Tranquility. This is the feeling evoked when you first walk into Create Yoga in Santa Monica. Maybe it’s because parking was a breeze (there are spaces in the shopping center and on Santa Monica Boulevard), maybe it’s because the floor is painted the shade of turquoise you would see in the ocean around the islands of Tahiti, or maybe it’s that the floating fabric ceiling design reminds you of clouds—with sweet fairy star lights that twinkle on at just the right moment in savasana.

Details like this matter to the trifecta of Create Yoga co-founders Selah Estrada, Jennifer Block, and Marissa Scheerer. Everything about the studio has been created with blood, sweat, and soul including original touches such as a custom front desk and creative cubbies in the asana room. These are only some pieces of their model of a community-driven and community-run studio.

At Create Yoga, the emphasis is on encouraging the teachers to cultivate a movement within a movement when it comes to sharing yoga. It’s community driven. Cofounder Selah Estrada says, “Teachers lead their students in their own art form, and connect with the students form a giving place that is selfless.”

When I took class with Marissa Scheerer, she molded the class to the students’ needs and desires. She asked us what we needed and very descriptive, bringing us back to the basics that are the keys to the practice of yoga. ??Create Yoga offer six classes a day with 26 teachers and it’s growing from there. In addition to ongoing classes, the studio has a number of monthly special events along with workshops, hikes, potlucks, candlelit classes, and organized beach clean ups.  One of Create Yoga’s great feel-good events is First Friday, a donation-based yoga class set to a DJ spinning tracks; proceeds support select nonprofits on a rotating basis. Stay tuned for more in the works including retreats, teacher trainings, and networking events.

CREATE | YOGA
2828 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
424-387-8596
Createyoga.com

Jeannie Jeffries

Jeannie Jeffries is an international hair and makeup artist based in Venice who loves yoga, working out, and dogs.

The post Create Yoga Studio appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

The Studio (MDR) in Playa Vista

When I walked into The Studio (MDR), I noticed that was that the class was filled with people of all ages, ethnicities, and sizes. This upended my perceived notion that a Pilates studio would be filled with perfect bodies. I did stand out with my brightly colored yoga pants in a room of people dressed in blacks and grays, but I felt welcomed by the team at Lisa Hirsch’s third and newest boutique studio, this one in Playa Vista. I felt especially welcomed since this was my first-ever Pilates style class. My instructor Casey was a powerhouse who kindly explained how to use the equipment and was unfailingly encouraging throughout the class.

The studio has 16 state-of-the-art Megaformer machines which offer constant resistance and a greater variety of exercise options than a traditional reformer. Lisa Hirsch says that The Studio (MDR)’s signature style is the Lagree Method, which encourages what she calls an “intense, total body workout to sculpt strong, powerful, and lean bodies in a safe and measured way. We combine the best movements from multiple disciplines to help clients from all walks of life get stronger, faster.”

The innovative and intense 50-minute classes are scheduled hourly on the half hour at the Playa studio (the other The Studio (MDR) locations start on the hour or the quarter hour). The vibrant RUNWAY complex location (with great acoustics) also features a Sweaty Betty pop up store with clothing from the fashion-forward British company.

I loved the experience of learning something new, felt taller post-class, and experienced the intention of Hirsch and her team to help students meet their goals. I’ll be back.

The Studio (MDR) Playa
12775 W Millennium Ste 15
(within the RUNWAY complex)
Playa Vista, CA 90094
424-835-4210
thestudiomdr.com

Jeannie Jeffries

Jeannie Jeffries is an international hair and makeup artist based in Venice who loves yoga, working out, and dogs.

The post The Studio (MDR) in Playa Vista appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.