Dozens pack into a yoga class on a Sunday morning at Coco Market in Delray Beach, as part of a wider trend of informal practices at the intersection of spirituality and wellness. (Instagram/cocomarket.tribe and anuttaraboca)
By Reeselyn Haring | MediaLab@FAU
Mar 24, 2026
On a recent Sunday morning in South Florida, rows of white tents lined a waterfront lawn as yoga mats stretched across the grass at CocoMarket in West Palm Beach. Vendors sold plant-based food and handmade jewelry while a meditation session unfolded nearby. Friends greeted each other with hugs, and strangers lingered in conversation between classes.
Just miles away in Delray Beach, a different kind of gathering was taking shape. Music pulsed through a parking lot outside a Yoga Joint studio, where a DJ stood in place of a pulpit and rows of mats replaced traditional pews. Participants moved through a guided flow under the open sky, turning a typical Sunday service into something entirely reimagined.
Together, the scenes reflect a growing shift across South Florida, one where traditional Sunday worship is being replaced, or at least redefined, through wellness-focused gatherings.
For an increasing number of young adults, Sundays are no longer centered on religious gatherings. Instead, they revolve around shared experiences, movement, and community.
Across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, residents are redefining what spiritual connection looks like. Some join social groups that host beach meetups and community events. Others attend classes at studios like Yoga Joint. Many gather at large-scale wellness events such as CocoMarket, where yoga sessions, meditation, and local vendors replace traditional services.
The shift mirrors a broader national trend. According to Gallup, just 45% of Americans belonged to a house of worship in 2024, continuing a decades-long decline. Younger generations, in particular, are less likely to identify with organized religion than their parents and grandparents.
Sociologist Christian Smith, Wm. R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame and author of Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America, said the shift has been building for years.
“Many young people describe themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’ as a way to distance themselves from traditional religion without identifying as fully secular,” Smith said. “They still want meaning, spirituality, and connection, just outside institutional structures.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted religious routines, Smith said it was not the primary cause of declining participation.
“It had some effect, but the decline in traditional religion is driven by longer-term cultural shifts,” Smith said. “COVID simply made people more comfortable not gathering in person, which accelerated changes already underway.”
As traditional attendance declined, alternative forms of connection began to fill the gap. Activities like yoga, meditation, and wellness gatherings now offer spaces for reflection, routine, and social interaction.
“Those spaces can fulfill some of the same roles as churches, though imperfectly,” Smith said. “They’re part of a broader cultural shift toward what I describe as 're-enchantment,' finding meaning through nature, wellness, and shared experiences.”
At events like the Yoga Joint block party, that sense of connection is easy to see. Strangers talk between poses, volunteers pass out water, and laughter blends with music in an informal, welcoming environment.
For Cassidy Zanger, 23, a preschool teacher assistant in Pompano Beach, yoga feels more authentic than traditional church settings.
“For me, I never really fit in with the church scene,” Zanger said. “I feel way more connected and spirited in a yoga studio. The practice is about finding yourself, and I never really felt that in church.”
Olivia Kottas, 26, a nurse attending CocoMarket in Jupiter, said wellness events have become a regular part of her routine.
“I’ve been coming to things like this for a while; it helps me feel grounded,” Kottas said.
CocoMarket, held monthly in West Palm Beach, blends wellness and lifestyle. Instructors lead meditation sessions while children play nearby. Participants come and go freely, some for fitness, others for mindfulness, and many for the social atmosphere.
According to Gallup, only 36% of Americans report having a great deal of confidence in religious institutions, further contributing to the shift toward community-based alternatives.
Smith said the decline in formal religious participation does not necessarily mean a decline in spirituality.
“Very few Americans are moving toward complete secularism,” he said. “Most still want to believe in something spiritual or meaningful. What’s declining is traditional religion, not the desire for connection or purpose.”
South Florida’s culture plays a role as well. With year-round warm weather, beach access, and a strong fitness industry, outdoor wellness events are easy to organize. The region’s transient population also means many young adults arrive without established religious ties, making them more open to alternative communities.
Religious routines are changing here in South Florida; people are searching for connection, and for some, that search once led to a sanctuary. Now, it leads to a yoga mat in a parking lot, a beach gathering, or a wellness festival lawn.