Yoga Tree
With seven locations in the Bay Area and hundreds of classes, there’s no excuse not to go to this yoga-centric gem. For the poorly motivated (we’re actually talking about ourselves here), our neighborhood Yoga Tree makes our New Year’s resolution that much easier to keep. To jumpstart your routine, we love the mini-chain's 101 workshops, which include two hours of instruction from one of the company's many nurturing teachers, who will give you a primer on etiquette, popular poses, and philosophies. You might even leave learning a new word or two in Sanskrit.
Price: Beginners' workshop for $35 — includes one week of free classes. Drop-in for $18, 10-class pass for $150, one-month pass for $190. Class passes are good at all Yoga Tree locations.
Yoga Tree, find your nearest location here.

Urban Flow Yoga
Instructor Rusty Wells is something like a local celebrity. He packs in the crowds — even on Sundays during NFL playoffs. The heated room of his studio is lined mat-to-mat with devoted yogis, and they all come for his special blend of workout and wonder of life. It’s as cathartic as therapy with sweat instead of tears. Start with his Basics and Beyond class on Sunday mornings, and you’ll be a convert, too!
Price: Drop-in for $16, 10-class pass for $140, one month-pass for $175.
Urban Flow Yoga, 1543 Mission Street (between 11th and Lafayette streets); 415-355-9642.

Photographed by Anna-Alexia Basile