Yoga & Tai Chi

Unlimited yoga classes, tai chi, and more included with membership.

Yoga at The Front is open to students of all backgrounds, from total beginners to life-long practitioners. We are the home of Salt Lake Ashtanga Yoga, the most extensive, and only officially authorized, Ashtanga yoga program in Utah. Our shala also hosts tai chi, yin and restorative yoga, vinyasa of all levels, sound healing, yoga nidra, and workshops exploring every modality and form in the wider yogic world.

Never tried a yoga class with The Front before? Your first visit is free - sign up for a class at any Front Desk to experience.

Yoga is learned step by step. All exceptional yoga practitioners were once beginners who put many hours of practice in to get where they are today....if you have never done yoga or have very little experience, you are welcome here. We offer a safe, non-competitive, inclusive and supportive environment to learn, practice, and expand your abilities in.

Find full class descriptions by selecting a title in the calendar below.

Intro to Mysore Ashtanga Yoga // does not meet on moon days
Meditation & Movement
Mysore Ashtanga // does not meet on moon days
Restore
Soft & Slow
Sound Healing Yoga
Study Sangha
Yoga Lounge
Yoga Workshop

The Front offers the most extensive Ashtanga Yoga program in Utah! We are the only yoga shala (school) in Utah authorized by R. Sharath Jois of Mysore, India, the current head teacher or “guru” of Ashtanga Yoga. Our authorized Ashtanga teachers, Samuel Brown and Sarah Jane Burkholz have had many years of study under his tutelage and all of our Ashtanga teachers have had many years of practice under authorized teachers, through which this valuable practice was passed down with respect and love.

Ashtanga Yoga is a science and a practice that has evolved over thousands of years. The discipline has 6 sequences, each with around 30 different sitting asanas (postures). All sequences start with Surya Namaskars (sun salutations) and the same core standing asanas. Each sequence ends with backbends and the same finishing series of asanas. The first sequence, the Primary Series, can be a lifetime of practice and is called “Yoga Chikitsa” or body therapy. Yoga Chikitsa has many forward folding postures, hip openers and jumps. The forward folding postures encourage lengthening of the hamstrings and contraction of the front side of the body, conditioning the inner organs and making the lower back more secure and supple. Patience and time are required to familiarize the body and mind with this practice and it may take many years to learn completely.

Benefits of Ashtanga

Vinyasa means breathing and movement system. For each movement, there is one breath. For example, in Surya Namskar there are nine vinyasas. The first vinyasa is inhaling while raising your arms over your head and putting your hands together; the second is exhaling while bending forward, placing your hands next to your feet, etc. In this way all asanas are assigned a certain number of vinyasas.

The purpose of vinyasa is for internal cleansing. Breathing and moving together while performing asanas makes the blood hot, or as Pattabhi Jois says, boils the blood. Thick blood is dirty and causes disease in the body. The heat created from yoga cleans the blood and makes it thin, so that it may circulate freely. The combination of the asanas with movement and breath make the blood circulate freely around all the joints, taking away body pains. When there is a lack of circulation, pain occurs. The heated blood also moves through all the internal organs removing impurities and disease, which are brought out of the body by the sweat that occurs during practice.

Sweat is an important byproduct of vinyasa, because it is only through sweat that disease leaves the body and purification occurs. In the same way that gold is melted in a pot to remove its impurities, by the virtue of the dirt rising to the surface as the gold boils, and the dirt then being removed, yoga boils the blood and brings all our toxins to the surface, which are removed through sweat. If the method of vinyasa is followed, the body becomes healthy and strong, and pure like gold.

After the body is purified, it is possible to purify the nervous system and then the sense organs. These first steps are very difficult and require many years of practice. The sense organs are always looking outside and the body is always giving into laziness. However, through determination and diligent practice, these can be controlled. After this is accomplished, mind control comes automatically. Vinyasa creates the foundation for this to occur.

Ashtanga Terms

Tristhana: This means the three places of attention or action: posture, breathing system and looking place. These three are very important for yoga practice and cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous system and mind. They are always performed in conjunction with each other.

Asanas purify, strengthen and give flexibility to the body.

Breathing is rechaka- inhale and puraka- exhale. Both the inhale and exhale should be steady and even, the length of the inhale should be the same length and strength as the exhale. Breathing in this manner purifies the nervous system.

Dristhi is the place where you look while in the asana. There are nine dristhis: the nose, between the eyebrows, navel, thumb, hands, feet, up, right side and left side. Dristhi purifies and stabilizes the functioning of the mind.

For cleaning the body internally two factors are necessary: air and fire. The place of fire in our bodies is four inches below the navel. This is the standing place of our life force. In order for fire to burn, air is necessary, hence the necessity of the breath. If you stoke a fire with a blower, evenness is required so that the flame is not smothered out, or blown out of control.

The same method stands for the breath. Long even breaths will strengthen our internal fire, increasing heat in the body which in turn heats the blood for physical purification, and burns away impurities in the nervous system as well. Long even breathing increases the internal fire and strengthens the nervous system in a controlled manner and at an even pace. When this fire is strengthened, our digestion, health and life span all increase. Uneven inhalation and exhalation, or breathing too rapidly, will imbalance the beating of the heart, throwing off both the physical body and autonomic nervous system.

An important component of the breathing system is mula and uddiyana bandha. These are the anal and lower abdominal locks which seal in energy, give lightness, strength and health to the body, and help to build a strong internal fire. Without bandhas, breathing will not be correct, and the asanas will give no benefit. When mula bandha is perfect, mind control is automatic.

First Visit & Waiver

We're located on the third floor of The Front Salt Lake City. If you've never taken a yoga class with us before, your first visit is free - sign up for a class at the Front Desk to experience. All participants must have a Front waiver on file before joining us in the shala.

Registration and Cancellation Policy

Participants must register for their spot before class. Sign up using our calendar below or on the Pebble Climbing app.

Our class booking window is 3 days to ensure you have an opportunity to get into the classes you want and that your life’s schedule doesn’t change too much between now and then. There is a $5 charge for each no-show or late cancellation (less than 8 hours notice). If you have signed up for a class and you know you won’t be able to attend, please log in to your original point of registration and cancel your registration at least 8 hours prior to the class time to avoid a charge and to give the spot to someone else. Questions or concerns related to this fee can be directed to Yoga Instructor Steph Nally at stephanie.nally@thefrontclimbingclub.com

Accommodation Requests

We want to help accommodate your needs to make our classes work for you. We will need a minimum of 48 hours to provide reasonable accommodation. One full week of prior notice to the class is preferred for larger requests.

Examples include earplugs or altered light/music levels for light and noise sensitivity, assisted physical support systems, priority classroom placement, minor class instruction adjustments, an interpreter or caller, etc.

You can fill out our accommodation form here.

Etiquette & Preparation

Please leave shoes outside the classroom and keep hygienic standards such as having a clean body, clothing and mat. Bare feet are encouraged. Please let the instructor know if you have any injuries or have had recent surgeries that might cause pain during a yoga session.

Students are encouraged to come on an empty stomach, hydrated and with an open heart and mind. Please arrive at least 5 minutes before class is scheduled to begin and distance your mat 6 feet from others.

Mats & Accessories

We offer mats, blankets, bolsters, straps and various other props for your convenience. Practitioners must clean mats and blocks after use; we provide mat cleaner and hand towels. All of these items are also available for purchase in our gear shops!

Feedback

Let us know how your recent yoga class went when you fill out our feedback form here.

Follow us on Instagram!

Class Schedule

Download Pebble to view the in-person Yoga schedule on-the-go and book your spot in class.

View Schedule and Book Classes View the class schedule

Upcoming Events

January 2 2027 – September 26 2027

200-Hour Advanced Pranic Yoga Teacher Training at South Main

Early Bird $2400 // After November 15 2026 – $2699 // payment plan available

Whether you’re looking to deepen your own practice or learn how to confidently teach and share yoga with others, this immersive program is designed to support your growth. Our experienced instructors come from respected lineages and bring a wealth of knowledge that bridges tradition and modern practice. You’ll learn from mentors who honor the roots of yoga while making it relevant for today’s world. If you’re looking for something beyond just the physical – a journey into self-awareness, purpose, and personal transformation – this training is for you.

If your intention is to teach or to simply grow in your practice, this training offers a meaningful path to self-discovery, strengthening your body and yoga practice, insight into your potential, connection with a likeminded community, and purposeful action.

Learn More and Register