Los Angeles Yoga Tour

L.A. was the home of Walt Disney but also of Paramahansa Yogananda, who lived and wrote near downtown Los Angeles for 30 years.

By Samantha Dunn

"Do I contradict myself?/Very well then I contradict myself,/ I am large, I contain multitudes," wrote Walt Whitman—an apropos motto for Los Angeles if ever there was one. Yes, L.A. was the home of Walt Disney but also of Paramahansa Yogananda, who lived and wrote near downtown Los Angeles for 30 years. Although L.A. is synonymous with Hollywood, this vast collection of individual neighborhoods, cultures, and lifestyles rubbing against one another is so much more. Thanks in part to the temperate climate, miles of beaches, and parks galore, getting into shape in this town seems almost mandatory.

Yoga has hit the City of Angels with the same fervor of the modern fitness movement that began here. On any given day, Santa Monica Boulevard is flooded with Tapas-mat-carrying yogis, and classes are more often jam-packed than not. While some argue that the spiritual aspects of the yogic tradition are given short shrift in favor of a good workout, the truth is that teachers were finding receptive, serious students here when other parts of the country were still confusing the word "yoga" with a milk product from France.

As a consequence, there are a number of well-established studios here, making the city fertile ground for people who want to investigate yoga in a wide range of teachings. Along with the fact that instruction can be found inside mini-malls, a major benefit to doing yoga in L.A. is that as you grow in your practice, what was once a huge megalopolis becomes a very small town indeed.

Although phenomenal studios and teachers can be found throughout the area, certain pockets have attracted loyal communities of yogis. Outstanding opportunities to practice can be found in roughly a 10-mile radius from Sunset Boulevard going south to the 10 Freeway. The Center for Yoga on Larchmont is the city's oldest school and most vibrant, with a studio the size of a high school gymnasium. Youíll find Iyengar, Ashtanga, and flow classes—and 80-year-old instructor Frank White. On 3rd Street is the Iyengar Institute of Los Angeles, a mecca for Iyengar teacher training and instruction.

Also on 3rd Street is Golden Bridge, where Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa has become the pied piper of Kundalini Yoga and meditation, thanks in part to her book and popular videos. Less than 10 minutes away on Robertson Boulevard is the older Kundalini Yoga center, Yoga West, where paintings of the Sikh gurus line the white walls. The Bikram Yoga College of India is the hot spot on La Cienega, a warehouse-sized area with a number of morning and evening classes available. A half hour away over the Santa Monica Mountain pass, residents rave about the good vibes of Encino's Bikram Yoga College of India.

Going west toward the ocean in the tiny areas of Brentwood and the "NoMo" (north of Montana Avenue) part of Santa Monica is another pocket of great yoga instruction. Yoga Works is like ancient Rome—the place where all roads eventually lead, especially if you want to catch an Ashtanga-based class at any hour of the day. It has two locations, a light-toned second-level studio on Montana Avenue and another on Main Street, and it seems they are both always full of yogis, novice and otherwise. Just down the block, you'll find the Forrest Yoga Circle, where Ana Forrest and her teachers offer rigorous asana classes that incorporate a focus on spiritual and emotional healing.

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