If you’ve been searching for MAT PILATES on the eastside of Los Angeles (Echo Park, DTLA, Eagle Rock, Glendale, Pasadena, Highland Park, East Hollywood, Silverlake, Los Feliz) – hi, you found us!

MAT PILATES is having a moment. 

If you’re in the world of yoga and fitness, you’ve probably been seeing a surge of mat pilates popping up in your feed, in your conversations, and at your local studios. Maybe you’ve even googled “mat Pilates near me" at 11pm and somehow ended up here.

Mat Pilates is a method of movement developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century – originally called “Contrology," which tells you everything you need to know about it. It’s about deliberate, intelligent control of the body. And despite what the reformer’s omnipresence in modern studios might suggest, the mat work came first. Pilates developed the foundational exercises while interning in England during World War I, reportedly helping rehabilitate fellow internees using floor-based movement and whatever was on hand – including springs rigged to hospital beds, which is actually how the reformer concept eventually emerged.

Mat Pilates focuses on stabilization of the deep postural muscles that most of us completely ignore until something starts to hurt – think transverse abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor. These are the muscles that hold everything together when you’re doing literally anything.

What to expect in a MAT PILATES class:

A typical MAT PILATES class moves through a sequence of exercises performed on the floor, usually in a controlled, flowing rhythm. The work is low-impact but incredibly challenging. Beginners can find their footing without feeling lost and regular practitioners can go deep into precision and endurance.

You’ll work on:

• Core strength and stability – not just the “six-pack" abs, but all 360 degrees of your trunk
• Spinal mobility and articulation – your spine is meant to move in more ways than forward and backward
• Hip and shoulder stability – essential for both athletic performance and long-term joint health

The mind-body connection is real here. This is not a “zone out and move" class. You’ll learn to notice how you’re moving, which changes how you move everywhere else.

Why practice MAT PILATES?

If you’re an athlete or regular mover, MAT PILATES fills in the gaps. Runners, cyclists, lifters – they all tend to develop muscular imbalances over time because repetitive movement patterns build strength in the muscles you use most, while quietly neglecting others. Your dominant side gets more dominant, your hip flexors tighten while your glutes disengage, and your shoulders round forward from years of the same movement patterns. Pilates emphasizes unilateral stability, spinal articulation, and deep core activation that most conventional workouts never address. The result isn’t just injury prevention, though that’s worth mentioning; it’s that your existing training starts to feel better and more controlled – more efficient, more intentional, with less of the compensation and grinding that comes from working around weak links you didn’t know you had.

If you’re recovering from injury or dealing with chronic pain, the emphasis on alignment and core support makes this one of the most commonly recommended movement modalities by physical therapists. Always check in with your care team, but Pilates has a long history of being rehabilitation-friendly.

If you sit at a desk all day, the postural work alone is worth it. Most of us are chronically tight in the hip flexors, weak through the glutes and deep core, and rounded forward at the shoulders. MAT PILATES addresses all of it.

If you already do yoga, you’ll find a complementary challenge. Both practices emphasize body awareness, intentional movement, and working from the inside out, but Pilates places particular emphasis on core stability and precise muscular control. The two practices support each other well, which is exactly why we offer both under the same roof.

MAT PILATES at One Down Dog

At ODD, our MAT PILATES classes are taught by instructors who have trained extensively in this method. They know the work deeply, they cue with precision, and they pay attention to you in class. Every class is built around the same core commitments: starting with breath and a theme, moving the body in all planes, creating an inspired experience through music and sequence, and personalized instruction. It is a full-body workout that targets core strength, glute engagement, and the deep stabilizing muscles that many training programs skip entirely. This class is a slow-burn by design – not because it’s easy, but because moving slowly with control is what builds real strength, improves posture, and supports spinal mobility through a range of motion that’s safe and sustainable over time.

Classes are all levels – whether you’re brand new to Pilates or have been practicing for years, you’ll be challenged at the level you’re at. The goal is to leave feeling like you crushed some things, got humbled by others, and are already looking forward to coming back. Hands-on adjustments are part of how we teach, because in a form-based practice, that kind of individual attention makes a difference. MAT PILATES is an excellent complement to yoga, strength training, and cardio, and is ideal for anyone looking to build functional strength, stability, and lasting body awareness.

Our classes are taught across all three of our Los Angeles locations: Echo Park, Eagle Rock, and East Hollywood. So whether you’re walking over from Silver Lake or Los Feliz, heading over from DTLA, or venturing from Glendale, Pasadena, Highland Park or Montrose, there’s a class close to you!

New to ODD? Here’s your easy in:

If you’ve been thinking about trying MAT PILATES in Los Angeles, our New Student Intro Offer – 21 days of unlimited yoga + fitness for $79 is a great place to start!

That means you can explore MAT PILATES, find the teachers you click with, and layer it in alongside any of our other class formats (FLOW, FLOW+, FIT, RESTORE, YIN, SLOW FLOW, PRENATAL, and more) all in one place.

Check out the intro offer →

Find MAT PILATES near you in Los Angeles

Echo Park — 319 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 · 213-318-5071

Eagle Rock — 2150 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041 · 323-344-3696

East Hollywood — 5531 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 · 323-989-3696

Online — Live classes 7 days a week. More info →

View the full schedule →

One Down Dog is a yoga and fitness studio with three eastside LA locations in Echo Park, Eagle Rock, and East Hollywood. We offer multiple class formats including MAT PILATES, FLOW, FLOW+, SLOW FLOW, FIT, YIN, and more!

The post Why we love MAT PILATES appeared first on One Down Dog.

The post Winter Wisdom: A Capricorn Approach to What Lasts appeared first on One Down Dog.

Libra season asked us to find freedom in the moments we fall off balance — to wobble, sway, and still trust the beauty in the in-between. Scorpio season takes us somewhere deeper. This one finds freedom not by floating on the surface, but by diving below it — where truth lives, where we can’t fake the calm, and where transformation begins. Welcome to the deep blue sea-son: a time to feel it all, dive beneath the surface, and let movement, breath, and presence guide the hidden parts of ourselves into the light.

In yoga (and in life), that means turning toward what we’ve avoided — the sensations, emotions, and stories we’ve kept buried — and letting movement, breath, and presence do their quiet magic. When we dig deep, not dark, we discover that what feels heavy is often what’s ready to rise. So go ahead — be the Scorpio you wish to see in the world: passionate, present, and brave enough to bring your depths to the surface without sinking an unsinkable ship, turning ‘I’ll never let go’ into ‘it’s definitely time to let go.’

3 Ways to Ride the Scorpio Waves

1. Feel It Fully — Don’t Flinch

Scorpio energy calls for radical presence. Notice the clench, the wobble, the held breath — lean in, let sensations speak, and maybe grunt a little while you’re at it.

2. Burn to Transform

Scorpio heat isn’t just emotional — it’s alchemy. Sweat, breathe, move, and turn effort into ritual. It may get messy, and that’s exactly the point.

3. Surrender to the Depth

Every dive needs floating. Savasana, Yoga Nidra, or just lying there — surrender isn’t defeat, it’s integration. Surface lighter, clearer, and ready to ride the next wave.

Playlist of the Season: 

Asana of the Season:

Surrender in Savasana: The Death of Practice on the Mat

Scorpio season is all about release, transformation, and diving into what lies beneath the surface. What better pose to honor that energy than savasana — the ultimate surrender on the mat? It’s the corpse pose that asks us to let go of control, float in stillness, and integrate all the emotional, physical, and spiritual work we’ve done in practice. Think of it as a mini burial for old patterns — with the promise of rebirth when you rise.

How to Get There (Scorpio Style)

1. Lie Down Like a Rebel of the Deep

   • Stretch out comfortably on your back. Let your arms fall open like tentacles reaching for transformation.

2. Close the Eyes, Open the Depths

   • Gently close your eyes and imagine diving beneath your personal iceberg. Feel the currents of emotion, thought, and sensation moving freely.

3. Release the Grip

   • Let your shoulders, jaw, and belly soften. Surrender to gravity. Pretend the drama of Scorpio intensity can’t touch you here — because it can’t.

4. Breathe Into the Mystery

   • Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Each breath is an invitation to release, each exhale a tiny little plunge into the depths.

5. Optional Fetal Pose Transition

   • When ready, roll gently to one side and curl into a fetal-like shape — honoring rebirth, transformation, and the flow of Scorpio’s emotional tides.

Benefits of Savasana (The Scorpio Way)

Emotional:

• Encourages deep emotional release and integration

• Calms the nervous system after intense physical or emotional work

• Cultivates radical presence with your own feelings

Physical:

• Reduces muscle tension and fatigue

• Lowers blood pressure and heart rate

• Promotes recovery after a vigorous practice

Spiritual / Energetic:

• Supports insight, reflection, and clarity

• Helps integrate the lessons of the practice into daily life

• Connects you to the cycle of death and rebirth — release and renewal

Class of the Season: YOGA NIDRA

If savasana is the death of practice, Yoga Nidra is the consciously unconscious exploration of that depth — a guided treasure hunt under your own emotional iceberg. It invites you to uncover buried gems, process emotions, spark creativity, and reignite that signature Scorpio intensity. Yoga Nidra lets us visit these places safely, with curiosity instead of judgment, turning our attention inward to release, integrate, and transform.

How It Works:
Through guided visualization, body scanning, and intentional breathwork, Yoga Nidra allows the subconscious mind to surface emotions, memories, and creative impulses that may have been buried or ignored. This aligns perfectly with Scorpio’s energy: it encourages emotional honesty, energetic purification, and the rebirth of creative fire.

Why It Feels Like Magic in Scorpio Season:

• Emotional Processing: Helps you move through and integrate intense emotions without becoming overwhelmed.

• Creativity Boost: By quieting the conscious mind, you give space for new ideas, intuition, and inspiration to rise.

• Scorpio Spark: Amplifies your inner power and passion, helping you connect with your desires and purpose with clarity and intensity.

Think of Yoga Nidra as a sonic, energetic, and emotional deep dive — a chance to meet yourself beneath the waves, process what arises, and resurface renewed, aligned, and ready to channel your Scorpio fire in the world.

Sutra of the Season: 1.12

Scorpio Season: A Meditation on Depth

In Scorpio Season, we move from floating on the surface to diving deep — exploring the hidden currents of our emotions, desires, and shadows. Freedom isn’t found in perfection or avoidance; it’s discovered in curiosity, surrender, and the courage to meet what’s buried beneath.

Sutra 1.12 reminds us that steady practice and conscious letting-go quiet the mind’s waves. In Scorpio season, that’s your blueprint: turn toward the depths, feel it fully, and let transformation rise — no whistle or big wooden door required.

So give Scorpio Season a soundtrack that mirrors your depths, then take it to the mat: explore hip openers, heart-opening flows, and deep savasana or Yoga Nidra. Lean into the currents, feel the intensity, surrender, and let the alchemy of release guide you. Rinse, repeat, and rise renewed — ready to channel your passion, creativity, and inner power in the world.

The post Deep Blue Sea-son | Scorpio Waters (& Emotions) Run Deep appeared first on One Down Dog.

3 Key Takeaways on Balance in Libra Season

Playlist of the Season: 

Asana of the Season:

Sirsasana (Headstand)

How to Step Into Headstand (Śīrṣāsana)

1. Foundation first. Interlace your fingers, set your forearms on the ground, and cradle the back of your head in your hands.
2. Root down. Press firmly through your forearms and lift your shoulders away from your ears.
3. Lift lightly. Tuck your toes, straighten your legs, and walk your feet closer until your hips stack over your shoulders.
4. Float up. Bend your knees into your chest, then slowly extend your legs toward the sky.
5. Find balance. Engage your core, breathe steadily, and remember—falling is part of the practice.

The Benefits of Headstand (Śīrṣāsana)

Book FIT: full-body >>

Ready to find your flow, test your limits, and embrace a little wobble? Join our October Attendance Challenge and try a variety of classes designed to balance out your practice—because the best way to master balance is to mix it up, move your body, and have fun doing it! Plus stickers. Never forget the stickers.

Sutra of the Season: 2.26

Libra Season: A Meditation on Balance

In Libra Season, we move from perfection to balance—an ever-shifting, playful dance between effort and ease. The scales we carry aren’t meant to stay perfectly level; life nudges us off course with phones, traffic, schedules, and “the bugs on the windshield.” Balance is less about standing still and more about learning to wobble with grace.

Yoga Sutra 2.46 reminds us that the practice of yoga is about finding steadiness through steady effort: sthira sukham asanam — the posture should be steady and comfortable. It’s a meditation in motion, teaching us that effort without ease becomes rigid, and ease without effort becomes sloppy. True balance lives in the middle, where we engage, stretch, breathe, and allow ourselves to wobble.

So give Libra Season and your practice a soundtrack that sways with the scales, then take it to the mat and play around with arm balances like headstand, then sweat it all out with FIT: full-body. Rinse, repeat, and get to 21 classes in October to meet our Practice Feeling Balanced Challenge. Show up, show more, and let the wobble guide us.

The post Libra-ate Yourself | Finding Freedom in the Falling appeared first on One Down Dog.

The Gunas and the nature of time

• Tamas: heavy, slow to change
• Rajas: hot, active, fast-moving
• Sattva: balanced, stable, sustainable

1. It’s addictive
2. It is not sustainable
3. It always leads to tamas

Time Famine: why doing nothing is so hard and SO necessary

Bending Time: creating space for what matters

• get present: constantly thinking about the future = anxiety. Constantly ruminating on the past = depression. The only place peace exists is in the present.

• Breath Awareness: lengthen your exhale – it signals to your nervous system that you are safe. Check out our blog on pranayama for more breath tips.
• Movement: yoga, dancing in your kitchen, long walks – when you move with intention time slows down.
• Journal: brain dump all of the things – writing creates separation between you and your thoughts.

• add novelty: have you ever noticed how, when you travel, it feels like every day is 10 days long? I was just in Italy and I ended every day feeling this way. That’s because new experiences snap us out of autopilot and make time feel longer.

1. 1. • Take a different route home
      • Add a random activity into your day that you rarely do: paint a picture, jump rope, walk a route you’ve never walked
      • Work from a new space – a coffee shop, a park, the floor

• set boundaries: say yes to what fills you. Say no to what drains you. We forget how much choice we actually have. Boundaries = freedom!

1. 1. • Add things fill your cup to your calendar and treat them with the same respect you do your work/family responsibilities
      • Say “not right now” or “I’ll get back to you” instead of defaulting to “yes” pause before you commit, and check in with your energy first.

• find your flow: what makes you lose track of time in the best way? Cooking? Painting? Writing? Movement? Flow States are time-benders – add more of them into your week.

• Live fluid: In our culture, time often feels rigid, linear, and scheduled. But not everyone lives that way, in many cultures (Latin America, Africa, South Asian, Indigenous), time is seen as fluid, relational, and intuitive. Instead of living by the clock, let yourself: 

• Be spontaneous
• Pause to talk to the person next to you instead of rushing past them
• Make spending time with your people just for funsies a priority

6. reclaim Your Relationship with Rest: Rest isn’t something you earn – it’s something you deserve and it’s essential! Rest isn’t wasted time. It’s what makes your life livable. True rest (not just zoning out) resets your nervous system and shifts how you experience time. Sleep, nap, daydream… slow down before your body forces you to.
7. define “enough” for yourself: productivity culture teaches us that we’re not doing enough, or worse, that we’re not enough. When “more” is the only measure, we’ll always feel behind. 

• Ask yourself: “what does enough look like today?” When you define enough, you give yourself permission to stop. 
• Remember: done is better than perfect
• You are a human being not a human doing

The post Sustainable Serenity: reclaim time and using yoga philosophy appeared first on One Down Dog.

Hi, I’m Cindy! I manage One Down Dog’s yoga teacher training program and I’m also one of the trainers! The first thing to know about our training is that it is led by a very close group of friends who will welcome you with open arms.

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Yoga Teacher Training at One Down Dog in Los Angeles.

1. Is this training online or in-person?

The Fall 2025 200-hour training features the most in-person hours of any training program in Los Angeles. We’ll meet in person on Fridays from 6-9p and Saturdays and Sundays from 1p – 7p at our Echo Park studio with the occasional Friday hosted online on Zoom.

Join our info session on Friday >>

2. Do you offer payment plans?

Absolutely! Once you’ve placed your non-refundable deposit to secure your spot in the training, we can break up your remaining tuition into 3 or 4 monthly installments.

3. How long is the training?

We meet two to three long weekends per month over the course of four and a half months. See the dates >>

4. Is this training recognized by The Yoga Alliance? Will I qualify to be a Yoga Alliance certified teacher upon graduating?

It sure is! Once you’ve completed all required hours in the training, you can apply to be a 200-hour RYT (registered yoga teacher) through The Yoga Alliance.

5. Am I allowed to miss time in the teacher training and still graduate?

We allow our students to miss up to one full weekend (18 hours) before requiring any make-up time at an extra cost. Missed content can be acquired through your “yoga buddy" who we will pair you up with at the beginning of the training.

6. How can I make up hours if I plan to miss more than one weekend?

You can make up your hours either in the next round of teacher training (we host two per year), in a one-on-one session with a trainer, or in a small group session with one of the trainers if enough people in your group missed the same content. All options require an additional cost.

7. Do I need to purchase textbooks for the training?

We ask that you purchase books from our reading list to support your learning. Your tuition will cover the cost of your extensive training manual, and we will share the reading list upon registration. Know that you can purchase the books used or through a reader to save $$$.

8. Do you offer scholarships for yoga teacher training?

We currently offer a BIPOC scholarship that covers half of the tuition, the deadline to apply was July 18, but we will offer this again in the Spring training.

9. Do I need to have practiced for a certain amount of time to take this training?

No! This training is for anyone interested in diving deeper into the study of yoga. While we do focus on teaching principles for a portion of the training, these skills can be applied anywhere. In this training, you will learn about yoga philosophy, the history of yoga, the subtle body (including the chakra system), asana (pose) alignment, anatomy applied to yoga, and how to build and teach a class. What you’ll learn >>

10. Why should I choose your program over other teacher training programs in Los Angeles?

The One Down Dog program is full of heart, knowledgeable trainers from a wide variety of backgrounds (if I do say so myself), and it offers a path for connecting to a community. We are proud of the specialty days we’re able to offer throughout the training with guest teachers, topics include: social justice, Ayurveda, pre+post natal yoga, and trauma-informed yoga

Fall Yoga Teacher Training starts September 5th! (Early Bird pricing ends August 4th) LEARN MORE >>

The post Top 10 Questions About Yoga Teacher Training appeared first on One Down Dog.

Much like a challenging asana, difficult moments call for us to meet them not with force, but with tenderness. When we soften toward ourselves—offering care instead of critique—we strengthen not only our relationship with the challenge, but with our own resilience, and with one another.

It may feel counterintuitive, but compassion is a kind of courage. As Patanjali reminds us in Sutra 1.33, cultivating loving-kindness toward those who suffer isn’t a detour from strength—it’s the very path to sturdy peace. Or as June Jordan so beautifully put it:

...Or maybe the purpose of being here, wherever we are, is to increase the durability and the occasions of love among and between peoples. Love, as the concentration of tender caring and tender excitement, or love as the reasons for joy. I believe that love is the single, true prosperity of any moment and that whatever and whoever impedes, diminishes, ridicules, opposes the development of loving spirit is “wrong" / hateful.

This Cancer season invites us inward, toward feeling, toward care. When we practice tenderness—in the face of difficulty, in the direction of ourselves and others—we help build the kind of community that endures. One breath, one soft sign, one pose at a time. Just like Ardha Chandrasana, our Asana of the Season: steady, strong, and open to the light.

You Got Me Feeling Emotions, Deeper Than I’ve Ever Dreamed of (aka Cancer Season Workshops & Community Events)

• ODDGIVES | Co-Led Pride Donation Classes: We’re celebrating Pride with three co-led, donation-based classes across two studios! Flow it out, celebrate unity and harmony with dynamic teaching duos, and support AwareHaus in their mission to expand access to resources, spaces and relationships that support healing, creativity, and personal transformation in the queer community.
  • Fri, June 20th | 8:15-9:30am: FLOW + SOUND for PRIDE w/ Hallie Anoff and Tamara “Mars" Beck in Eagle Rock
    • SIGN UP >>
  • Sat, June 28th | 11am-12pm: SWEAT for PRIDE with Asia Martin and Emmett Patton in East Hollywood
    • SIGN UP >>
  • Sun, June 29th | 11:30am-12:30pm: SLOW FLOW for PRIDE with Emmett Patton and Asia Martin in East Hollywood
    • SIGN UP >>
• Sips & Staircases | Community Hike + Coffee Break: Celebrate the Summer Solstice with a soul-nourishing community hike through Silver Lake and Echo Park’s secret stairs, blending movement, mindfulness, and connection—plus a cozy coffee stop at Cafe Nido! Sun, June 22 | 11am-1pm w/ Lani Engstrom. Save My Spot >>
  • Reminders and meetup details will be emailed Sat, June 21, so be sure to pre-register by Friday! 
• ODDGIVES | Juneteenth FLOW: Join Asia Martin for a Juneteenth FLOW class honoring Black freedom, culture, and community, with proceeds supporting the Los Angeles Black Worker Center’s fight for equity and justice. Sun, June 22 | 3-4pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
• Fall 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Info Session: Deepen your yoga practice and share your passion with others. Join our informative Q&A session for our immersive 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training starting in September. Spots are limited, so reserve yours today! Attendants of this info session will be eligible to save $500 with early-bird registration and an extra $100 sign-up bonus! Wed, June 25 | 7-8pm w/ Cindy Godell in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
• Cancer Season Sound Bath: Immerse yourself in a transformative 75-minute sound bath led by Dylan Wallace – fresh from a retreat in Tuscany – using crystal bowls, chimes, and a gong tuned to the vibrations of Venus to achieve deep relaxation and stress reduction. Sun, June 29 | 7:30-8:45pm w/ Dylan Wallace in East Hollywood. Save My Spot >>
• Yoga Talk: ODD’s Lead teacher and 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training architect, Cindy Godell, takes over our weekly open-hearted, philosophy-driven discussion in July and the first half of August. It’s like a little taste of her upcoming retreat in Costa Rica! Wednesdays | 7:30-8:30pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>

Move over Brat Summer, this year it’s MAT Summer (aka Summer Specials)

• Seeking clarity amidst the chaos but can’t commit to a membership because you’re only in LA for the summer? These specials are for you, grads, and anyone else summering in the city. Tuesday, June 24 is your last chance to give or get the gift of a Mat Summer Save $108 on a flexible-use 12-class pack and practice once a week or save $50 on 2 months of unlimited yoga, fitness, and membership perks without the commitment! Shop The Specials >>

Playlist of the Season: Dancing on My Own

Asana of the Season: Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon)

• Build your foundation: Begin by standing with your feet wide apart, front foot facing forward and back foot at a 45° angle pressing into the knife edge, similar to a triangle pose.
• Launch: With weight on your front leg, lift your back leg and place your hand on the ground or a block in line with your front shoulder. Keep your back foot flexed and parallel to the floor.
• Open your heart: Open your chest towards the ceiling and reach your top arm up, creating a long line of energy from your standing leg to your top arm.
• Hold on: Hold the pose for a few breaths, focusing on balance and alignment.
• Exit the pose: Gently lower your raised leg and return to extended triangle pose.

Tenderness begins within ourselves, so we’re encouraging our students, especially those who lean toward high-intensity classes, like FIT and MAT PILATES, to find a tender sweetness and awareness in the deeply grounding and connected YIN classes we offer.

Yin is a slow paced class that works deeply into the connective tissue (fascia) mainly through non-standing poses that are held for 2-5 minutes. In this class props are used for supportive and sustainable holds to ease into sensation and patiently let the body work, soften and create space.

If you’re interested in teaching YIN or deepening your experience, Sarah Helt will lead a Yin Yoga Teacher Training in August that’s filling up fast!

Sutra of the Season: 1.33

The post Hard Times, Soft Signs | How Cancer Season’s Kindness is Power appeared first on One Down Dog.

Here’s the gist…

But You’ve Got Wipers!

The Practice = The Clarity

• Move my body every day in some way – whether that’s a long walk with my dog, a class at ODD, lifting weights, or a solo dance party in my room
• Spend more time outside
• No more doom scrolling; in fact, maybe no scrolling at all!
• Set myself up for restful sleep (and no, I’m definitely not writing this at 1am… more on this in another post)

The post Bugs on the Windshield: An Exploration of Samkhya Philosophy appeared first on One Down Dog.

Energy Attracts Energy (aka Aries Season Workshops & Community Events)

• FIT CLASSES GET NEW NAMES – Last month, we added more fitness classes to the schedule per your request, but we noticed there was something missing – a clear way to build your weekly workout routine. So, in the spirit of rebirth, we’ve updated their names to help you plan, build strength, and feel good from head to toe. Here’s a quick breakdown of the changes, and you can begin booking them under the new names on Monday, March 24:
  • FIT FIT – full-body
  • CORE MAT PILATES
  • BUTT FIT – lower-body
• NEW MOON SOUND BATH WITH DYLAN – Reinforce your intentions and balance your inner energy with Dylan Wallace‘s bowls, gong, and vibes. Sunday, 3/30 at 7:30pm in East Hollywood.
• YOGA TALK: NEW COMMUNITY CLASS – Join quarterly rotating teachers – beginning with Emma Alley – for unique perspectives on yoga philosophy, meditation, and community connection. Through open-hearted communication, we’ll strengthen our collective bonds and show up with energy and power amidst the chaos. Wednesdays at 7:30pm in Echo Park, beginning 4/2.
• SPRING IN YOUR STEP: COMMUNITY HIKE – Join Mel Mah for an easy, refreshing, and social hike around Elysian Park’s West Loop, sandwiched by pre- and post-meditations and journaling designed to help you reconnect with and manage your prana, or energy. Saturday, 4/5 at 2pm at Elysian Park.
• SILENT BOOK CLUB MEETUP – We’ve partnered with Silent Book Club LA to host a recurring meetup, and it kicks off with a social hour featuring complementary tea, Raw Cane Superjuices, candlelit reading time, and more! Saturday, 4/19 at 3pm in East Hollywood.
• PARTNER PRENATAL WORKSHOP – There are only 5 spots left for Kim Ritley‘s last Partner Prenatal Workshop before she begins a new journey in another state! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to manage the emotional and physical demands of pregnancy while enhancing intimacy and connection with your partner. Saturday, 4/19 at 1:30pm in Echo Park.

Something to Look Forward To (aka ODD Adventures)

• Book an adventure and have something to look forward to: there are still a few spots left for Dylan Wallace‘s Summer-Solstice-inspired journey through the chakras at an idyllic Tuscan retreat, Step Into the Sun. If your vibes are more tropical than Tuscan, we also have spots available to activate your inner power in a Costa Rican paradise with Cindy Godell and Audrey Guedelekian. Email adventures@onedowndog.com to learn more about the teachers, itinerary, accommodations, payment plans, excursions, and more.

Playlist of the Season

Asana of the Season

• Strengthens and stretches muscles
• Improves balance and stability
• Enhances hip and ankle mobility
• Improves posture
• Boosts confidence, courage, focus, concentration, determination, and energy – all qualities of Aries season that will help you activate your inner power and protect your energy

Pranayama of the Season

1. Sit in a comfortable seat with a straight spine.
2. Place your hands on the knees with palms facing upwards.
3. Inhale deeply.
4. While you exhale swiftly and forcefully, pull your navel towards the spine.
5. Relax, so breath passively flows back into the lungs.
6. Repeat about 20 times.
7. Notice how you feel.

Sutra of the Season 

The post Spring in Your Step | Aries Season at ODD appeared first on One Down Dog.

• Participate in the Practice Feeling Cozy Challenge: track at least 21 classes in 31 days on the challenge board at your home studio and be entered to win a free month of unlimited yoga + fitness classes, an 18 0z. ODD water bottle, and a bag full of cozy swag!
• Cozy up to our updated class schedule: based on your feedback, early risers in East Hollywood now have more options, and students in East Hollywood and Echo Park have new times, teachers, and formats to help expand their practice, not to mention  an all-new class, SLOW FLOW & SOUND with Mikayla Campbell. At all three studios, SWEAT is turning up the heat to 90° because some of y’all like it just as hot as you like it cozy. Check the schedule for the latest:
  • times that suit a variety of busy schedules – and traffic!
  • more of the formats you asked for!
  • formats your body needs when you crave them – from take it slow to powerful FLOW to more balanced double headers!
• Immerse your little ones in the playfully-spooky foundations of yoga in the “Aware Wolf" Kids Yoga Workshop with Lani Engstrom: it’s one half class focused on the basics through the use of music, games, visualization, breathing, meditation, and accessible yoga postures and one activity with a Halloween and yoga theme. October 19th | 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Eagle Rock
• Attend the free info session about next year’s retreat to Tuscany, Italy from the cozy comfort of your own home: join Jessica Rosen and Dylan Wallace on Zoom to ask about the accommodations, itinerary, and the journey through the chakras. October 16th | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Online
• Contemplate mortality in a non-judgmental setting in our popular Death Awareness Workshop with Kim Ritley: this will sell out, so save your spot today! October 27th | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Eagle Rock
• Bathe in the frequencies of life in a monthly Sound Bath: by regularly tuning inward and bathing in the vibrations of the chakras, you’ll be guided to an increasingly more effective state of relaxation with each passing month.
  • Sound Bath with Joycie Weatherby: October 13th | 5:30 – 6:45 PM | Eagle Rock
  • Sound Bath with Dylan Wallace: October 20th | 7:30 – 8:45 PM | East Hollywood
• Last, but not least, quench your insatiable thirst for knowledge in one of our continuing education trainings: those who have completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training are eligible to participate in these specialized workshops designed to build confidence with hands-on and prenatal-focused adjustments.
  • Hands-On Adjustments Workshop w/ Steven Arcos: October 27th | 2:00 – 5:00 PM | Echo Park
  • Prenatal Teacher Training w/ Kim Ritley: November 9th – 17th | Times Vary | Echo Park

• Calm the central nervous system, aiding the digestive and immune systems
• Calm the mind and reduce stress
• Reduce headache, fatigue and anxiety
• Lower blood pressure
• Promote spiritual awakening and awareness of higher consciousness

1. Lie down on your back with your legs straight and arms relaxed at your sides.
2. Bring your feet as wide as your mat and let them flop open to a natural position.
3. Relax your arms a few inches away from your body, palms facing the sky.
4. Tuck your chin slightly toward your chest to lengthen the back of your neck.
5. Close your eyes.
6. Make any final adjustments so that you are completely comfortable.
7. Breathe naturally.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with the head, neck, and spine stacked.
2. Close your eyes and breathe normally for several minutes, then open the mouth and form the lips into an “O.”
3. Curl the tongue lengthwise and project it just outside the mouth.
4. Inhale deeply across the tongue and into the mouth as if drinking through a straw.
5. Focus your attention on the cooling sensation of the breath as the abdomen and lower ribs expand.
6. Withdraw the tongue and close the mouth, exhaling completely through the nostrils.
7. Can’t roll your tongue? With your lips slightly separated and your teeth pressed together, gently hiss through the gaps in the teeth.

The Coziest Practice of All

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