COMMUNITY // open doors
Back to Basics
El Segundo Plaza
2008-C East Park Place, CA 90245
310.616.3445; backtobasics.shop
Every day we use a variety of items to maintain our lives in the
modern world. We may not always be reading the labels or even
thinking about the ingredients. Yet many of our conventional house-
hold products, including personal care and home cleaning (among oth-
ers), have a number of toxic ingredients such as synthetic fragrances
and sodium lauryl sulfate. These types of products are not regulated,
leading to misleading information, confusion in the marketplace,
and companies saying whatever they like in greenwashing efforts.
Fortunately, there are companies making safe products, and dedicated
healthcare providers and ethical entrepreneurs who are on a mission
to provide safe solutions - including education. Back to Basics Founder
Ashleigh Frager is one of these leaders.
For more than 8 years, Ashleigh observed the negative effects of
questionable ingredients with new clients as they came to her ho-
meopathic practice. In response, she began researching and testing a
variety of products. Those initiatives led to her developing the monthly
subscription box, Back to Basics. Ashleigh curated a collection of
full-size, safe, lifestyle essentials. The first brick and mortar Back to
Basics store opened in November, 2017 in the El Segundo Plaza next
to lululemon.
Categories of products offered by Back to Basics include: hair and
body, oral care, skin care, aromatherapy, beauty, makeup, mom and
baby, laundry and cleaning, and even housewares. The store is open
Monday-Friday 10am-8pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. In addition to a
selection of healthy and toxin-free products and ongoing educational
opportunities, the shop offers a free vinyasa yoga class on Sunday
mornings at 10am. Get Back to Basics, clean up your life, and start
saying #peaceouttoxins.By Felicia Tomasko, Editor-in-Chief of LA YOGA and Boston Yoga Magazines
and President of Bliss Network.Liberate Hollywood
hollywood
6365 Selma Ave, CA 90028
323.745.0495; liberatehollywood.com
I was on a volcano in Bali, doing sunrise yoga, when I found out
that Michael Jackson died. Fast forward nine years and I’m practicing
yoga in the former Hollywood Sounds Recording Studio where MJ
laid the tracks of some of his legendary hits. “Man in the Mirror” has
never sounded so good.
Cristina Dam has owned Liberate Emporium in Los Feliz since
2010; she took over the old Hollywood Sounds Recording Studios
last year to build Liberate Hollywood, a place where “spirituality and
creativity” unite.
Liberate Hollywood includes a retail shop, event and class space
as well as healing services such as Reiki, hypnotherapy, and readings.
They offer meditation classes seven days a week and yoga six days a
week; stay tuned for schedule expansions.
This is one of the most unique spots where I’ve ever practiced yoga.
For example, more than 3,000 pounds of crystals were used in the walls
and floors during the remodel. Cristina says “The crystals add a vibra-
tion that facilitates creative energy.” You feel you’re somewhere special.
I’m attending the Rockstar Magical Flow yoga class with Lori
Rischer on Thursdays at 7am. We do yoga IN the studio where The
Doors, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and Donna Summer
recorded. Their hits pop up in the yoga flow playlist. I think it was at
least 22% easier to hold warrior pose while listening to “She Works
Hard for Her Money.” Other yoga classes include Oracle Yin Yoga
and Crystal Infrared Flow.
Stop by for some of the most unique meditation and yoga experi-
ences in the city, if not the world.By Julie Pilat who works in music and tech in LA. She also is the founder and
host of The Idea Fountain: Life Changing Conversations Interview Series avail-
able at http://www.theideafountain.co