Natural light fills the state of the art yoga center in Beverly Hills.
From the first moment I stepped into the second-floor studio Namastday Yoga in Beverly Hills, I could feel the devotion of studio owner Michele Bohbot.
Students are greeted with a collage paying homage to influential teacher B.K.S. Iyenger; Bohbot is a trained instructor in his namesake lineage. She began her practice in 1997 and found her passion in Iyengar’s teachings and methodology. This tradition has a presence within the studio, represented in the carefully cultivated group of instructors and the props including rows of folding chairs. Bohbot had many props custom-made in India; the color-coordinated blankets, bolsters, and blocks arrived just in time for the studio’s Fall 2015 opening.
The two studios have a built-in rope wall, a characteristic of the Iyengar tradition. Numerous classic postures can be practiced with the ropes, including headstand. As the team at Namastday says, “Performing the poses using ropes helps strengthen the body by allowing students to have more freedom to be in control. The ropes are especially beneficial for spine health through use of traction.”
Airy, with abundant natural light, the studio can support up to 100 students as the two practice spaces can be separated with a divider or expanded into one large room. Namastday’s retail features Electric Yoga, the fashion-forward line founded by Bohbot, the creative force behind Bisou Bisou.
This state-of-the-art educational studio is Bohbot’s lifelong dream and she’s filled it with a variety of classes, workshops, and events. Kids and family yoga Sundays are a collaboration with Yoga Angels—Groovy Kids; the schedule also features Ashtanga, flow, and rope classes and workshops. Bohbot calls the space “a playroom for adults” and invites people to “Come and meet yourself.”
Namastday Yoga, 113 N San Vicente Blvd, 2nd Floor, Beverly Hills, CA
424-239-6523
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.