Photo courtesy Joshua Roberts

Partner power

A fresh crop of yoga classes in the Capital City is taking adventurous participants beyond the traditional world of downward dog. In his fast-growing acroyoga classes (above), instructor Joshua Roberts shows students how to soar with partner-based moves. “The response has been overwhelming,” says Roberts, who teaches free outdoor classes at Wampold Park on University Lake as well as fee-based classes at two indoor locations. “It’s something out of the ordinary that looks beautiful while being fun, and everyone can do it.”

[email protected], @GYMFITWITHJROB on Instagram

Photo courtesy Yoga Bliss

Youngest yogis

Yoga Bliss’s Baby Bliss class welcomes caregivers and their infants through preschoolers to forge a new connection by engaging in gentle yoga movements. No more waiting for the baby to nap before working out! Signature moves include kissing push-ups and kissing crunches, along with double down dog. “The class is soothing for the babies’ nervous systems,” says instructor Audrey Kafkallides. “It’s a relaxing and bonding activity for the parents in a very nurturing and supportive environment.”

663-2381, yogablissbatonrouge.com

Photo courtesy Open Barre Studio

Defying gravity

Aerial yoga flips the traditional yoga practice upside down. By employing soft fabric hammocks that hang from the ceiling, the classes at Open Barre Studio allow even beginners to master moves that might feel challenging with two feet on the ground. The hammocks, inspired by silks used in the aerial arts, support participants’ bodies as they stretch through a series of poses designed to increase core and upper body strength, improve joint mobility, and decompress the spine.

389-6036, openbarrestudio.com

Photo courtesy Define Fitness Studio

From the hip

Take the gracefulness of yoga, add free-moving tribal dance and the explosive force of plyometrics, and the result is an exercise form called Buti Yoga. The word “buti,” say the method’s developers, means “the cure to something hidden or kept secret” in Marathi, and the classes aim to foster positive body images and overall wellness. Spiraling movements that unlock and release the hips are at the core of the fat-burning classes, offered at Define Fitness Studio.

337-8278, definefitstudio.com