After a long wait, the Center for Yoga is reopening its studio to the Larchmont neighborhood on Tuesday, August 24. The longest continually running yoga studio in Los Angeles, run by YogaWorks since 2004, will be celebrating the reopening with a full day of free classes, according to a press release from the Center.
When the pandemic hit, the Center for Yoga transitioned to online classes, closing its doors on the boulevard. Following the in-person closure, a “For Lease” sign was put on the building, threatening the landmark studio that’s been in the Larchmont Village neighborhood since 1968. In response, a coalition of community members made up of former teachers, students, investors and more formed to help the yoga studio stay in its home.
The Center returns with former manager Deb Anderson returning to her role, with the support of consultant Lisa Haase and investor Lisa Walford, both of whom held roles in the studio in years past. Walford, a Senior Iyengar Yoga Instructor, began her journey with the Center back in 1982. “To be a part of the reopening of the Center is very special,” Walford said, per the press release. “The Center’s impact extends far beyond its physical space, into the Larchmont Village neighborhood, the city of Los Angeles, and the broader yoga community. Reopening the doors is a symbol of unity, the power of will inherent in the practice of yoga, and a little bit of grace!”
The reopening day free class offerings will begin with an 11 am all-levels class, taught by a collection of renowned yoga instructors, including Jeanne Heileman, Joe Kara, Patti Lewis, Andrea Marcum, and Walford.
Along with the reopening, the documentary-style podcast “Revolving Around the Center,” launched by yoga instructor and trainer Kim Fisch as a love letter to the Center following its closing, will continue to celebrate and cement the studio’s enduring legacy.
The Center hopes its reopening will contribute to the “financial wellness and social vitality” of the Larchmont community, as the studio will attract students to the boulevard and the various shops and restaurants that reside here.
We’ve been invited to take a sneak peek at the studio in the next few weeks to share with Buzz readers.
Ahhhhh started at the one down the street near 1st and moved with it to this location. So happy, such a warm feeling knowing it’s back. I was only 7 when I began this life changing journey. It’s home.