    Chair Yoga prioritizes breath-work and physical postures and can be incredibly beneficial for those with limited mobility. The activity can help to <a href="http://www.ncpad.org/disability/fact_sheet.php?sheet=345&view=all" target="_hplink">decrease physical pain and tension</a> and it promotes the many benefits of physical activity to those with disabilities might not otherwise have access.




  • Harmonica Yoga


    Harmonica Yoga is a form of Raja Yoga (yoga for both the body and the mind). Harmonica playing and yoga are both based on the control of the breath, making this a fun way to work on mindfulness.

    "Harmonica is the easiest and most accessible way to practice breath control," <a href="http://www.davidharp.com/" target="_hplink">David Harp</a>, the founder and originator of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=David Harp&ie=UTF8&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank" target="_hplink">HarmonicaYoga™</a> and HuffPost blogger wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. "This allows practitioners to short-circuit mental patterns such as fight or flight responses, and thus develop mindfulness," he continued.




  • Laughter Yoga


    If laughter is the best medicine and yoga touts countless health benefits, the combination of the two must be infallible.

    In this silly practice (its founder, Sebastien Gendry, <a href="ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/06/laughter-yoga-benefits_n_1478960.html" target="_hplink">called it "bizarre" and "weird"</a>) you might find yourself clapping joyously, milking imaginary cows and pretending to be a lion, just as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/06/laughter-yoga-benefits_n_1478960.html" target="_hplink">Catherine Pearson did in her Laughter Yoga class, as she reported</a> in HuffPost's Healthy Living.

    Laughter Yoga incorporates much less of the physical aspects of yoga and much more of the social and mindful aspects. Still, the physical benefits are not completely lost: laughter has been found to <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16652129" target="_hplink">burn calories </a> and <a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/5/1651.full" target="_hplink">lower blood sugar levels</a>.




  • Karaoke Yoga


    Karaoke Yoga, developed by Los Angeles-based yoga instructor <a href="http://jenniferpastiloff.com/" target="_hplink">Jennifer Pastiloff</a>, gives people the opportunity to stretch their limbs <em>and</em> their vocal chords.

    The class is equipped with a TV screen to display song lyrics and, luckily for those with stage fright, there are no solo performances. You can expect to sing along with the whole class to songs from Adele, Elton John and Journey.

    The focus of the class is joy, not the perfecting of poses. "It's not about alignment, it's about connecting to your joy," Pasiloff <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=8713322" target="_hplink">said in an ABC News interview</a>. Though not about the yoga, per se, it's still about the workout: "It's longer exhales, it's sweating, dancing," she insists.

    Pasiloff wrote in a<a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5085/What-the-Heck-Is-Karaoke-Yoga.html" target="_hplink"> blog post for <em>Mind Body Green,</em></a>"It is connecting some of the greatest pleasures I know of in life: dancing, singing, yoga, connecting and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll."




  • Yoga Raves


    Yoga Raves bring the yoga studio to the club -- so don't forget your glow sticks (and glitter).

    Combining music, movement and meditation in a single space, Yoga Raves also promote drug-free fun. Many of these raves begin with a guided meditation as a warm up, to lead into a more free movement.

    According to the not-for-profit movement's website <a href="http://Yoga Rave" target="_hplink">Yogarave.org</a>, "The Yoga Rave Project will bring the spiritual element back to celebration and the way we have fun, offering a drug free alternative for our youth to gather and release their energy and tension."

    <a href="http://www.artofliving.org/us-en" target="_hplink">The Art Of Living Foundation</a>, which funds and organizes <a href="http://Yogaraves.org" target="_hplink">Yogaraves.org</a>, is not the only initiative propelling the yoga dance party. <a href="http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com/" target="_hplink">Jivamukti</a> and <a href="http://www.laughinglotus.com/" target="_hplink">Laughing </a>Lotus are among the yoga schools supporting the combination of yoga and "getting down."

    <a href="http://www.yogadork.com/news/grab-your-glow-ga-sticks-yoga-raves-all-the-rage/" target="_hplink">Yogadork.com might have said it best:</a> "The Yoga Rave: a place where you can totally trip out drug free, get friendly with your fellow man/woman and wake up in your own bed the next morning (if you so choose)."




  • The World's Oldest Yoga Teacher


    And just for fun, here's a video of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/14/tao-porchon-lynch-93-worlds-oldest-yoga-teacher_n_1515579.html" target="_hplink">the world's oldest yoga teacher</a>, 93-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch, showing off all she's got.




  • Seane Corn on The Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga


    Yoga instructor Seane Corn explains the benefits of Vinyasa yoga.