Gypsy-Style Cafe Enchants Venice
Husband and wife owners, Farzad and Ava Kasrabod, are new to the restaurant business, but their unique and innovative cafe is quickly warming the stomachs of Venice dwellers. Vardo Café is centrally located between Yoga Works and Exhale on Main Street in Venice. It’s the newest vegetarian, vegan and raw restaurant to hit the block. In honor of the Gypsy culture, the canteen is named after the Gypsy word for the living wagon. “With our roots in art and architecture, the conception of Vardo flowed joyously as the nature of our needs and intentions seemed to mirror the needs and intentions of Venice, our beloved home,” says Ava. “Vardo features a traveling menu which means, like the Gypsy in the vardo, we move metaphorically from region to region,” says Ava. From Northern Indian cuisine into the South where the dishes are robust and full bodied, Vardo caters to all palates with their eclectic and forever changing menu. “When we are ready to shift, our menu will reflect our whereabouts,” Ava says. Although the food selection is constantly changing, Vardo maintains set dishes including falafels, a favorite street food for Gypsy Kings and Queens and hearty lentil (daal) with Basmati rice. Vardo specializes in vegetarian, vegan and raw food options as well as locally grown organic coffees, hand crafted teas and seductive sweets. “Entering the Vardo is like coming home…warm, fragrant and full of possibility, you quickly realize you have stumbled upon soul food and a place to eat,” says Ava. Vardo Café, 235 Main St. Venice, CA 90291 vardocafé@yahoo.com –– Melissa Chua
Yoga Shelter in Studio City
YOGA SHELTER made its West Coast debut with its new location on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. They first opened their doors with co-founder Eric Paskel’s Xflowsion™ class, a lively practice combining elements of Yoga, kickboxing and dance. Established in Michigan, California’s first Yoga Shelter perpetuates the studio franchise’s intention of creating sangha (community).
“Yoga Shelter is just that, a shelter, a haven (and) place of safety and joy,” says studio owner Eric. It’s not your ordinary studio with quiet meditation and gentle nature noises in the background. Discover peace of mind while you shake your body to the upbeat and inspiring play list that will have you singing along. There are no levels or hierarchy of classes. “We create a class, so the person who is strongest physically is completely challenged, and the person who is weakest feels totally safe and taken care of,” says Eric. Though everyone’s paths may be unique, everyone’s destination is the same – oneness. “We want to surround ourselves with as many like minded people as possible. We want to expand the circle, so we don’t have to do it (life) alone,” Eric says. This new neighborhood Yoga hub welcomes you to explore and practice with the support of the community. Allow yourself to cultivate internal
silence with flowing movement and music. “We turn on the music, speak from the heart and create a space, so that you can create whatever it is you are looking for,” says Eric. As a gift for checking out the studio, Yoga Shelter offers one week of free unlimited Yoga. “We want you to get to class to learn, laugh, sweat and get out and live it,” Eric says. Yoga Shelter, 12408 Ventura Bl. Studio City, CA. yogashelter.com –– Melissa Chua
Yoginis Blossom in the 818
With new Yoga studios sprouting in the Valley, the 818 is fast becoming the new scene for yogis and yoginis to work on their favorite asanas. URBAN LILY YOGA hosts an all-female cast of management and instructors. Studio owner Elinore Cohen chose a neighborhood at the border of Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys that didn’t previously host any Yoga – now that has changed in this growing community rapidly becoming revitalized and more vibrant. Although Urban Lily specializes in Vinyasa flow, they offer other types of practices including Iyengar Yoga gentle and therapeutic, pre and post-natal, Yoga for kids and restorative Yoga. Elinore’s classes blend Iyengar fundamentals and restorative postures with props supported by a strong Ashtanga influence and of course, Urban Lily’s signature Vinyasa flow. Urban Lily’s water filtration system and canteens, and use of low VOC paint, energy efficient lighting and all refurbished furniture makes this Yoga sanctuary completely eco-friendly. Bringing West side flavor to the Valley, the ladies of Urban Lily Yoga invite you to “blossom where you’re grounded.” While the teaching staff is currently all-female, anyone and everyone is welcome to attend class and participate. Urban Lily Yoga, 14843 Burbank Bl. Sherman Oaks, CA 91411. urbanlilyyoga.com –– Melissa Chua
Heal and Soul in Encino
Co-owners and founders, Donna Stillo and Dr. Joseph Kim shared a vision to create a community center where people can explore and practice alternative approaches to healing and wellness. This led to the birth of HEAL AND SOUL in Encino. The wellness center combines ancient mind and body techniques such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong with Eastern healing arts including acupuncture and herbal medicine. Heal and Soul aims to inspire, empower and enlighten with their wide range of healing modalities. While Heal and Soul is essentially a two-room Yoga studio fully equipped with props, it is also a holistic care center. With Dr. Kim’s professional expertise in Sasang Constitutional Medicine, he will personally design an herbal remedy to treat anything from allergies to weight reduction. Heal and Soul’s friendly and community-oriented ambiance made my first Iyengar class very welcoming and pleasant. If you haven’t taken Iyengar Yoga before, Heal and Soul’s certified Iyengar instructor, Marta Jasberg will ease you into the practice and help you meticulously focus on correcting your alignment. The studio welcomes all yogis with a selection of classes for all levels in styles including Iyengar, Vinyasa, Hatha and even kid’s Yoga. Noted Yoga teacher Steven Vincent will be teaching regularly-scheduled mixed level Hatha flow classes. Don’t forget to check out Heal and Soul’s eclectic boutique of knickknacks from Yoga mats to Om jewelry and even scented candles with essential oils. Bringing forth healing power and good health, Heal and Soul offers free monthly community seminars on nutrition and health and wellness. Heal and Soul, 16545 Ventura Bl. #24, Encino, CA 91436. healandsoul.com –– Melissa Chua
Melissa Chua is a journalist who loves checking out new Yoga studios and healing centers when she’s not writing: m.chua13@gmail.com
For the People in San Pedro
“Our intention at PEOPLE’S YOGA AND DANCE is to make everyone feel welcome,” according to the assistant director of the studio where all the teachers are sensitive to the students’ needs and classes that are individually tailored to who is in the room, rather than labeled by levels. Also encouraging the sense of accessibility for People’s Yoga, all of the classes are open to anyone in the community regardless of their age or their ability to pay. A number of different styles of Yoga are offered (including Taoist and restorative), along with complementary practices such as Pilates, Tai Chi, meditation, numerous dance forms (even Zumba, hip-hop and break dancing), other exercise programs, workshops, meditation instruction and continuing education. While that may seem like a lot under one roof, it fits with the studio’s motto, “Fun with benefits!”
One of the cofounders (along with Ralph Gorodetsky) Jan Kain, PhD, MS, RN, is certainly having fun. And even more than that, she is integrating her diverse interests in this studio that is the manifestation of her dream to teach people from different means and walks of life how to become fit and healthy. Dr. Kain was a professional dancer with a love of movement before she became an RN who earned advanced degrees in health services management and public health. She has worked as a health and wellness consultant as well as master presenter and instructor in health clubs. People’s Yoga and Dance is a fitting culmination of her skills and talents which has been serving the community since they opened in November. This coming May, look for workshops with Taoist Yoga Master Paulie Zink. People’s Yoga, Health & Dance, 365 West 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. (310) 547 – BFIT (2348). peoplesyogahealthdance.com –– Felicia Marie Tomasko
Yoga and Dance in the Tenth Gate
Howard Davis has been leading classes in his West LA studio for years, just off of La Cienega in one of the Yoga meccas of LA (down the street from the Bikram Headquarters, the Iyengar Institute and Linda Lack’s Two Snakes Studio teaching The Thinking Body-The Feeling Mind®). He’s shaken things up a bit – literally, inviting dance instructor Amy McGuire to join the fun and offer a series of classes at TENTH GATE YOGA AND DANCE in the newly remodeled sunny space. The community celebrated its grand reopening in a Sunday celebration beginning with a Bhutanese Buddhist blessing ceremony in the Vajrayana tradition by Khenpo Sonam, followed by kirtan with the Temple Bhajan Band and a fresh-from-Govinda’s vegetarian feast. Everyone in attendance offered rice to create an auspicious space for spiritual practice.
The intimate space is perfect for individualized attention and beginners or advanced students benefit from Davis’ instruction. Belly dance classes with Amy McGuire are held on Monday and Friday evenings and optional pricing plans are available for those who want to take the Yoga and dance in the studio’s name literally practice both in one day. On Sunday mornings, classes are held on the sand at Will Rogers State Beach. Gong and rope classes and workshops are also available. Tenth Gate Yoga & Dance, 1800 South Shenandoah Street, Los Angeles, CA 90035. tenthgateyoga.com –– Felicia Marie Tomasko
By Melissa Chua & Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
