COMMUNITY // open doors
Wildest Greens
Palm Desert
72990 El Paseo #3, Palm Desert, CA 92260
760.636.0441; wildestgreens.com
Dedicated yoga practitioner Denise DuBarry Hay cares about how
we nourish ourselves through food. Denise owns the popular Palm
Desert studio Bikram Yoga Plus, her daughter Samantha owns the Bi-
kram Yoga Kauai studio and her entire family practices yoga. Denise
wanted to help her students—and other residents and visitors to the
Coachella Valley—by providing delicious, high-performance food at
her new restaurant Wildest Greens. “The studio and the restaurant are
connected by a desire to be healthier,” Denise says.
The all-organic menu at Wildest Greens features fusion cuisine that
satisfies a variety of palates and dietary needs and preferences includ-
ing paleo, raw, vegan, gluten-free, and Ayurvedic (with a daily kitchari
cleansing soup). Some of the popular menu items include: Vegan Faux
Tuna Boats, Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric, Bison Burgers, Tur-
meric Lattes, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Brekkie Burritos.
It is truly farm-to-table with ingredients such as fresh-juiced tur-
meric from DuBarry Hay’s family farm in Kauai. Don’t miss the zippy
Golden Dragon dressing that features the turmeric. Juices, coffees,
teas, beers, and wines are all available—as well as Wildest Greens’
own kombucha on tap. Cold-pressed juices and to-go items make a
perfect grab-and-go.
Wildest Greens’ tagline is “Fulfill your fresh food fantasies.” Denise
says, “I opened this restaurant/market as a fantasy place that I would
want to go, and it seems that a lot of other people have the same fan-
tasy.” The restaurant is currently open for brunch daily.By Felicia Tomasko, President of Bliss Network, editorial director of Events.Yoga
and Editor in Chief of LA YOGA and Boston Yoga MagazinesZooga: Yoga for Kids
Culver City
11054 Washington Blvd
310.839.6642; zoogayoga.com
Many teachers have found charm in the animal associations of
various asana. Antonia King, owner and founder of Zooga, Yoga
for Kids, Yoga Studio in Culver City, ran with that vision. In her
tangerine-colored space bursting with plush toys, she has created a
playful pretend zoo with children learning animal poses.
Zooga is thoughtful in its mission and impressively executed. The
layout and schedule cater to the needs of busy parents and developing
children. Whimsical murals are used interactively for poses and games
in a deliberate anti-tech approach. Children as young as six weeks are
encouraged to use their senses, connect to their bodies, and cultivate
mindfulness.
Many signature classes incorporate Yogaplay®️, a Zooga trademarked
program using games and props to foster creativity and mind/body
health. In addition to the variety of yoga, dance, music and parent-and-
me fitness classes, Zooga also offers birthday parties, /Kids Nite Out,
and camps. Zooga’s kids retail boutique integrates with the experience.
“We’ve seen children totally transform,” King said as a group of
beaming toddlers waddled through the glass doors. “Students from the
program have demonstrated improved focus and conflict-resolution skills.
They are more in tune with their bodies and kinder to one another.”
The Zooga community has been thriving for six years and their
flagship location on Washington Boulevard in Culver City was com-
pleted in December, 2017. Franchises in West Hollywood and
the South Bay have recently opened.
Zooga offers an amazing new client special for one month of
unlimited classes for you and your little yogi.By Kiara Kinghorn, a writer, teacher, and mover based in Culver City.