LOS ANGELES

My LA Yoga studios are two of my all time favorites. Practically across the street from my son’s house is Silverlake Yoga. (https://silverlakeyoga.com) It’s a funky old small building with 3 studios. I’ve only been in 2 – I think the upstairs one is used mostly for pre and post natal classes. So much to say about these. This is the only place where 2 of the teachers actually addressed my locking knees. Up till that time, no one else had ever noticed. So these folks are on it. I can remember 4 great teachers here. Among them is a beautiful Asian girl who has a particularly strong connection to yoga and ends her classes by singing – marvelously. I always come away from her classes feeling I’ve experienced something deeper than yoga instruction. Another is a young hipster who appears to take his work even more seriously than most. It’s not a “if all you do when you come here is lay on your mat and you’re doing yoga correctly” vibe. Students are expected to closely follow instruction. The seriousness of the experience is alleviated by the presence of his little dog who sits in a basket next to him throughout the class. He noticed my locking knees. The other teacher who noticed was a guy who seemed to be overworked and just going through the motions of teaching but I was surprised and impressed by his awareness of what my legs were doing. 

The other place I go to is Yoga Blend in Burbank. (http://yogablend.com) It’s another no frills community oriented place with 2 rooms – one that gets particularly nice midday sun. I’ve taken class with quite a few instructors – mostly women. I can’t say any of them stand out like the personalities at Silver Lake but there is one guy who has a BIG personality – very friendly and “hosts” the class in a very verbose, entertaining way. I always try to take his class if I can fit it in my schedule.