Sweat Guide: Los Angeles (A)

March 13, 2017 by Melissa in sweat guides, travel, eats, fitness

A guide for people who love to sweat and eat.

Okay, I am confident that the Sweat Guide: Los Angeles will have to come in parts. I have committed to visiting the city yearly since my sister relocated there two years ago. I LOVE L.A. It's so different from Chicago between the weather, the lifestyle, and the people. I can't say that I would ever move there, but I love visiting and would love to have work that took me out there regularly. I also like visiting because so many of my good friends have built lives there so I get to link up with folks often and create new memories.

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Y7 Studio: Y7 is the studio whose stairs you see all over instagram that read: “Started from the bottom now we're here.” The best thing is that the space, people, and classes live up to the hype. I plan on revisiting with friends when I'm there in a few weeks. I took a T-Pain versus Akon class because every Wednesday they do a head-to-head hip-hop class for their members. It was not only amazing to be a part of the community but the flow was AWESOME. General pricing. Swaggy ambiance. TIght space for a big flow (depending on the instructor, time, etc.) so you will be close to your fellow yogis.

Pilates Plus (Studio City): Okay, L.A. Is not short on pilates studios. Seriously, they're on every corner. I practice Lagree here in Chicago so it was great to take a class while away. If you visit the homepage of their site it looks SO dramatic. The space is the opposite, it's welcoming and comfortable. Like most Lagree studios, there are a limited amount of spaces so book early. It's always great to take in a low impact and low sweat class while away because it doesn't suck your energy for too long after the workout so you can get back to vacating your day-to-day. General pilates pricing. Pay close attention to the instructor for a good time. Easy to find.

Soul Cycle: Okay, by now, your city probably has a Soul Cycle studio. And if that's not the case, you've probably read a bloggers opinion about the SC Tribe (usually negative—so annoying). Well I love Soul Cycle and I have to say, from the bottom of my heart, that I have never had as an amazing experience as I did at Soul Cycle WEHO with Angela Davis. If you love your soul, your mind, or your body, make booking a bike in her class a priority in your life. Everything I'm saying, without saying anything (lol), will make sense once you do. Pricier class. Not your average spin class. Tight space as it is for all SC studios (imo).

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Santa Monica Beach: These past two years, I realize that I spend a lot of my time in Studio City, West Hollywood, and DTLA. On my first visit, my sister and I jammed out to Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star in the carpool lane down to the pier. You guys, what a sight. The air changes from classic pure air to this salty, ocean spray kind of feel on the skin. It was sensory overload for me, personally. It's worth it to do a few things: carry a towel, wear comfy airy clothing, and walk along the beach. In the sand, or not, up and down the pier, or not; check out the yogis and muscly men and women getting it in at the park. If you need a break from the coast, then walk up and down the promenade to people watch and hit up some coastal stores, and restaurants to kill time.

West 3rd Street: West Third is a fun shopping area in West Hollywood where you can find a mix of chain, but mostly local, mid-range to lux brands with all sorts of fun store fronts. I like the area for it's food options and discovered it when going to Benefit to get my complimentary birthday eyebrow waxing (lol) my first year visiting. Y7 studio is nearby and it's a stones-throw away from Melody Ehsani's shop on Fairfax (not really, but I LOVE to walk when I visit new cities). Go with the intention of shopping local and eating some fun snacks.

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Joan's On Third: So, I was actually on the hunt for the second Alfred Tea Room location after a workout one day. I also like to walk. So I made it all the way there to be greeted by a “Coming Soon” sign after a 2 mile walk. At that point I was hungry and had no chill in me. Enter Joan's On Third. I saw plates and everyone seemed to be buzzing. I ordered the cobb salad (NOT my norm) and maxed. Seriously, so delicious. It's a place for grub and cute little artisan things. I think it's actually owned by a woman named Joan, too. #facts, lol

Juice Served Here: There's this nasty rumor that people who live in L.A. Are phony. I really think that people who say this are just hard to get along within real life, lol. (And my sister lives there and she's amazing!) When I walked into JSH it was because I was hungry and Lemonade was closed, lol. So I go in, the team is kind and overloads me with suggestions and a juice or two to try later and share with my sister. I discover that one of the employees is from Chicago and, real talk, the shops manager was the coolest chick. They have a variety of fresh made and takeout drinks to try. So. So. Yummy.

I still have so much to share about L.A. this should get you through about 48 hours of play. Keep your eyes open for Sweat Guide: Los Angeles (b) and a few others in between. Enjoy! Have an incredible journey through all of tinsel town.

Melissa

LIFE

December 01, 2014 by Melissa

Let's catch up:

More yoga. MORE YOGA! I have had some big goals in yoga and have probably mentioned my realization at not taking full advantage of my access to reach them. Now there are more days in my life and more time on my schedule to bend and flex toward a better me and a stronger body. Daily. From breathing, to how I connect with other living things, and even getting my ass above my head more often. It must go down that way: through practice. And not from thinking about it or dipping my toe in the lake of greatness that could be.. but taking a dive into what is and what's possible.

I ran my first race in over a year on Turkey Day and it was in another city (which has been a goal--and still is--on my list). On Thanksgiving 2014, I ran a 4.5 mile race in Indianapolis with my boyfriend and his family before partaking in the annual holiday feast that we all know and love.

REMINDER: I was injured and am working on recovery on my right hip.

The kicker is not only did I run a race. Not only did I not stop at all. I ran it faster than any other race I've done! I ran 4.5 miles averaging sub 10 min each mile. What whaaaat! That's huge! And I am so damn proud of myself which gets me amped to finish this 100 miles by Dec as well as the half marathons I'll be running throughout the year in 2015. Much like the yoga, reaching goals takes practice and this totally helped to make the vision of running in 2015 more clear.

Yay! Also was spotted by the boo at the end and he ran alongside me with a few notes of inspiration and a way to get out of my head and back out into the world by talking about other things.

Hubert. That's my humidifier. He's bomb.

I am at a space in my health life that I have my stable foundation that works and it's not always lifting weight or eating salad. Usually it's things like using a humidifier, eating protein after workouts, and sleeping.

Friends.

I'm a loner and a social butterfly. If the test of refueling is true then technically I am an introvert because I get my energy from being alone. But I love me some humans! They're nice. And they make me laugh. They are good to dance with. And nothing beats realizing that you all have a strength or struggle in common.

So here is a pic of me with a few peeps that are cool and can catch the beat. :) Dalia and I both teach at the same fitness studio, her fiancé, my boyfriend giving all that 'tude at the top, plus a mutual friend James (Dalia and I both had acquaintance with him before we ever made acquaintance with one another. Trippy!)

We danced and drank good drinks in downtown Chicago on a warm autumn night a time ago. It was fun!

And finally dinner at Café Ba Ba Reeba in LP.

My company prides itself on connection and interpersonal relationships. So one night we took Ambassadors of our store out to dinner for tapas served family style and it was really cool.

We talked and drank vino and would pause every few minutes to bring a focus to presence. What it means to us and our leadership and the holidays. It was so romantic. To flirt with ideas and look life on the eye and tell it you love it.

It was next level for us as individuals and as and team. I'm so grateful that I was able to participate and kick off the season with such intent. (This is a partial capture of the super messy table that we left behind that night.)

Yoga Six

November 04, 2014 by Melissa

Yoga Six is the newest wave of studios to hit Chicago.

I am a big fan.

My favorite part is the environment. By now I've done a handful of classes at Y6 and I have to say that for a national chain, they're pretty cool. But don't tie much to that. There is nothing wrong with being a chain of yoga studios the same way that being 1:1 doesn't make a stu more soulful. (But any time a chain exists you have to wonder about the consistency and authenticity of your experience. Here I have no doubt that these peeps are on top of their game and can say that the Yoga Six instructors are in it for the love.)

This space is just so chill. In my experience the desk encounter is always a little quirky since they are brand new here, but once you're in the space you're in the zone. The bathrooms are superb. Dope shower area, razors, and this cool "air shower". The air shower blasts you down after your flow to bring your temperature lower which is especially great for us Chicagoans headed in to wintertime elements aprés savasana.

There's a lot of orange and I wonder if it's because the color reps warmth, enthusiasm, and happiness. (?)

The studio floors are probably the greatest in the game. They're padded and have parking spots on them. That means that someone went through with a ruler and made marks to ensure that the class can fill comfortably. It's so freaking cool. They borrow out towels and (Manduka) mats to those who forget or travel light. Personally, I'm a big fan of The Mat by lululemon athletica for all things hot yoga.

From what I understand the classes are formatted from corporate and then instructors just add their own flare from there. (Which, so far, hasn't been disappointing.) They also offer warm and hot classes as well as slower pace, deep/restorative, and the power/sculpty style. The play lists are cool and I'm assuming created by the instructor as well. (I've heard that chime stuff, the Super yoga chant music, and some Bone Thugs n Harmony).

Check em out! Currently they are in Lincoln Park (Clybourn), the South Loop (Roosevelt Collection), and Gold Coast.

Lululemon Athletica Halsted is partnering with the Lincoln Park Yoga Six studio to offer free classes at 7:30PM on Tuesdays at their Clybourn studio.