Ashtanga Yoga isn’t just a workout; it’s a moving meditation —a daily rhythm of breath, movement, and focus that brings together both strength and stillness. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois founded this powerful method in Mysore, India, during the 1940s, but its roots are older, taken from ancient texts like the Yoga Korunta. Jois believed that yoga should be practiced every day, not just to stay fit, but to stabilize the mind, cleanse the body, and wake up the powers from within.
Ashtanga Yoga Colorado
Ashtanga follows a set of series postures, each linked by breath and flow. This structure builds not just physical flexibility and strength, but also patience, discipline, and inner clarity. The goal isn’t just flexibility on the mat; it is freedom from the patterns that hold us back.
The method first arrived in the U.S. in the 1970s, when some curious and committed students traveled to India and brought the practice back with them. By the 1990s, Ashtanga Yoga finally made its way to Colorado. It found a natural home here among the high peaks, open skies, and a community that values movement, mindfulness, and holistic living with intention.
The reason behind the origination of Ashtanga was to guide people back to themselves through breath. Pattabhi Jois saw yoga not as a quick fix, but as a lifelong path toward peace, strength, and awareness. And in Colorado, that vision continues to grow in small Mysore rooms, sunrise practices, weekend workshops, and teacher training that carry the tradition forward.
From Boulder to Telluride, Colorado’s Ashtanga spaces are built not just for flexibility and fitness, but also for focus, healing, and quiet growth.
Let’s check out the Yoga Alliance registered studios for Ashtanga Yoga Colorado –
Ashtanga Yoga Denver
About –
Ashtanga Yoga Denver Colorado was born from the love for traditional Mysore-style yoga and a desire to keep its spirit alive in Colorado. Since then, it has been growing every year with clear intention and respect for its lineage.
The journey began with William (Bill) Mushkin, who first pursued Ashtanga Yoga back in 1987 after being inspired by his early teacher, Beryl Bender Birch, and later guided by Norman Allen and Sharath Jois in Mysore, India. Bill’s practice became a lifelong path, and he began sharing the method with others.
This studio grew naturally through early morning practices and a commitment to teaching the method the way it was meant to be: slow, steady, and personal!
The studio was founded to offer a true Mysore experience in the middle of a modern city. Here, students move at their own pace, guided by skilled teachers who support them with hands-on help, traditional breath techniques, and encouragement. It’s about building focus, strength, and self-awareness from the inside out.
Ashtanga Yoga Offerings –
- Mysore-Style Practice – It’s a self-paced, traditional method for students who arrive at any time and move through the Primary Series at their own pace. The teachers offer verbal cues for new practitioners and hands-on adjustments for more experienced students.
- Led Full Primary Series – This is a guided and continuous flow through the full Primary Series of postures. It moves at a steady pace, which is best suited for those who have experience in Ashtanga or other vinyasa styles.
- Intro / Fundamentals Class – This class is open to all levels. It covers one-third of the Primary Series mixed with foundational Ashtanga principles, both physical and philosophical. It includes detailed posture guidance, adjustments, and welcomes questions.
- Pranayama Practice – It’s a focused breath-work class that calms and energizes the nervous system, which is taught in a short version of the traditional sequence.
- Sharath Jois’s Active Series – This is a 55-minute adaptive sequence developed by Sharath Jois. It’s accessible to all ages and athletes and created to complement sports and daily movement by maintaining muscle strength, improving flexibility, and nurturing calm focus, without perfection.
- Diverse Workshops – They conduct a variety of workshops, like Intro to Ashtanga 4‑Week Workshops, Ashtanga Moon Days, and their advanced skill-specific workshops.
Website – https://denverashtangayoga.com/
Denver Mysore
About –
Denver Mysore is a quiet and focused yoga studio where tradition lives and breath leads the way. This small but strong Ashtanga community has been growing slowly and mindfully for over two decades.
The roots of Denver Mysore were planted by Joan Isbell and Eric Stauffer, two dedicated yoga teachers who spent more than 20 years sharing the practice and building a supportive space for students. Their vision wasn’t about filling classes or following trends; it was about staying true to the heart of Ashtanga.
Since 2009, the studio has been taken care of by Christina Toyota, who brings a huge respect for the tradition passed down from her yoga teacher, Sharmila Desai, in Goa, India. Christina invites students to go beyond the poses and develop trust in their own path and practice with patience, awareness, and curiosity.
Here, the Mysore-style approach allows each student to move at their own pace with personal guidance and quiet support. It’s about showing up, learning, and becoming more present with each breath and pose you take.
Ashtanga Yoga Offerings –
- Mysore-Style Classes (Self-Paced Practice) – These are drop-in anytime during class hours sessions. It’s ideal for beginners and advanced students with individualized guidance and adjustments.
- Class Pricing – For a drop-in class – $25, a 6-class/month pass – $90, and for an unlimited monthly pass – $130.
- Moon Day Observances (Rest Days) – They stay true to the Ashtanga tradition, where the studio observes full moon and new moon days as rest days.
Website – https://denvermysore.com/
Ashtanga Yoga Telluride
About –
Ashtanga Yoga Telluride is a yoga space high up in the quiet mountains of Colorado that feels as grounded as the earth below it and as open as the sky above it. This studio was created by Barbara Glanznig, a dedicated yoga teacher whose own yoga journey began in 2001.
Barbara didn’t just practice, but got into the core of Ashtanga yoga. She has travelled to India many times to study with respected teachers by learning not just the yoga postures, but the breath, chanting, philosophy, and healing wisdom of Ayurveda as well. Her dedication has led her to receive the official authorization from Saraswathi Jois, the daughter of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of the Ashtanga method.
With more than 1,000 hours of yoga training and experience, Barbara brought that rich knowledge home to Telluride, where she started the studio to share what she had learned!
It’s about building strength, focus, and balance through Mysore-style classes, community gatherings, and retreats.
Ashtanga Yoga Offerings –
- Mysore-Style Classes – These are self-paced Ashtanga practice classes where students move through the sequence at their own speed with personalized guidance and adjustments.
- Yoga Retreats with Ashtanga Focus – They conduct immersive retreats featuring Mysore-style morning practices and afternoon Ashtanga workshops.
- Private Ashtanga Yoga Sessions – These are one-on-one personalized sessions available both in-person and online, tailored as per individual Ashtanga practice needs.
- Ashtanga Workshops – Their weekend and weeklong intensive workshops go in-depth into the Ashtanga method and its philosophy.
Website – https://ashtangatelluride.com/
Revival
About –
Revival Vail is situated in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. It’s a place where skin, body, and mind come together in harmony. The studio was founded by Jessica Ballentine, a skilled medical esthetician who knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle with skin issues. When Jessica faced her own skin challenges at 21, it sparked a passion in her to find real and lasting solutions for skin issues.
With 16 years of experience, Jessica created Revival Vail to help others heal from the inside out by getting to their roots. She dreamed of a warm and welcoming space where science and nature get together, using clean and natural ingredients to bring out the best in everyone’s skin.
Jessica’s vision has shaped a special place that combines beauty, health, and kindness. It’s a community where you can feel truly seen, cared for, and renewed at all levels!
Ashtanga Yoga Offerings –
- Alignment-Based Ashtanga Yoga Classes – These classes consist of the Ashtanga lineage, focusing on breath, alignment, and mindful movement. It brings a refined and alignment-based approach to traditional Ashtanga methods.
Website – https://www.revivalvail.com/
Final Words –
Ashtanga feels completely different when practiced under Colorado’s endless skies.
This fall, you can explore the beauty of Colorado as you join a lively community, find new hope in mindful living, and experience the joy of teaching yoga where mountains meet the sky.
The state offers more than just a backdrop; it also gives you a lifestyle that complements Ashtanga. The clean air clears your mind, the open space inspires breathing, and the high peaks remind you to stay grounded. If you’re looking for a place where nature, community, and practice flow together effortlessly, then let the mountains guide your journey!
