On May 4, 2013, Golden Bridge Yoga opened its newest location in Santa Monica. It is already an influential presence in the Kundalini Yoga community, with two other locations firmly rooted in Hollywood and Manhattan.
Established in 2002, the flagship Hollywood studio was co-founded by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, who began studying with Yogi Bhajan shortly after he first brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1969. Gurmukh was the spearhead for Kundalini Pre-natal yoga classes and has written several books and articles including The Eight Human Talents: Restore the Balance and Serenity within You with Kundalini Yoga. She continues to co-direct the studio with her husband Gurushabd Singh Khalsa.
The impetus for Santa Monica came with an auspicious visit to the beach. “I went to a Kundalini class at the Tadasana Festival and looked around at the beautiful faces of the Westside Hatha yogis enjoying the class and thought, ‘Now is the time!’ ” says Marlene Passaro, the studio’s executive director. Marlene discovered a space less than a mile from the Santa Monica.
The organic vegetarian Nite Moon Cafe is also serving in the Santa Monica studio, using the same recipes created by Gurmukh and Gurushabd’s daughter and Golden Bridge instructor, Wah Khalsa. People gather here to enjoy the vegan salad bar and treats from the in-house organic pastry chef Romina Nicolacci.
Retail items are from local designers including Rise Jewelry, Kissed by a Hippie, and Teeki Hot Pants, chosen for their uniqueness and like-minded business practices. An original Golden Bridge line of clothing created by Wah Khalsa has just made its debut at both LA locations.
“Golden Bridge’s mission is to build a community devoted to meaningful yogic practice and lifestyle,” says Marlene.
Golden Bridge Santa Monica
719 Broadway Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-1476
Olivia Kvitne is a hatha yoga teacher at Golden Bridge Hollywood and other Los Angeles area studios. Her classes at Golden Bridge are free for veterans and active military. She will be teaching at the South Bay Yoga Conference in August: southbayyogaconference.com and is an ambassador for Yoga for Vets: yogaforvets.org.
