There’s certainly no shortage of amazing yoga studios in L.A. — the capital of wellness nation — but finding “the one” (like, the one you want to visit daily and spend the rest of your life with) is a mission that calls for some expert guidance. Local yogi and superfood goddess, Sophie Jaffe, is giving us a tour of her favorites around town. Discover some of the best yoga studios in LA below…
While I often zen out at home with a yoga flow, I absolutely love taking my practice to the studio, where I can always count on the community, the oh-so-inspiring teachers and the powerful energy everyone brings to the space.
Here are my 7 favorite places for cultivating time to bliss-out and celebrate movement, mind and breath.
Love Yoga, Venice
It only takes one visit to Love Yoga to fall in love with their vibrant, mood-boosting turquoise walls and incredible practices steeped in perspective-shifting dialogue. You’ll be musing over the teacher’s pearls of wisdom long after class is over. This beautiful studio offers a packed schedule of strong teachers (I love Miki Ash’s and Jana Romer’s classes!), as well as awesome workshops and gatherings that help you further dive into the deep connection between your physiology and psychology. Join me on the mat there –- I’ll be teaching in September and October on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.! (And Love Yoga is coming soon to Silverlake!)
Hot 8 Yoga, Beverly Hills + Santa Monica
Hot 8 is my go-to workout for maximum efficiency. When I only have an hour and want an intensely hard workout, this is my spot! The heat helps you move into the poses quickly and safely without as long of a warm-up, while also stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps your body flush out toxins. My fave class is their Hot Yoga Barre, a fusion of yoga, barre, body sculpting and non-impact cardio that always leaves me feeling super toned.
Yoga Collective, Venice
As a down-to-earth, funky, friendly studio, the Yoga Collective epitomizes those wonderful Venice vibes. The Collective features sweaty, strengthening classes with amazing tunes, plus they’re right next to Cafe Gratitude and only a few blocks from the beach. Their teachers guide yummy flows rooted in ashtanga and Iyengar; my faves are Rachelle Tratt and Jackie Smyth. In a typical class, you’ll be mat to mat with the people next to you in a very hot room, so come with an open heart and a big bottle of water. After class, I recommend heading down to the ocean to mediate amongst sand and salt air!
Power Yoga, Santa Monica
This is the very first place I practiced yoga when I moved to LA fourteen years ago! Bryan Kest, who’s been practicing yoga since he was fourteen years old, started this beautiful, spacious studio so his students could explore freedom and discovery –- the essence of Power Yoga. His studio has a wide array of incredible teachers; a few of my favorites are Dan Ward, Bryan Kest, Anaswara and Travis Elliott. Thanks to the supportive dialogue from the instructors, you’ll come away from all of the classes feeling empowered and stronger in spirit.
Yoga Salt, Culver City
Yoga Salt was founded by my favorite yoga instructor, Tamal Dodge. I completed my 200-hour teacher training with Tamal. He’s literally the sweetest human you’ll meet -– if you listen to his Salty Thoughts podcast, you’ll see exactly what I mean. Each episode, he shares inspiring conversations with wellness leaders on everything from yoga to conscious business to meditation. If you love a sweaty, vinyasa flow, paired with acoustic guitar and a voice of angels, go to Tamal’s class.
Wanderlust, Hollywood
Wanderlust is a three-story mecca for yogi lovers in LA. They’re the people behind the amazing transformational festivals and believe that a “well seasoned yogi is a well rounded person.” This philosophy is definitely reflected in their incredible events, meetups and yoga classes led by fantastic teachers like Marybeth LaRue, Aarona Lea and Caley Alyssa. They even have a full restaurant with a high-vibrational menu for all meals of the day -– their yellow shakshuka paired with a pressed juice is simply dreamy. They also have kombucha on tap, matcha lattes and superfood smoothies!
SoulPlay Yoga, Culver City
This fun, playful studio offers the most amazing children’s yoga classes that both of my kids take weekly. We love these classes for little yogis so much! While I visit the farmer’s market, the kids get to nurture their self confidence, increase their focus, build physical and mental awareness and have a blast on the mat. They also offer pre- and post-natal classes for new mamas!
