Today marks the 52nd free yoga class at Grand Park.
At the first class last November, I stood on the Performance Lawn stage with Christel Joy Johnson, the resident Grand Park yoga guru, and we nervously waited. One by one, first a trickle, and then a gush, they came! They came from offices, courtrooms, and lofts, on foot, metro, and bike. On our first day, we had near 40 yogis attend Grand Parks free class. And ever since then, a wonderful, devoted group of about 50 has come back every Wednesday and Friday to stretch their bodies and calm their minds. We have even had some adorable mini junior yogis come to learn. Participants have come to enjoy being outdoors, to take in the rushing sounds of the fountain, to feel the green grass, to laugh with Christel as she leads them through their paces, and to be together. I have taken some of the classes myself and felt how special it is to be in the heart of our amazing thriving, thumping city, in the oasis that is Grand Park, looking up at the blue sky, taking deep breaths in and out with the grass underneath me feeling truly part of a this place.
Tree pose amidst the city
Today is the last class until we get into the cooler months later this year. I would like to thank all of the Grand Park yogis who made this program such a success because of their dedication, and good humor. Thank you for spreading the word. Thank you for making time in your busy schedules. Thank you for making Grand Park your own! As a parting gift, Grand Park asked Christel to make an audio recording of a yoga class that you can access below. On cooler summer days or evenings, please make your way to the park, pop your headphones in and take yourself through the class. Movement and relaxation are two of the best ways to enjoy Grand Park. And yoga class or no, we hope that when you are here in the park with us, that you will always feel that sense of calm and respite that Grand Park brings to our madcap, beautiful, bustling downtown, in the heart of yours and my L.A.
A big thanks to the Grand Park yoga team: Christel Joy Johnson, Rachel Scandling, Matt Saltzman, Tati Simonian, Cody Kopp, Ronnie Clark and Keith Barletta. See you on November 6, Yogis!
DOWNLOAD zip file to your computer and take Grand Park’s Yoga reTREAT with you forever / STREAM MP3 – also a great option to practice the breathing, stretching and thriving on your own time until reTREATs begin again in November.
– Julia Diamond, Director of Programming, Grand Park