A Healing Afternoon With Love Yoga + FP Wholesale

“This Saturday we gathered at Love Yoga in Venice, California, for an afternoon of relaxation and a sneak peek into our FP Movement line as we launch into wholesale.”

This weekend we were lucky enough to share a special day and preliminary launch event with our new found friends at Love Yoga in Venice, CA where we showed off the collection and had some fun. “If you’ve been following the evolution of our FP Movement collection on freepeople.com, you’ll be thrilled to know that this Spring, 2016 we’ll be offering the collection via our wholesale channel and are excited to partner with our favorite activewear studios nationwide,” stated Elle, FP Movement Account Manager.

What a beautiful combination of elements united in creating this event! Kassia Meador, Aska Matsumiya and Farmer Dave played the sound bowls, raising us to a clear and higher vibration; Brianna Falcone graced us with her angelic vocals; Myla dispensed aura readings and anointed oils to soothe our souls, and many thanks to the magical crew of Love Yoga for connecting all of us within their sacred space.

If you aren’t familiar with sound baths, here’s a quick rundown: our body is composed of an average of 60% water. The crystal singing bowls emit a sound that radiates through the water flowing in our body, which, in turn, brings you to a relaxed state, feeling more in tune with the essence of your being. I suggest you give it a try!

Typically during a sound bath your eyes are closed – this time around I got to play spectator! Watching the three gracefully transition from one motion to the next while staying in tune with each other’s energy and movements was pretty amazing.

The moment you walk into this triangle-shaped room, there’s a light that bounces from the white walls and turquoise floors that you can’t quite describe. A smile instantly appears on your face and the weight from you shoulders soon gone, a feeling that resonates when you meet every member of the Love Yoga team. When I met Kyle, one of its founding partners, she was at the end of teaching a class. I couldn’t see her but I could hear voice, echoing through the space, tranquility permeating all who were present. Today, we are lucky to learn more about the space from Kyle and co-founder, Sian Gordon.

How did Love Yoga get its start?

Sian and Jeff founded Love Yoga in Montauk to create a community- driven space where their friends could practice. That ethos really informs our Venice flagship and the purpose of what we are doing: a space for communal practice for one’s personal well being. A studio that is design conscious, fun and powerful!

You recently opened up a second space in Venice. Can you tell us a little bit about the move from Montauk?

Sian and Jeff founded Love Yoga Montauk six years ago. I met them two years ago in NYC in a moment where Sian and I were both plotting our moves west. When we arrived and settled, we decided to get serious about our dream to open Love Yoga Venice. We searched for locations for six months and, when we found our new home, we just knew. The build-out took forever and we opened our doors in October! There is a natural crossover between Montauk, NYC (where I lived and taught for eight years) and Venice. Our east coast students frequent the class in Venice all the time.

Have you noticed a difference in lifestyle regarding Montauk versus Venice?

The lifestyle is the same but there are certain differences. The Montauk studio is seasonal and only open for five months a years. Our Venice studio will probably be open 365 days this year. The vibe and community are pretty fluid…our students love nature, surfing, the beach, healthy living and they like to have fun! That applies to both coasts! Our students are creative, independent and inspired. We’re very lucky.

What can someone expect from a class at Love Yoga?

To oxygenate, aerate, circulate and strengthen. We pride ourselves on NOT being a power yoga studio. You will get a workout but you don’t have to be a “vinyasa soldier” to have a valuable experience. Our teachers love what they do and it really shows.

What do you love most about your new space?

We love everything about our space! We love the front desk handmade by our dear friend Chad Hagerman from a piece of 1000-year-old red cedar. We love the mural by our friend Carly Jo Morgan that truly defines our space. We love the floor color, the plants, the smell. The design process has been a true labor of love and we feel absolutely at home in our space.

What kind of classes do you offer?

We offer graceful vinyasa classes for all levels. Anyone can come to our studio and engage in some sort of practice for his/her well-being. We are inclusive and friendly. We have a few classes on the schedule called “Tough Love” for our students who want to incorporate arm balancing and inversions and, in January, we will start “New Love” for beginners.

Do you have any advice for a beginner or someone who has never tried yoga? What classes do you recommend?

Everyone has to start somewhere! No one is born being great at yoga — it’s a skill you develop. Take the plunge and try it out. Taking Sian or my classes is a great place to start. We don’t bite!

What inspires you personally?

The fluidity and changing nature of perspective inspires me. How one day you can feel so sad, and then, like the magic of nature, the snow melts and you’re happy again. We are very inspired by our teachers and by Chinese Medicine philosophy, Buddhism and sacred geometry. We love studying, discussing, processing and living! We are inspired by women who raise amazing families and follow their dreams and by the changing seasons in nature’s perfect cycle. I think our partnership also inspires us to become the best we can be.

What does “being free” mean to you?

Being free means having the opportunity to do whatever I want! Listening and trusting myself. Standing up for what I believe in and not holding back. Being free means being able to fall down and know that it’s ok.