Meghan Markle Joined a Yoga Class After Arriving in N.Y.C.: 'There Were Lots of Knowing Smiles' - Yahoo Entertainment

Meghan Markle beat her jet lag by taking a yoga class shortly after arriving in New York City on Friday, PEOPLE exclusively confirms.

The Duchess of Sussex and a friend headed to Modo Yoga, which offers hot yoga classes in an eco-conscious studio, in the West Village neighborhood of N.Y.C. The royal is in New York to see close friend Serena Williams play in the final of the US Open on Saturday.

Meghan, 38, joined a surprisingly full yoga class of up to 60 people on Friday.

“There were lots of sweet, knowing smiles” among some of the respectful patrons, a source tells PEOPLE.

And it comes as no surprise that one of her first stops in N.Y.C. was to a yoga class. Meghan has been a long-time advocate of yoga, with her mom Doria Ragland — who is an instructor in L.A. — playing a major role in her love for the practice.

“She has been going to Modo Yoga for many years and tries to do so whenever she is in New York,” the source adds. “It was the perfect remedy for jet lag.”

This isn’t the first time Meghan has turned to yoga to beat travel fatigue. During Meghan and Prince Harry‘s royal tour Down Under last October, she admitted she was fighting jet lag with a morning yoga session at 4:30 a.m.

Meghan arrived in New York on Friday afternoon after taking a commercial flight out of London at the last minute early in the morning.

Husband Prince Harry and 4-month-old son Archie are staying at home in Windsor — marking the first time Meghan is traveling without her baby. Meghan will return to Britain at the end of the weekend

Meghan’s surprise trip to New York comes as Buckingham Palace released more news and details of her upcoming royal visit to South Africa alongside Prince Harry, 34, and baby Archie.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Archie | CHRIS ALLERTON/AFP/Getty Images

Her return to New York City also has a special significance for Meghan. In addition to it being one of her favorite cities, it’s also where the California native celebrated her baby shower in February with some of her closest friends.

Meghan, Harry and Archie have also done some traveling as a family of three this summer. They headed to the Spanish island of Ibiza in early August, when Meghan celebrated her 38th birthday.

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Shortly after, the family headed to Nice in the south of France, where they stayed at the private home of family friend Elton John.

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