I've been attending yoga and meditation sessions at Yoga Oasis in Tucson for more than a week now. I already feel like a regular at Rooftop Yoga on Sundays at Westward Look during sunset. In this post, I'd like to share my thoughts about the instructors and classes I've really enjoyed during this time. I hope this information will be useful for someone who, like me, is trying to explore alternative options for coping with anxiety, fear, or stress.

Tucson in 2022

I've been aware of Yoga Oasis for a while now. Back in July 2022, I attended a yoga session on a Sunday morning at Playground. That was a wholesome experience—clearly not because of the lingering smell from the previous night (Playground is a classic bar downtown), but because it was effectively the first time I'd attended a session like this. I remember the instructor made a fun and catchy analogy comparing stress to a bag of groceries. That reflection was useful at the time, and even today, I remember some of her words.

Oasis in 2025

Years later, I restarted attending sunset yoga at Westward Look on Sundays. The first session, around mid-August, was very exciting and fun. I remembered some of the poses and was able to recall that I didn't have to follow every single step the instructor was describing. I took my time to feel comfortable with myself and enjoy the session at my own personal pace. Before I forget, I spent my first 20-30 minutes just enjoying the sunset—there's a lovely view from that location, including most of the west valley, Tucson to the south, and even Picacho Peak to the northwest.

So far, I've been able to attend three sunset yoga sessions, led by Britt, Grace, and Selene (who was subbing at some point). The instructors have been patient, kind, and respectful. They have accommodated the needs of participants and even provided electrolytes to folks in attendance. They have been very warm and welcoming.

Favorite classes

I have attended classes for a couple of weeks now. Attendance has been daily...at least that's what I aim for 😄. I tend to go after work as a way to relax before having dinner and going to bed. That helps me calm down after being active in the lab/office, but also helps relax my muscles after going to the gym early in the morning. My top classes are listed below. I also provide details on the particular instructors when there's a notable aspect worth mentioning. This is a brief description – clearly, a biased one.

• Slow flow (Aja-Bri): Attended on a Saturday morning. Aja-Bri greeted everyone, provided details on the types of poses we would be aiming for, and started guiding everyone through the sequence of steps relevant to the session. In general, the poses were simple but extremely useful for stretching and relaxing.
• Rooftop Yoga at Westward Look (Britt, Grace, or Selene): Gorgeous views, not that far from downtown, feels fresh in the evening, great lighting...instructors are nice and welcoming. The session gets intense toward the end, and more experienced folks also attend. However, there's flexibility in which poses one would like to do. Instructors provide alternative positions, and overall, it's a very nice session to attend.
• Yin yoga + meditation (Neti Gupta): One of the best sessions I've attended so far. It was almost at night. The session was very slow, we used props, and Neti was excellent at guiding everyone, letting them rest, and enabling additional connection/meditation when needed. She did an amazing job during this session, which was my first formal session at Yoga Oasis.
• Yogahour: This was the most packed session I have attended so far. However, there was enough room for everyone. Stretching was central, and I felt very relaxed afterward. I attended this session around 4 pm, which was unusual given my usual schedule. Highly recommended.

What to take with you?

• Sandals (ideally!) or easy to remove shoes
• Yoga mat (I would probably recommend getting one of the ones that doesn't stretch...)
• I don't see too many people use socks
• Water
• A little bag to throw everything in
• Phone, wallet, keys 😸
• Nice attitude or at least some openness!

Studio only?

I sometimes also stretch and do yoga at home :) One doesn't necessarily need to be at a studio to enjoy the practice.

For more of these little wins <3.