The Best Yoga in SF

I moved to SF a year ago and have since run a massive experiment to find the best yoga in San Francisco!

In this list of the best yoga in SF, I have some ground rules:

• no heated yoga classes (non-heated classes only!)

• while some studios also offer pilates, my rankings are going to be strictly based on their vinyasa + restorative classes

• Ashtanga yoga is not my cup of tea so won’t be involved in any reviews/rankings

• I am a yoga teacher myself (200-hour training in 2019, and more on that here!) but will not let that sway these rankings — I’ll be fair and unbiased

Okay, let’s get to it!

The Best Yoga Studios in SF

Arise Yoga is #1 on the list. When I first wrote this post in May 2026, my one complaint was that they had no 11am or 3pm classes. Careful what you wish for: as of September 15, 2026, the Tuesday 3pm class is mine (details below). Their studio is bright, their instructors are so friendly and knowledgeable, and the spirit of yoga is alive and well here.

Some of the other studios I’ve been to in SF feel a bit corporate or too focused on the workout of yoga (not the mindset/mindfulness component of it) but Arise stands out from the rest. I also love their cozy basement space for restorative yoga, and they’ve got some great workshop offerings as well.

I’ll continue to add to this list as I take more classes!

The Best Yoga Teachers in San Francisco

My favorite yoga teachers in SF teach flows that are challenging yet still have that yogic quality of presence and mindfulness.

Here’s my current list:

• Allegra Bautista at Arise Yoga

  • Take Allegra’s classes if you like intentionally designed vinyasa flows

• Sophie Davis at Arise Yoga

  • Take Sophie’s classes if you like pilates-adjacent flows that build heat

• Amy Suto at Arise Yoga (yes, that’s me)

  • Take my Yin class on Tuesdays at 3pm if you want to slow all the way down

My Yin Yoga Class at Arise in Pacific Heights (Tuesdays at 3pm)

Starting September 15, 2026, I teach a community sliding-scale Yin yoga class at Arise Yoga in Pacific Heights every Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Arise is at 2799 California Street, and you can book the class on the Arise schedule.

Yin yoga is the slow kind: floor poses held for three to five minutes each, working the connective tissue and the joints instead of chasing a sweat. If you sit at a laptop all day (hi, it’s me, the writer), Yin is the hour that undoes it. You don’t need to be flexible or experienced, the poses meet you where you are, and it’s non-heated, which you already know is the only way I practice.

Community sliding scale means you pay what works for you, so bring the friend who insists yoga is only for bendy people. Two Arise house rules worth knowing: register in advance (they don’t take walk-ins), and arrive five to ten minutes early or your spot goes to the waitlist.

And yes, I now teach at the studio I ranked #1. The ranking came first (May 2026, check the date on this post), the teaching came second, and I would rank them #1 again. Come stretch with me.

I’ll continue to add to this list as I take more classes!