Yoga in the Gardens
In Sarasota, where the morning light can make even a familiar landscape feel newly discovered, a garden offers an unusually gracious place to pause.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota, where the morning light can make even a familiar landscape feel newly discovered, a garden offers an unusually gracious place to pause. At Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, the day begins not with a screen or a schedule, but with breath, movement, and the quiet company of tropical plant life.
Yoga in the Gardens invites participants to settle into that atmosphere through a practice centered on alignment, breathing techniques, and relaxation. The class is designed for all skill levels, making room for those who have never unrolled a mat as well as experienced yogis looking to deepen a familiar practice. In a city that moves between the demands of tourism, business, the arts, and an active outdoor life, the gathering offers a meaningful kind of reset—one rooted in Sarasota’s long relationship with gardens as places of learning, beauty, and community.
Leading the class is Jessica Tuttle, Selby Gardens’ resident yoga teacher at the Downtown Sarasota campus. 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 to her teaching. Her approach is grounded in the practical connection between how we breathe, how we move, and how we feel. Since 2022, she has guided students at the Gardens through an all-levels practice that welcomes beginners without patronizing more seasoned participants.
The setting adds its own gentle instruction. Surrounded by the Gardens’ living collections, students can trade the usual studio walls for open air and the subtle sensory pleasures of a botanical landscape. Bring water, sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable clothing, and a towel or yoga mat. Participants must be 18 or older, and should arrive at the Welcome Center by 9:20 a.m. so the 9:30 a.m. class can begin promptly.
Yoga in the Gardens takes place Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound Street. Day-of drop-in payment is accepted by cash, check, or credit card; members may receive the membership discount by presenting a valid Selby Gardens membership card. Questions may be directed to education@selby.org.