Big fish in a small pond? LA based Yoga teacher Matt Hodges would rather be a shark in the ocean. Matt Hodges says he want to be a shark in an ocean. It’s a desire that fits his driven nature and one he’s applied to in a variety of ways in his life [...]
From Action Hero to Promoter of Accessibility photos by David Young-Wolff “Choose your own adventure,” Jay Co tells the class as his silent footfalls cover the perimeter of the main studio at yogaraj, the studio he has helmed for over a year now. He has the voice you would order if you were selecting your [...]
Seda Aksut shares her story of personal healing through the practice of Kundalini yoga Seda Aksut suggests we meet at a small Italian restaurant near the Hermosa Pier. It turned out to be a delightful choice, wood-lined and uncrowded on a Wednesday afternoon, but a slight surprise -- a deviation from my expectation of meeting [...]
Parashakti finds freedom through the Dance of Liberation “For the Kabalah, the Jewish mystics, dance is the deepest expression of joy. Where silence and music meet is in the field of the body.” These thoughts are shared by Rabbi David Ingber, founder of the Jewish community Romemu (whose mission is to integrate body, mind, and [...]
Kathleen Ross-Allee provides yoga therapy for the recovery and healing process of cancer patients. Photos by David Young-Wolff Before she became a yoga therapist or even a fitness and wellness professional, a friend asked Kathleen Ross-Allee to substitute teach for her aerobics class, even though at the time, Kathleen was a fitness enthusiast with no experience [...]
Bizzie Gold: A leap of faith inspires an empowered tribe BUTI Yoga “The cure to something hidden or kept secret,” is the translation of the Marathi word “Buti.” This is the name dynamic trainer, fitness maven, and mother of two Bizzie Gold has given to her creative brainchild, Buti Yoga, the invigorating style she and her [...]
A playlist that includes Rage Against the Machine isn’t necessarily the type of music you expect to hear in a yoga studio, but at Electric Soul Yoga in Studio City, it isn’t at all unusual. Owner Eric Paskel likes his yoga to rock, and he attracts a group of students who clearly love it loud. The [...]
Its 9:30am on a Wednesday morning as I make my way into the class of a yoga teacher who aficionados say can transform outlooks and, more profoundly, lives. As I enter Aura Yoga Studio in West Hollywood, I can feel the pulse and the heart in the room. As I enter the space, my ears are welcomed by, “I [...]
One moment, Keith Mitchell is a linebacker on a football field, wearing a jersey emblazoned with the number 59. In the next moment, he’s taken the hardest hit of his career. One moment, he’s an alpha male gladiator playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, in the next moment, he’s in a hospital bed with a spinal [...]
The impact of B.K.S. Iyengar as a yoga practitioner and dedicated teacher has influenced the totality of the landscape of modern yoga. We asked some notable students of Iyengar to reflect on their experience of Iyengar as a yogi. What inspired you to study with B.K.S. Iyengar? Chris Stein I had been practicing yoga since [...]