Dreaming of a yoga vacation in Bali or Hawaii? Yeah, but … how about the “North Coast” – that is, Cleveland – which offers yoga folks some special opportunities this summer.
The Smithsonian Institute’s exhibit “Yoga: The Art of Transformation” will be at the Cleveland Museum of Art through September 14, 2014.
According to articles in the Smithsonian and Yoga Journal, this is a really interesting collection of Asian art, and if you haven’t been to the Cleveland Museum of Art since their new addition opened, you are missing something wonderful. There are also several Sunday yoga events held inside the museum during the yoga exhibition, scheduled for the exhibition area downstairs.
While in Cleveland, you might want to check out “Yoga Rocks the Park” in Tremont’s Lincoln Park. Sessions are weekly through Sept 21st and a portion of the donations go to charity. Live music plays and it is rumored to be a very fun time.
If you would like some yoga studio time in Cleveland, there are multiple opportunities. Two places recommended to me that I personally visited were Yoga 101 and Cleveland Yoga’s two locations.
The Uptown Cleveland Yoga location is very close to the art museum and has ample parking behind a large building on the off Euclid Avenue. The bathroom there includes secure lockers and three showers. There seemed to be a fair number of Case Western students attending classes there. For a more suburban location and atmosphere, there is their Beachwood branch. I would describe Cleveland’s Beachwood as a cross between Bexley and Dublin, and it is a lovely drive to or from the art museum via Fairmont. Cleveland Yoga in Beachwood has a gorgeous hot yoga room with very large windows. Everyone there was very friendly; it seems that Cleveland Yoga Beachwood is a great studio with many classes attended by all ages.
Yoga 101 is on the southern outskirts of Cleveland in Berea, which is something like Old Hilliard with a dash of Clintonville. Yoga 101 has a lovely main classroom in a charming old storefront. At the back are two restrooms with nice showers in each. They also have a second floor room for classes. Berea had an above average Thai restaurant, Sweet Mango, just down the street from Yoga 101 and a large public park with nice walking paths and a lake.
Many people find the West Side Market in Cleveland is worth a trip. This is in Ohio City which seemed to me like a neat Short North-like area close to the Rock and Roll Museum, the Great Lakes Science Center and some lakeside walking areas. It was packed with restaurants and a justly famous bistro, The Crop, is there and worth a visit.
The shores of Lake Erie have beaches and other amenities. Perhaps one doesn’t need to go all the way to Bali or Hawaii for some great yoga and other activities?! (Will get back to you on that in another lifetime perhaps.)
For more information on the art exhibit, visit ClevelandArt.org.
