Women's Health teamed up with Yelp to uncover the healthiest, happiest, outdoors-iest, Zen-iest towns in the U.S.—and they're not the biggies you'd expect. If you live in one, congrats. If not, we've just handed you some awesome vacation ideas.
In this land of the enlightened (a.k.a. Berkeley, California), you'll find dozens of yoga and meditation studios, plus nature's own Zen zones: the Berkeley Hills, Cesar Chavez Park, and Tilden Regional Park, where locals head to hike and picnic. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., science director at Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley, studies mindfulness and happiness, so we asked her to suggest some of the best spots around town.
Berkeley Yoga Center
"The studio is quiet, warm, and full of light—you can even hear birds!—and instructor Melanie is like a modern-day shaman; she's enchanting and nurturing but still challenging. Her class is a great energetic cleanse."
(WH's With Yoga DVD will help you reap the benefits of yoga in your own home.)
Fourth Street Shops
"A slew of small businesses makes this two-block stretch a cheerful place to spend an afternoon." Take a crepe paper flower-making class at Castle in the Air, or connect with pals over super-fresh coffee—roasting happens on demand—at Artis.
Related: 'I Drank Matcha Tea Instead of Coffee Every Morning for a Week—Here's What Happened'
The Cheese Board Collective
"There's usually a line to get in, but when you do, this cooperative bakery and cheese shop is pure happiness: People spill out onto the patio and there's live music, rare cheeses to sample, and world-famous pizza—it's so good, my relatives from Paris always take a pie home on the plane."
Related: 9 Food Swaps You'd Never Think Of Making
Inspiration Point on Wildcat Canyon Road
"Follow this paved trail way up in the hills for stunning views of San Francisco, Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo, and, on lucky days, cows," says Simon-Thomas. Check out the Peace Grove, where Berkeleyites lounge near giant sequoia trees, many of which are dedicated to legends like Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Best Time To Visit Berkeley: May to October
This article originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of Women's Health. For more great advice, pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands now!
