COMMUNITY // open doors
Well Born Lifestyles
Sherman Oaks
13721 Ventura Blvd
818.853.BORN (2676); wellbornlifestyles.com
“It is our intention at Well Born to make sure everyone knows that
there are a variety of ways to feel good about themselves—and that
includes having a community that you can lean on,” says Well Born
Founder Rebecca Benenati. Her work is about wellness throughout
a person’s entire life, since she is a birth doula, yoga teacher, medita-
tion teacher, personal trainer, and health and wellness coach. As one
of the former owners of City Yoga and a long-time mentor to many
in the city, she also knows something about gathering a like-minded
community. When it comes to the current home of Well Born in Sher-
man Oaks, Rebecca says she found the space after conversations with
the previous renter—who was going in a different direction—allowing
Rebecca’s formerly mobile business to grow roots.
Well Born Lifestyles offers birth support, meditation with a variety of
teachers, a dance party class in the mornings, focused fitness classes, teen
yoga, family yoga, restorative yoga, massage, acupuncture, Reiki, healing
arts, and more. The robust schedule includes a variety of workshops in
addition to the weekly classes. Their expert healing art practitioners
include: Bodywork by Bahia Shortlidge, Hypnotherapy by Camilla
Sacre-Dallerup, and Acupunture by Alicia Chavez. Of everything
offered at Well Born, Rebecca says, “We help families be born, babies
be born, and we help all people live in their bodies, minds, and hearts.”
As Rebecca says, “Community is at the heart of all we do.” Check
out their extensive and comprehensive schedule and join the support-
ive community.By Felicia Tomasko, President of Bliss Network and Editor-in-Chief of LA YOGA
Magazine.One Down Dog
echo park
317-323 Glendale Blvd.
213.318-5071; onedowndog.com
One Down Dog opened a stunning new space in Echo Park. A
yoga staple on the East side of Los Angeles since 2013, Jessica Rosen,
owner and teacher, has fueled the neighborhood with “kick-ass, feel-
good yoga” and built a thriving, playful community. When Jessica
wanted to expand and discovered the location in Echo Park, she says
she “fell in love.” Seeing the space, it was no surprise when she told
me she “...built the Echo Park studio from scratch, calling on all of
the things I knew the ODD community wanted.”
The walls are emblazoned with the stunning work of Joerael,
whose art is also in ODD in Silverlake and Eagle Rock. Cindy Godell,
teacher and marketing guru says, "The One Down Dog in Echo Park
is full of natural light, plants, and wooden details. As both a teacher
and student, the energy feels so warm and inviting."
You’ll find all of the familiar ODD classes, from Sweat to Restore,
starting as early as 6:00 am, until 10 pm. There are also new classes,
like Book Club, Exploring Yoga Philosophy, Kundalini taught by
Ducky Punch, and tons of monthly workshops like Chanting with
Adam Gericke, Roll it Out with Molly O’Neill, and Tarot with Val-
erie Smith. If One Down Dog could be known for one thing—well,
maybe three things—it’s making yoga fun, building community, and
being authentic. Jessica’s love of the students is evident: “The feed-
back of our students has always been very important to me; I built
One Down Dog to create community around wellness.”Sarit Rogers is a fierce creative living in Los Angeles, actively bridging embodiment
and curiosity into all of her work: saritphotography.com and: saritzrogers.com.PHOTO BY JESSE GIDDINGS