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I used to be six hours into my travels during a recent layover at Dallas Fort Price International Airport after I happened to walk by an area in Terminal E labeled a “yoga room.” It wasn’t a yoga studio. Even though it was a (relatively) quiet place where I could take just a few minutes away from the chaos and crowds to concentrate on my physical and mental well-being. And it was as much a surprise because it was a relief.
That’s exactly what officials at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) had in mind 11 years ago once they redesigned one in all their terminals to incorporate a yoga room, says Doug Yakel, public information officer at SFO. “We thought it could be great to have a singular amenity that also reflected that concept of, ‘Let’s make this a spot where you may catch your breath and calm down a bit of bit,’” says Yakel.
Travelers responded by clamoring for more. “Every airport must have a yoga room,” blogged yoga teacher Kate Davis after experiencing the realm, affirming that it makes “air travel so far more bearable.”
Since then, airports from Miami to Frankfurt have designated similar spaces for weary flyers. Sometimes the yoga rooms mimic yoga studios. Other times there’s less of an emphasis on aesthetics and more on an easy place where you may stretch without having to contend with stares from strangers.
The yoga rooms also remind you that yoga can foster connection not only with yourself but others. Yoga and mindfulness teacher Kate Mitcheom once found herself coming into poses alongside a fellow traveler at Midway International Airport’s yoga room. The strangers mused about their relief at having the ability to stretch quietly in an airport after which parted ways. Mitcheom said, “I still don’t know who she was/is except that her beautiful practice touched my heart.”
Following are a listing of yoga rooms where you may sneak in a practice or just a few quiet moments of sitting before your next flight.
9 Best Airports for Practicing Yoga
1. Burlington International Airport (BTV)
Location: Second floor
Hours: 4 a.m.-10 p.m.
The Deets: Can anyplace in an airport be so relaxing you forget you’re in an airport? The yoga room in BTV could be exactly that. Sponsored by a neighborhood studio, the space features hardwood floors, pale green partitions, soft lighting, and mats and rollers. It’s been lauded by no less than one parent traveling with children as a chilled space and one other traveler, en path to a funeral, wrote within the guest book,“Truly appreciated having this space to center myself before an extended day of airports.”
Rating: 5/5
2. O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Location: Terminal 3
Hours: 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
The Deets: One among the world’s busiest airports provides a quiet place for flyers to attach with their breath. Combined with earth tones, natural light, and mild music, ORD’s yoga room is a “little oasis of rest within the desert of chaos which can be most recent airports,” in line with one Yelp reviewer. A TV screen displays yoga techniques for those practitioners who appreciate reminders.
Rating: 4/5
(Photo: Courtesy of Midway International Airport)
3. Midway International Airport (MDW)
Location: Concourse C
Hours: 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
The Deets: With its sustainable bamboo floor, natural light, mats, and plants, this yoga room just about resembles a small-scale yoga studio. Although there are not any blocks or straps, notes blogger Shannan Younger on Between Us Parents, she asserts it still could be “one of the best kept secret within the airport.”
Rating: 4/5
(Photo: Courtesy of San Francisco International Airport)
4. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Location: Terminals 2 and three
Hours: 5:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
The Deets: SFO holds the excellence of constructing the world’s first airport yoga room. The sound insulation, low lighting, and stash of free yoga mats makes the designated yoga spaces in each terminals ideal for a restful pre- or post-flight flow.
Rating: 4/5
5. Helsinki Airport (FIN)
Location: Gate 52
Hours: 24 hours
The Deets: While not specifically a yoga space, the Maja Living Room is a spot where weary travelers can calm down and, in the event that they select, practice just a few poses. It was inspired by requests from flyers who wanted somewhere they may stretch during an extended bout of sitting and waiting. The room features wood finishes and ample room to maneuver through a delicate flow (albeit sans mat). It also accommodates a Quiet Room, which offers exactly what the name implies.
Rating: 3/5
6. Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Location: Terminals 1 and a couple of
Hours: 24 hours
The Deets: The yoga rooms are open 24 hours, 7 days per week, so you may lose yourself in your flow irrespective of if you end up at this German airport. Free mats, blocks, and cushions support your body and your practice, while floor-to-ceiling mirrors mean you can check your alignment.
Rating: 3/5
(Photo: Courtesy of Dallas-Fort Price International Airport)
7. Dallas Fort Price International Airport (DFW)
Location: Terminal E
Hours: 24 hours
The Deets: Positioned along the concourse, this designated yoga space is separated from the remaining of the terminal by sturdy privacy partitions—yes, the room dividers you wanted in college to create space out of your roomie. Still, it serves its intended purpose, which is a spot to stretch and decompress. Yoga mats are provided, although, unless your pratyahara practice is powerful, you may want your personal ear buds to dam out ambient noise from the terminal.
Rating: 3/5
8. Miami International Airport (MIA)
Location: Terminal H near Gate 21
Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m
The Deets: Bamboo wallpaper and ambient music help create a tranquil atmosphere in a room that also contains a 14-foot mirror wall for alignment adjustments. Nevertheless, mats aren’t provided.
Rating: 2/5
9. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
Location: Terminal 3
The Deets: Okay, this spiral-shaped sculpture is situated in the midst of a bustling concourse, not a dedicated yoga room. However the bronze murals in India’s busiest airport is a stunning reminder of the strength and ease that yoga can cultivate. Created by sculptor Nikhil Bhandari and architect Ayush Kasliwal, the piece is titled “Surya Namaskar” and comprises 12 statues, each of a unique pose in the standard Sun Salutation. Even for those who exhale a bit of more slowly as you walk past, that, too, is yoga.
Latest York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), London Heathrow (LHR) and Hong Kong (HKG) also offer yoga lounges, although the services can be found exclusively to members or at a value.
About Our Contributor
Skyler Aikerson is a contract journalist and copyeditor. She has written for Chicago magazine, In These Times, and Baltimore magazine. She enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and exploring Chicago.