Good to know
Good to Know
- Quito's dedicated yoga studios are mostly small, independently run spaces spread across northern/central neighborhoods rather than concentrated in one clear 'yoga district' — expect to travel a bit between studios.
- Most formal Yoga Alliance-certified teacher training programs associated with Quito actually run at retreat farms in nearby valley towns (Tumbaco, Yaruquí, Los Chillos), roughly 30 minutes to just over an hour outside the city center, rather than in Quito proper.
- Hot yoga is available in Quito (heated-room classes) if you want an alternative to the city's cool Andean-altitude climate, which can make some outdoor or unheated practice spaces feel chilly, especially in mornings.
- Ecuador's official currency is the US Dollar, so local and USD prices for any yoga services here are the same number.
- A limpia (traditional herbal/spiritual cleansing) is genuinely accessible in Quito's Old Town markets like Mercado de Santa Clara, performed by local curanderas — it's an interesting, inexpensive, authentically local experience distinct from Asian-style meditation, closer to an energy-clearing folk ritual.
- If you're drawn to ayahuasca or San Pedro (Huachuma) ceremonies, know that authentic ones don't happen inside Quito — they take place in Amazon or Andean Kichwa communities several hours away, with Quito serving only as the starting/ending point for organized retreats.
- Quito's yoga studios are real and functioning but modest in number and scale — don't expect the density or international teacher pipeline of a major wellness-tourism hub; it's a fine city to maintain a regular practice, not a destination people fly in specifically for yoga.
Traditions And Community
Local Scene Assessment
- Notable Detail
- One local studio/center describes itself as offering 'Yoga Andino' (Andean Yoga) — a blend of classical yoga schools with the instructor's own background, and its lead teacher holds a permit as an alternative-therapy practitioner in yoga from Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health, plus a history of running yoga courses at local universities (Escuela Politécnica Nacional and Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar).
- Teacher Training
- There is at least one dedicated 200-hour Yoga Alliance-registered teacher training operation with a base near Quito (in the Andes, roughly an hour outside the city, plus a second location in the Amazon) that draws an international training-focused clientele — this is retreat/training-oriented rather than a walk-in city studio scene.
- Honest Comparison
- Compared to globally recognized yoga/meditation destinations, Quito's scene is small and low-key — it is not a wellness-tourism magnet in the way Ubud or Rishikesh are, and most visiting nomads doing yoga will find city studios adequate for regular practice rather than a specialized pilgrimage-style scene.
- Size And Character
- Quito has a real but modest, mostly locally-oriented yoga and meditation scene rather than a large, internationally famous wellness hub. A handful of established studios (offering Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kundalini, Yin and prenatal yoga, plus meditation) have operated for years, generally serving a mix of Ecuadorian practitioners and long-term expats rather than a large transient digital-nomad wellness crowd.
Genuine Place Specific Traditions
- Details
- The healer sweeps the client's body with bundles of fresh herbs (nettle, rue, basil, rosemary), sometimes uses an egg or candle for diagnosis, and blows liquid or smoke over the body to expel 'bad energy.' Several accounts describe this practice at Mercado de Santa Clara specifically, and note it is common practice for Quiteños to bring babies and children for regular limpias to release trauma and ward off illness.
- Tradition
- Limpia (spiritual/energetic cleansing) performed by curanderas and limpiadores in Quito's public markets
- Connection To Yoga Meditation Breathwork
- This is not yoga or seated meditation, but it is a genuinely documented, place-specific energy-clearing and breath-based (blowing/spitting out negative energy) folk practice distinct from generic wellness-retreat marketing — closer in spirit to a breathwork/energy-clearing ritual than to imported Asian meditation traditions.
- Description
- In Quito's historic Old Town, the Mercado de Santa Clara has long housed a row of stalls run by traditional healers (curanderas/limpiadoras) who perform the limpia, a cleansing ritual rooted in Andean/Kichwa folk healing.
- Authenticity Note
- This is a living local practice used by Ecuadorians themselves (not invented for tourists), though tourist-facing versions (e.g. in-hotel sessions) exist alongside the everyday market version.
- Tradition
- Yachak (Andean/Amazonian shamanic healing) and ayahuasca/San Pedro ceremonies
- Honesty Flag
- Framing this as a 'Quito tradition' would overstate it — it is more accurate to say Quito is the logistics hub nomads pass through en route to these ceremonies, not the site of them.
- Location Honesty
- This tradition is genuinely rooted in the Ecuadorian Amazon and specific Andean Kichwa communities (e.g. around Otavalo/Agato, north of Quito, and in Amazon provinces like Napo) — it is NOT something that happens inside Quito itself. Quito functions as the departure/gateway city for retreats and ceremonies that actually take place outside the 10-minute city-center radius, typically several hours away.
- Description
- Ecuador has a well-documented indigenous healing tradition centered on the Yachak — a Kichwa word for a shamanic healer — practiced among Kichwa, Shuar, Achuar and other groups, involving plant medicine (including ayahuasca), ritual cleansing, and communication with nature spirits.
Studios In City
Sadhana YogaStudio
- Area
- Quito (exact neighborhood not confirmed in sourcing)
- Type
- Yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Not specifically documented beyond general pranayama typically included in class breathing/meditation components
- Notes
- Described as one of Quito's better-known yoga studios, with certified teachers and classes for kids and pregnant women.
Styles Practices
- Iyengar
- Kundalini
- Ashtanga
- Acroyoga
- Vinyasa
Yoga, Escuela Del Tibet
- Area
- Quito (exact address not confirmed)
- Type
- Yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Not documented
- Notes
- Directed by a Russian-trained teacher; daily practice offered.
Styles Practices
- Hatha
- Ashtanga
Namasté (Escuela De Yoga)
- Area
- Quito (exact address not confirmed)
- Type
- Yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Not specifically documented
- Notes
- Also runs workshops and courses in oriental philosophy, plus Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Chi Kung alongside yoga.
Styles Practices
- Hatha Yoga
- "Yoga Mental" (meditation-focused practice)
YogaLe Studio
- Area
- Quito (exact address not confirmed)
- Type
- Yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Conscious/mindful breathing (respiración consciente) is woven into Hatha and therapeutic classes
- Notes
- Founder trained in Hatha Yoga and Yoga Terapéutico with Yoga Alliance-backed certification; also offers Ayurvedic bodywork training background.
Styles Practices
- Hatha
- Vinyasa
- Yoga Terapéutico (therapeutic yoga)
- Animal Flow
OM Yoga Hot Studio
- Area
- Monteserrín (Platinium Plaza, north Quito)
- Type
- Hot yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Not specifically documented
- Notes
- Classes run in a heated room, around 38°C (100°F) and 40% humidity.
Styles Practices
- Hot Yoga
- Hot Pilates
Yoga Shala Quito
- Area
- Iñaquito / near La Carolina area (Av. Gaspar de Villarroel y Calle El Sol)
- Type
- Yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Not documented
- Styles Practices
- Not specified in available sourcing beyond general yoga classes
- Notes
- Small studio with an active social media presence; limited detailed public info on style specialization.
Dharma (Yoga Studio)
- Area
- Quito (exact address not confirmed)
- Type
- Yoga studio
- Breathwork
- Not specifically documented
- Notes
- Small studio described as focused on mind-body awareness and harmony.
Styles Practices
- General/mixed yoga (from soft, static, relaxation-focused to more dynamic styles)
- also offers belly dance and Tai Chi
Retreat And Training Centers Near Quito
Quito Life Center
- Area
- Quito (in-person location plus online option; exact address not confirmed)
- Type
- Studio and teacher training
- Breathwork
- Meditation and yoga philosophy sessions integrated into programming
- Notes
- Reviewers describe the studio as offering hatha, vinyasa and meditation classes plus periodic yoga philosophy talks.
Styles Practices
- Hatha
- Vinyasa
- Meditation
Teacher Training
- Cost
- Not publicly confirmed at time of research
- Duration
- 8-week intensive format (also offered online or one-on-one)
- Program Name
- YTTC 200hrs (Hatha Yoga teacher training)
- Certifying Body
- The Association of Yoga Professionals (AYP) — not Yoga Alliance
Agua Dulce Centro De Relajación
- Area
- Los Chillos, roughly 30 minutes from central Quito, at the foot of the Ilaló volcano
- Type
- Holistic school and retreat center
- Breathwork
- Not specifically itemized beyond general Hatha practice
- Notes
- Operating for roughly 15 years as a holistic training school rooted in Hatha Yoga tradition, outside the immediate city center.
Styles Practices
- Hatha Yoga
- traditional Thai massage
- Zen Shiatsu
Teacher Training
- Cost
- Not confirmed
- Duration
- Not confirmed
- Program Name
- Formación de terapeutas y profesores de yoga (holistic therapist/yoga teacher formation)
- Certifying Body
- Described as carrying international certification; specific accrediting body not confirmed
Trimurti Yoga Ecuador / Saphi Yoga Farms
- Area
- Yaruquí, about 1 hour east of Quito (roughly 30 minutes from the international airport)
- Type
- Teacher training retreat center
- Breathwork
- Breathwork journeys and pranayama are included as part of the daily program
- Notes
- Set on a farm in the Andean highlands; combines yoga training with organic, plant-based meals.
Styles Practices
- Hatha
- Ashtanga Vinyasa
- Vinyasa Flow
Teacher Training
- Cost
- Not confirmed for this specific run; comparable 200hr programs in Ecuador have listed from roughly $2,200–$2,800
- Duration
- 27–28 days
- Program Name
- 200-Hour Multi-Style Yoga Teacher Training
- Certifying Body
- Yoga Alliance (graduates eligible to register as RYT)
Durga's Tiger School of Tantra Yoga & Shamanism
- Area
- Tumbaco, a valley town roughly 30–45 minutes from central Quito
- Type
- Teacher training retreat center
- Breathwork
- Pranayama is taught weekly as a dedicated class block within the training
- Notes
- Program blends tantra philosophy, shamanic ritual, dance and arts with traditional asana and pranayama work; also runs a 500-hour program.
Styles Practices
- Kaula Tantra Yoga (asana, kundalini, chakras, bandhas, mudras, mantras)
- Hatha
- Acro/partner yoga elements
Teacher Training
- Cost
- A comparable 28-day 200-hour Tantra/Shamanism TTC in the Quito area has been listed from approximately $2,288
- Duration
- Roughly 4 weeks (28 days); a 500-hour program is also scheduled
- Program Name
- 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (Tantra Yoga Arts & Shamanism)
- Certifying Body
- Yoga Alliance (YA) and YAI
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.