2026 Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga

Solstice in Times Square: Experienced yogis and first-timers alike are welcome to join us in-person for one of seven classes throughout the day.

While you register, please consider donating to the Times Square Alliance's outreach services to help vulnerable people in Times Square struggling with homelessness, mental health needs, and substance abuse issues. Our outreach services meet individuals where they are in partnership with area social service providers with the ultimate goal to connect them to the services they need. Since all Solstice classes are free, consider a donation equal to the amount you would normally pay for a yoga class (ex. $25, $15, $10).

Can't make it in person? Join us virtually by livestreaming any or all of the seven classes. All classes will stream on TSQ.org/Solstice via YouTube and on Facebook. There is no need to register on Humanitix if you are not joining us in person.

Event Information

To register for a class, click the orange "REGISTER" button in the top right corner. You can choose your class time from the list of available classes, AFTER you click "CHECKOUT." Please note, each person must have their own ticket, and each person is allotted ONE class for the whole day. After you have finished the registration process, you should receive a confirmation email from Humanitix with a QR code and link that will take you to your ticket. For contactless check-in, please have your QR/ticket ready to scan on your smart device or printed out on the day of the event.

For more info and Frequently Asked Questions about Solstice in Times Square, visit TSQ.org/Solstice.

Share your Solstice photos and experiences using #SolsticeTSq via social media and tag @TimesSquareNYC.

Class Schedule

7:30am – 8:30am Class, Instructed by Ruchika Lal, Presented by Consulate General of India, New York

Ruchika Lal is a senior faculty member of the Art of Living Foundation and has spent over 15 years teaching yoga and meditation to thousands of practitioners worldwide. She has led transformational programs for the United Nations, Fortune 50 companies, and universities including Wharton and Columbia. She currently serves as Chairperson of the Art of Living Foundation USA and is the co-founder of IntuitionAI.

On the longest day of the year, join us in the heart of Times Square for a sunrise practice presented by the Consulate General of India and led by the Art of Living Foundation. The session blends gentle asanas, guided breathwork, and meditation - a complete reset for body and mind as we step into the longest day of the year. Open to all levels, no mat or experience required. Just bring yourself.

9:30am – 10:30am Class, Instructed by Riva Gdanski, Presented by Gaiam

Riva is a dedicated Yoga teacher, Pilates instructor and Functional Mobility Specialist passionate about helping others find balance, strength, and presence through mindful movement.  She shares artistic wellness content with her online community of almost 1 million and teaches at yoga retreats and festivals around the world. Riva is the founder of Sweat & Social Wellness Club, a monthly, in-person wellness experience where she enjoys connecting with her community in NYC. Her classes creatively combine strength, flexibility, breath & awareness while keeping things playful, practical, and purposeful. You can join one of her NYC wellness events at Sweat & Social Wellness Club

Fluid & Energizing Vinyasa Flow: A feel-good yoga flow that will get you out of your head & into your whole body. Prepare to bend, twist, & balance your way through this stimulating sequence.  You’ll synchronize dynamic movements with mindful breath, creating a flow that cultivates the perfect balance of strength, mobility, intention, & grace.

11:30am – 12:30pm Class, Instructed by Erica Stanzione

Growing up as an athlete, Erica always felt a strong connection to physical movement. It wasn't until her early-twenties when she desired a stronger connection to her emotional self and deeper sense of fulfillment within that movement. Since 2003, Erica has been a devoted yoga student practicing and studying all over the world which led her to completing extensive certifications, and truly learning the depth of work that she was meant to share in this lifetime. Erica guides public classes and a private clientele in Manhattan and New Jersey as well as hosts retreats both locally and internationally with offerings that have included France, Mexico, Spain, Iceland, Ecuador, Morocco, Italy and Colombia. She has also taken her passion for fostering community and created a transformative Yoga Alliance certified 200-hour Teacher Training Program with over one hundred graduates as of May 2026. 

Erica's soulful vinyasa classes are spiritual, thought-provoking, and are always set to carefully curated, high-energy playlists that will leave you feeling joyous, invigorated, and truly empowered! 

1:30pm – 2:30pm Class, Instructed by Divya Balakrishnan

Divya Balakrishnan is a registered yoga teacher with 21+ years of practice and six years of teaching, training, and facilitation. As a Tamil-American woman, she teaches through a lens of decolonization and deep inquiry, honoring yoga's South Asian roots while making the practice accessible and transformative. Her classes, available via YouTube and in-person workshops, draw from āsana, philosophy, meditation, and pranayama. In her podcast Yoga Off The Mat, she challenges her students to integrate yoga into their day to day lives. She has built a global community of practitioners and leads her classes with precision and intentionality, hoping her students leave feeling inspired, centered and empowered. 

In this class Divya leads us through energizing breath work, a flow including sun salutations, standing postures and balances, and closes with a centering meditation. This practice will use the solstice as an invitation to find stillness within effort and deep presence at the turning point of the year. All levels welcome.

3:30pm – 4:30pm Class, Instructed by Patrick Franco

Revered as the yoga teacher’s yoga teacher, Patrick Franco has leveraged his extensive knowledge across yoga and eastern medicine to educate and inspire some of the yoga instructors around the world. With 20 years of teaching experience, Patrick is known for a teaching style that is both playful and lighthearted, while deeply rooted in classical spiritual teachings thoughtfully applied to modern life in a way that feels accessible and relevant. His magnetic presence and grounded spirituality have guided an international community for decades, transforming his passion into a global movement. From his award-winning yoga studios in the New York area to developing YogaRenew into one of the world’s leading online yoga platforms, Patrick’s work continues to bridge tradition, community, and contemporary living.

Join Patrick in a class that will move with rhythm, precision, and curiosity…balancing strong flow with moments to slow down, explore, and be present. Expect clear direction, purposeful movement, and room to wander and play... equal parts rhythmic movement, effortless breathing, and threading the needle between effort and ease. 

5:30pm - 6:30pm Class, Instructed by Rodney Yee & Colleen Saidman Yee

Rodney Yee is a highly accomplished and influential figure in the field of yoga. With a teaching career spanning over four decades, Rodney has become renowned for his expertise, passion, and dedication to yoga’s transformative power. Together with his wife Colleen they teach all around the world but are based at Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbor , NY.  They lead teacher trainings, retreats and public classes.  They co created UZIT with Donna Karan which brings mindfulness to everyone, anytime and any place.

Colleen Saidman Yee began practicing yoga in 1984 and graduated from the Jivamukti teacher training program in 1998. Colleen opened Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbor in 1999. She is the author of the bestselling book Yoga for Life: A Journey to Inner Peace and Freedom and has become one of the most recognized voices in yoga, featured by publications including The New York Times, which dubbed her “The First Lady of Yoga.” Before yoga, Colleen built a successful international modeling career and spent time in Calcutta working with Mother Teresa. Together with her husband, Rodney Yee, she teaches trainings and retreats around the world and has appeared on the TODAY Show and Live with Kelly and Mark, as well as on yoga platforms including Gaia and Yoga Journal.

Come together with a wonderfully designed yoga sequence that will cultivate a “be here now” ability, so we can fully absorb the union of being in the heart of NYC on the solstice. It will be fun, approachable, challenging but most of all exhilarating and full of joy. See you on your mats. Together we are love.

7:30pm – 8:30pm Class, Instructed by Douglass Stewart

Douglass Stewart is the co-founder of Summer Solstice Yoga in Times Square, celebrating the Summer Solstice by uniting yoga enthusiasts from across the world. He is a proud recipient of the Community Center Service Award, for volunteering yoga classes at the LGBT Community Center. He currently teaches at the Ishta Yoga Center, Om City Yoga and offers meditation at the PPOW Gallery.

Douglass leads an All Levels slow flow yoga class, designed to ground, invigorate and inspire. The flow incorporates modifications and allows for advanced expressions of the poses throughout.