Yoga in the Gardens
Before Sarasota’s September heat fully settles over the city, there is a quieter way to begin the morning: breathing slowly beneath the canopy of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, with tropical foliage,
By Edit Sarasota Staff
Before Sarasota’s September heat fully settles over the city, there is a quieter way to begin the morning: breathing slowly beneath the canopy of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, with tropical foliage, flowering plants, and the soft rhythms of the garden providing the backdrop. On September 2, Selby Gardens invites adults to step away from the day’s momentum for Yoga in the Gardens, an all-levels class designed to bring the body and mind into better alignment.
Held at the organization’s Downtown Sarasota campus, the class will center on alignment, breathing techniques, and relaxation. The approach is accessible to both newcomers and experienced practitioners, making it less about mastering an impressive pose than about paying attention—to posture, breath, balance, and the subtle ways tension accumulates. In a city where nature is woven into daily life, the setting adds a distinctly Sarasota dimension to the practice: yoga becomes not an indoor routine but a conversation with the gardens around it.
Leading the session is Jessica Tuttle, Selby Gardens’ resident yoga teacher. A licensed physical therapist assistant in Florida and a certified yoga teacher with more than 2,000 hours of training, Tuttle brings two decades of combined experience in physical therapy and yoga to her teaching. Her focus is practical and restorative, rooted in the belief that students can learn to “breathe, move, and live better.” She has taught at the gardens since 2022, offering guidance that meets participants where they are, whether they are unrolling a mat for the first time or deepening a long-established practice.
The morning also reflects Selby Gardens’ broader role in Sarasota: a place where horticulture, education, wellness, and community life overlap. Its Downtown Sarasota campus has long offered more than a landscape to admire, providing opportunities to learn, gather, and experience the natural world at a human pace. A garden-based yoga class extends that mission into the realm of personal wellbeing.
Yoga in the Gardens begins at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound Street. Participants should arrive at the Welcome Center by 9:20 a.m.; comfortable clothing, water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a towel or yoga mat are recommended. The class is open to ages 18 and older, with day-of drop-in payment accepted by cash, check, or credit card; members should bring their Selby Gardens membership card to receive the discount. Questions may be directed to education@selby.org.