You all know I am all about that active lifestyle.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know I'm outside with Cailey (my dog) every weekend, and whenever I can after work if there's still remaining daylight.  I like to move and I like to do it outdoors. For this collaboration, I received running shoes from ASICS by way of Zappos.  Now while I am all about moving myself (and my pup), I am not a runner by nature.  I am a yogi, a gym fan,  a hiker, an occasional boulderer, and I am down to try all sorts of fitness challenges (I've done the kettle bell challenge, the keto diet, Whole 30, and a few other things I've got pending blogs for). But under no circumstances do I default to running as an activity, and I haven't since my high school track and soccer playing days.  My selection of running shoes are normally reserved for 30 minutes on the treadmill after lifting weights at the gym. HOWEVER, my dog is an avid runner.  Cailey loves nothing more than to sprint down the side walk to the end of her leash hoping I will pick up the pace.  When we get outside on a hiking trail, off leash or on, she runs back and forth, hopping up and down with excitement while willing me to chase her.  Nothing brings me more joy than the joy on her face when she's excited about something.  Dogs are funny like that, right?  They get us doing things we don't necessarily enjoy just because their pure excitement brings us happiness.  So I compromise with her, even though she doesn't know it, and I take her for a short hike followed by a trail run.  I'm happiest outside away from the cities and suburbs and surrounded by nature.  Take me being happy with where I am, her being happy at me running with her (and just in general because she's a well cared for dog) and a hike up the hills and sprint along the ridge-line is a pretty enjoyable experience all around.  

     ​Don't get me wrong, we will do wind sprints throughout the neighborhood from time to time, and we always go on long walks, but for real runs we hit the trails.  That also means the shoes I choose to wear for mine and Cailey's outings need to be able to go from gym to street to trail.   My ASICS GT-2000 were designed to be versatile enough to adapt to any sport, wherever and whichever sporting activity that might be.  For me that would be going from my gym or at home workouts, to chasing my dog down the sidewalk, to mild hikes up a trail for some ridge-line running.  So spent a day wearing these shoes doing all of those things to see if they held up to the test.

     ​​First and foremost, I got them through Zappos which meant shipping was free and fast. Bonus is that if the shoes didn't work out, Zappos has a 365 day return policy.  The shoes arrived about two days after I ordered them, and I took them out that weekend.  The ASICS GT-2000 shoes I'd selected fit true to size and were really light weight and comfortable.  It had been raining all week so the ground was muddy, and I was nervous to hit the trails.  Cailey and I took them out to test them on a walk through the neighborhood and there really wasn't any "breaking in" time needed because they fit so nicely.  So we (ok, I) then packed up the car and headed to our favorite park to get some yoga and running in. 

     After some stretching, yoga, and a 20 minute muddy hike up the hills, we were ready for trail running.  The shoes were comfortable and supportive and easily transitioned from mild hike to damp ridge line romping.  I was very happy with how they adapted overall, going from sidewalk sprints to easy hiking, to trail runs.  In fact, I can't recall another pair of shoes I have that have made that transition so well.  Most of my running shoes are just that-for running or for wearing in the gym.  Most of my trail shoes are for hikes, and some tout themselves as crossover hiking/trail running shoes but they're usually so clunky that they skew more towards the hiking boot side of things than effective running shoes.  My overall opinion of these ASICS GT-2000 shoes is that if you are looking for a versatile piece of footwear for your sports and other active activities, these would be an excellent choice. For me, they are going to be my go-to easy trail running shoes from now on, although I'll probably save them for less muddy days.....they got really dirty, and trying to do yoga in them again after our run resulted in a very dirty Cheryl in very weird places. Note to all of you reading this: If you decide to do yoga after running in the mud, maybe don't try and touch your feet to your head.  lol.  

 Welcome back to my blog!! Today I'm going to be talking about Athleta's Sculptek denim.  This denim is "infused with the brand's most innovative stretch technology" and is supposed to allow me to do any activity imaginable.  Athleta encourages customers to get active in these jeans, which I was admittedly nervous to do.  If you follow me on instagram (@cherylfyoga), you know that I've never been a fan of getting bendy in stiff clothing, and have a hard enough time not ripping my jeans based on booty size alone! But these jeans weren't stiff when I unboxed them. I was really suprised by how much they felt like traditional denim, but still had obvious stretch to them. Seriously and not because this blog is sponsored, I love Athleta.  I love the company's mission statement, I love how supportive they are of women and inclusive in their ad campaigns, and I love how their clothes fit and feel.  So I was nervous, but also very excited to try something new from them.  Without further ado, lets get into it!
​

Cailey and I took these jeans out to Napa valley for a day exploring around town.  I brought with me my Sculptek denim, the Foothills tank (pictured above), and the Foothills long sleeve (pictured below), as well as some cute slides (did you know Athleta sells shoes?!). 

​You can shop my look from Athleta HERE or by clicking on any of the pics in this post!*

I got the Sculptek skinny jeans in overdye wash.  These jeans are high-rise, skinny legged, fitted, and ankle length.  Aka they tick all the boxes for me for what I look for in denim AND yoga pants!  They fit really well.  They are true to size and fit snugly.  They feel like real denim, and not like what most jeans that are super stretchy and/or made for movement feel like. I could definitely wear these pants to work and look super appropriate and then turn right around and go long boarding or running around in the woods with Cailey (where I often climb rocks, do spontaneous yoga, and wrestle in the dirt with my dog). Basically, first impressions were good all around.  Plus I liked how I felt in them and that's really important to me. 

The first place I took these jeans was down to the Napa River.  Cailey had fun running around, in and out of the water, and chasing birds.  I had fun testing out these pants on what used to be (might still be?) a kayaking launch area. I changed into my Foothills long sleeve top to protect my arms and practiced my hollow back pinchas.  I felt like this was a good way to test how these pants felt when I was doing a deep pose, but also wouldn't put me at too much risk of ripping the booty.  Needless to say, the Sculptek denim passed the hollow back test with flying colors! I was really happy that I was able to do a few different variations without feeling restricted, and because of the fit of the pants, they didn't slide down and expose anything.

Love the detail on the inside of the jeans when you roll the ankles. And true to style, I got pretty dirty in the pincha process. Dirty knees for the win! haha.  At least my feet stayed clean. 

Once I left the river, Cailey and I started walking through town and we found this alley full of really pretty murals commissioned by the city. I love a pretty wall, so decided this would be a good place to try some more yoga poses and see how the pants held up with some deeper poses.

I started off with a dancer pose variation that I love and again was really pleased with how freely I was able to move without feeling hindered.  I wasn't nervous about the jeans holding up at all at this point.  

And then I got brave!  I decided to go for the splits and really give these jeans a run for their money.  I was SHOCKED.  I was able to do full splits with zero issues at all.  Don't believe me?  Here's your proof!! At this point I went from nervous about ripping new pants, to a true believer that these Sculptek denim lived up to their claims to be made for movement! Like seriously, splits in jeans that aren't jeggings.  Incredible!

I tried a variety of different split variations, lunges and other leg based flexibility poses and only encountered a problem with one pose.  I found that when both legs were straight, I had no issues moving and felt like I could do so freely.  I also found though that when my front leg was bent in pigeon, I wasn't able to get my hips down to the ground, which I wasn't too concerned about because it gave me a chance to practice keeping my muscles super engaged doing the pose that way instead of relying on my flexibility's ability to get me to the ground meaning I don't have to work as hard to balance.

Overall I really liked these Sculptek denim from Athleta, and I think Cailey did too (at least she liked adjusting me while I wore them--scroll down).  They fit true to size, look really nice, and YOU CAN MOVE IN THEM. Athleta wasn't kidding.   I will definitely be wearing these jeans a lot in the future and you should too. 

You can shop my look from Athleta HERE or by clicking on any of the pics in this post!

If you liked this review of Athleta's Sculptek denim, check out my other two Athleta reviews: 
 Suit Up and Explore On and When a Yogi Does Crossfit.

Follow me on instagram for more street art, yoga around NorCal, and poses with my pup @cherylfyoga and follow @Athleta to see more pics of their products in action. 

The coastlines of Northern California have some of my favorite views in the west. I love the rocky terrain, the colorful wildflowers that pop out of the sand, and the beautiful spray of the ocean crashing against the often jagged cliffs that line its shores. Most of these beaches aren't the kind tourists flock to to spend a day lounging in the sun. These beaches, while they do get their fair share of sun, are windy and wild. Tourists come for the views more than anything else. And I come to play in the sand and the sun because I like to go where the people aren't. lol. At least when it comes to running around in my swimwear, doing yoga and climbing rocks, but there's a reason for that (other than my social anxiety).

Here's the thing. I have no problem with people wearing barely there bikinis. I have a few of them myself. But personally, if I'm going to be in my teeny tiny bikini, and doing yoga, I don't want to run the risk of flashing someone my intimate parts; especially small children at the beach or someone posting things on Instagram. The itty bitty bikinis are a favorite of mine for lounging poolside, or taking a dip, but these are not the kind of bikinis I feel comfortable wearing while doing the splits in in public. No judgment or shame on those who do; it's just not comfortable for me, personally. If I'm going to be taking a beach yoga class, climbing up rock formations on the shore, paddle boarding around SF, etc. I want my swimwear to keep me covered and comfortable, but still look cute. I want my swimwear to keep up with me the same way my athletic wear does! Enter Athleta.

Athleta swimwear, while more coverage than I'm used to wearing on my bum, still makes me feel like I look cute, but I know my bikini will be able to keep up with all my activities. I don't have to worry about jumping off a cliff and having my top fly off, or doing a back bend and having something slip out. And my suit is reversible! Two looks in one, ftw! The bikini I selected is pictured above. You can check it out here (top and bottom)! I also now don't feel the need to find more secluded beaches to do my yoga and tanning sessions for fear of accidental flashing, but I probably still will because...social anxiety.

But that brings me back to the cold beaches of the coast that tourists come to for the scenery but don't linger at, and I do love my solitude. I appreciate it even more now that I work a job that requires me to be constantly interacting with strangers via social media. It takes a while to acclimate and warm up when you're coming from much higher inland temps down to a windy seashore. I've realized that while I love the beauty of these beaches, staying for a while means packing several layers and usually doing a very vigorous vinyasa practice to get my blood pumping before I don't notice the cold anymore (meanwhile my friends back in Vermont are rolling their eyes at me as they hang out lakeside in the sun when it's 50 degrees out and act like that's summer...I'm used to California now, ok?! haha). Fortunately, Athleta's swimwear line includes the board shorts and rash guard I'm pictured in. The shorts have built in bikini briefs so you can wear the whole outfit as your swimwear if you wanted to, and I was definitely beyond thankful for long sleeves when the first gusts of ocean air were blowing over me.

My favorite thing about these beaches is definitely the views, but on the colder days, I also love the solitude. Noone is giving me funny looks as I gleefully chase my dog down the shore, or do some impromptu barefoot bouldering. Noone is pointing a camera at me as I point the camera at something else. And I don't have to worry about anything but listening to the sounds of the waves go in and out. I feel very lucky when I get moments to myself. Especially at Marshall's Beach (center photo) which is just outside of San Francisco. Just me, occasionally my pup, and my Athleta, ready to Suit Up and get out there.


You can find more about Athleta by clicking their name anywhere in this post or checking out these hashtags on social media: #suitup #powerofshe @athleta. Leggings in the bottom right photo are also from Athleta.  Yay for coordinating with pieces I already own. 

For more pictures of these beautiful beaches (and me doing yoga at them), check out my instagram @cherylfyoga.

I’ve been a fan of the north face brand since my first winter in Vermont. Vermont is where I developed my passion for the outdoors, and I quickly realized the need for good reliable hiking boots, and layers that were good for constantly shifting weather and conditions. When I got the opportunity to work with Zappos and The North Face, naturally I jumped on it, especially because TNF joined with Lucy to expand the north face train line. I ordered through Zappos which in and of itself started the process off right. Free and fast shipping can’t be beat, plus if my gear didn’t fit or work the way I wanted, it was 100% returnable. 

Because it’s almost the end of the wet season and prime hiking time here in NorCal, I chose to update my hiking wardrobe with some new pieces. My selections were: The North Face Versitas Fearless Reversible Bra in Urban Navy, The North Face Perfect Core High-Rise Tights in TNF Black , and The North Face Endurus Hike GTX hiking boots.

I’ve made the mistake of hitting the trail with ill fitting clothing before, as well as super pricey hiking boots that were supposed to support my feet, and be water proof (mud and streams happen). What happens? My experience in nature is taken away from by wet feet and adjusting my clothes the whole time. Did i mention i HATE wet feet? That’s why before i did any major driving for an epic hike I’ve been waiting for, I decided to put these pieces to the test in as many conditions as i could find, sticking close to home just in case. ​

So what does this avid nature lover, and girl who is extremely rough on her gear think? Read on.....

Quite unlike a lot of the trendy athletic wear on the market these days, this clothing is built to function, and be used for athletic endeavors (unfortunately, that is not the case with a lot of brands these days). The sports bra is very basic in terms of design, which is very refreshing to me.  Instead of lots of straps and cutouts, it's designed to function, and that's what it does. It’s light weight, reversible, and very supportive. It also breaths well enough that i didn’t notice my own sweat circles until I looked down. Lol. The only downside I noticed is that it fight a little tightly under the arms. But I have a large chest for my size so i always expect a lot worse, tbh.  Overall, I felt supported but not restricted, and didn’t feel awful having sweat hugging my body when it got hot. 

​These leggings have easily become my new favorite pair. Black leggings are tricky. You want them thin enough that aren’t super hot, and can be layered on top of, but also thick enough that when you bust out a yoga pose or stretch your legs on the rock wall, the whole world doesn’t see your whole peach. I also prefer mid-high rise, personally. I hate having to tug my pants up when I’m doing something active. I can say with complete honesty, the fit and functionality of these leggings is amazing. Again, the design is pretty basic, but this gear is more technical than my usual yoga “athlesiure”  attire. The leggings were thick enough that i felt comfortable bending over, and that i wasn’t feeling every jagged edge in the rocks i was climbing, but thin enough that i didn’t feel like i was dressed for a winter outing. They also dry REALLY quickly. I know this because i got them soaked when testing how waterproof my boots were.......I got a little too enthusiastic. Pics to follow. I also feel confident that these would make a good base layer in the winter, and not too hot when the temperatures start climbing. Like i said, they’ve easily become my new favorite pair. I’ve worn them twice since i completed the shots for this blog ten days ago. 

On to the boots!! The most exciting part for me was definitely the shoes. My old hiking boots have done me well, but after 8 years they are starting to go. I’ve been itching for a valid excuse to get some new ones for a while now, and was stoked to test these out. Are they supportive enough? Yes. I ran through rocky creek beds, climbed some boulders and scrambled some hills in these guys. Are they light enough? Yes. I wouldn’t say i forgot i had them on, but i will say they didn’t weigh me down (until they were covered with mud). Lol. Were they waterproof? Completely. That is until i got really enthusiastic stomping in the creek and splashed water up and into them. My bad, not theirs. Overall i was super pleased. Check out my gallery below to see what I put these shoes through. 

​Overall, I was extremely happy with my selections from Zappos and The North Face. The leggings are definitely my new go to for hiking, and those boots are going to be hitting the trail with me for years to come.

Here are the links to all of the products mentioned one more time: BRA, TIGHTS, BOOTS. If you were looking for that perfect pair of leggings for all your outdoor activities, I highly recommend checking these out. And if you’re looking for your next pair of trail already hiking boots, let’s be twins!

Sponsored by Zappos x Brooks Running 

We all know this yogi is SUPER into leggings and active-wear, and can normally be found running around barefoot somewhere or doing yoga against a new backdrop.  But what about when I'm not doing things for the gram? To be honest, I love playing with fashion and casual street style, and I get even more excited when my active wear and shoes can seamlessly go from one to the other. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to try Brooks Levitate (LE) Limited Edition running shoes, and apparel from Brooks to style for my day around, as well as a workout.  

I chose to go for black leggings with mesh inserts.  I like the details and functionality of mesh in my leggings; it keeps me from getting over heated.  Whenever I wear leggings as pants outside of fitness classes, I prefer to wear a tunic length shirt.  I like to play with proportions a bit by adding a shorter (regular length) jacket, finish with a light scarf for spring and some sunglasses, and I'm ready to go! In the pictures above, I was headed to dinner with my friend. I spent a good 45 minutes walking around on foot exploring the town of Benecia, California first, and these Levitate shoes were clutch. So comfortable and supportive!

Links to my leggings and shoes.

After dinner and some time to digest, I was able to quickly switch from street style to running style.  All I had to do was change shirts, stretch and I was off for a sunset workout.

Links to purchase tank and sports bra.

I really love the ease and convenience of cute fitness clothes that dress up when I socialize, and then quickly switch into workout mode.  I highly recommend these shoes from Zappos x Brooks as well. I was on my feet all day between exploring and running, and they were seriously super comfortable!

If you follow me on Instagram (@cherylfyoga), you probably know that Athleta nominated me for their #upforanythingchallenge.** Please note, my class and wardrobe were sponsored by Athleta in exchange for social media posts and this honest review of my experience.

So I did cross fit...I know, right? A slow flow, Hatha yogi doing cross fit?? Yeah, I was equally concerned. But I had a rocking new set of Athleta up for anything tights, a challenge to prove I could do something new, and the fact that I had already said yes, and announced it on social media...lol.

I'll be the first to admit that I was 100% wrong about my preconceived notions of the cross fit community. I thought it was all about swinging ropes, flipping tires, and being jacked. Hence my nerves.  In reality, the experience was amazing.  I took a private lesson from a trainer who studied functional mobility.  We started with lessons on proper form and core stabilization before moving on to the actual workout.  Each step of the workout started with a lesson on form, as well.  I felt encouraged, supported, and extremely motivated.  Plus, I had zero questions about whether my trainer knew what she was doing; it was obvious.  She even explained things to me in the way that a yoga teacher would cue a class.

I'm not going to say that this is experience you'd have at most cross fit classes. I purposely chose a small facility in a small town nearby and took advantage of their "first class free" program on off hours, partly out of nerves, but mostly because I really wanted to dive deeper into the experience than I'd be able to do in a group class. Aside from that, I will say that if you do go to a cross fit gym and they don't talk to you about the reasons cross fit works, the unique and always changing nature of classes, your overall health, and functional mobility, then it's probably not the gym for you. There's more to cross fit than is often portrayed and definitely more than I thought going in.  I will also add that I'm definitely going back, because I know at some point tire flipping really is involved, and that's something I definitely want to do. lol. Regardless, I got a good workout, pushed myself harder than I had in a while, and was sore in the best of ways for several days. 

Are you up to try something new? Are you #upforanything?

Many thanks to Cross fit Vacaville for this experience and Athleta (www.athleta.com) for including me in this challenge!

Over the holidays, my family got quite a few lovely bouquets with roses and baby’s breath and other cute little flowers. That really got me to brainstorming: I have all these essential oils I’ve collected over the past couple of years, I love Epsom salt baths, and I love flowers.  So, I started drying out the rose petals and tiny decorative flowers, picked some lavender from my herb garden, and hopped online to research ratios for my blends.
These blends make great gifts for friends and family. They also allow you to turn your bath time into spa time, reaping the benefits of both Epsom salt soaks, and aromatherapy.

I came up with two bath soaks that I really enjoy, but this recipe makes a good base for any essential oil blend you prefer. Let this be your jumping off point! Also, if you’re like me and don’t want to wait a while for all the flowers to dry, turn your oven on its lowest setting, lay your flowers, herbs, and/or petals out on a baking sheet, and stick them in the oven. Start with 8-10 minutes and check every few minutes after that. The good thing about low temperature oven drying is that its way faster than just waiting for air to do the trick, and it preserves the color of the rose petals.
And without further ado…

Ingredients:

• Epsom Salt
• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
• Dried rose petals
• Dried lavender
• Any other small dried flower you want to add for looks (i.e. baby’s breath, chamomile, etc.)
• Essential Oils (my blends used lavender, patchouli, sandalwood in the first and a CBD blend from Blue Ridge Hemp in the second)
• Carrier Oil
  • this is to dilute the harshness of the essential oils on your skin, it is not necessary, but recommended
  • I use almond oil because it’s what I had on hand
• Jars
• Small Muslin Bags

 
The base for the bath soak is 2 cups Epsom salts to one cup of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.  I got both of mine off amazon. I also purchased 6oz mason jars for storage.  One batch of this salt blend will produce 3-5 jars depending on how many additional additives you put in and how full you make the jars.  Add 8-10 drops (combined) of oils, and 5-8 drops of carrier oil, then mix while slowly adding additional salt at the 2 to 1 ratio until you have the texture you want.  Add flowers and/or dried herbs, mix again and pour into your jars. It’s that simple!

“I am at Peace” Crown Chakra Blend
In a big bowl, put two cups of the Epsom salt and one cup of Himalayan.  Add 5 drops of your carrier oil (if you are using it), then add 3 drops of lavender oil, 3 of patchouli, 3 of frankincense, and 3 of sandalwood. Blend with ¼ cup of dried lavender, 1/8 chopped rose petals, and 1/8 cup baby’s breath (optional).  Feel free to add more or less of anything depending on your personal preference.  Mix well, adding additional salt to get the texture you desire.  The salts should have a hint of oil to the touch, but not be clumping together or obviously over saturated. Next, pour into your jars, and done! When it comes time to using your salts, if you don’t like the idea of pouring flower petals and herbs directly into your bath, take one of the little muslin bags I mentioned above, add your bath soak to the bag, and toss the bag in your tub for a mess free solution.​

I’m not big on celebrating my birthday anymore. In truth, I really only mark the occasion out of a feeling of obligation.  I don’t think the fact that I lived 365 days deserves celebration, other than thanking my parents for creating me  I mean, it is nice to be acknowledged and get a little bit of attention for no particular reason. It is nice to hear from people I don’t speak with regularly. But if I’m being completely honest, I could skip the day all together and it would not be that big of a deal.  It was always a big to-do for me when I was younger, and I always made a fuss.  My theory was that I could celebrate for the day before and the day after, as well.  Unfortunately, having a birthday on December 6, and going to college proved futile for my birthday partying ways.  From college through law school, my birthday was always right before finals week, making celebrations difficult. Instead of big parties, I switched to dinner with friends. After law school, I worked more, and went out less.  I was splitting time between legal work and the food service industry, making a consistent social life somewhat difficult.  Instead of massive celebrations, I switched to a small gathering of friends at a bar, drinking, dancing, and freezing our butts off in the Vermont winter.  The last two years, however, that changed into going out with one or two friends the night before my birthday, toasting at midnight, and then getting beyond hammered.  This resulted in sleeping through my actual birthday, too hung over to do anything but spoon my dog and whine. Productive, right?  Probably not the best idea for an ex drug addict, either.
​
This year, being in between my apartment in Los Angeles and moving in with my boyfriend in New Jersey, I’m staying with my parents in northern California.  No friends here, no desire to go out and get hammered, no real urge to do anything to mark the occasion except eat the brownies my boyfriend mailed me and get a decent gluten free meal with my parents. When asked by a few of my Instagram followers how I was planning on celebrating turning 31, I had to think for a few minutes.  I wasn’t really doing anything to celebrate. I wasn’t expecting any gifts because I had not asked for anything, and I wasn’t expecting my parents to make a fuss because I didn’t ask them to do anything. I decided instead of making a big fuss about myself, I would make a big fuss for myself.  I’m giving myself a present this year.  I came up with the idea to make a list of 32 things to do or change about myself before I turn 32 on December 6, 2017.  I will be blogging and posting on Instagram about my experiences as I check things off.
I really hope my list inspires you to go out and give yourself something for your birthday. Not a present you can buy off the shelves, but one that pushes you to try and learn new things and grow as a person.  Enjoy!!
 
32 by 32

1. Become a CONSISTENT non-smoker
2. Advance my yoga teacher training
3. Learn Spanish
4. Try a new sport
5. Be more consistent
6. Be less flakey/better at following through
7. Procrastinate less
8. Save more money
9. Work out a student loan payment plan
10. Talk with friends and family more
11. Write more when I’m happy
12. Be less confrontational
13. Get up earlier/be productive earlier
14. Get back into legal studies
15. Become immersed in the Northern NJ and NYC yoga scenes
16. Take up DAILY meditation
17. Skydive
18. Start bouldering again
19. Keep a plant alive
20. Meet more people/become more involved in my community
21. Do two consecutive pull ups
22. Become a personal trainer
23. Renew and USE passport
24. Train Cailey as a therapy dog
25. Do volunteer work
26. Take a photography class (it’s been too long)
27. Be able to hold a one armed balancing pose (at mom’s request)
28. Start a YouTube yoga tutorial series
29. Knit something to completion
30. Work on remembering names better than faces
31. Learn to both listen to and HEAR people better
32. Plan my first yoga retreat

​You've seen the pictures all over social media: beautiful murals and brightly colored walls with bloggers, yogis, and photo fanatics posing all around. There are soooooooooooooooooo (enough o's for you, because I don't know if that's enough to get my point across, lol) many murals and graffiti hot spots all over LA that it would be impossible to see them all in the time I have lived here. I mean even the city electrical boxes are artfully painted! Some of this street art changes constantly, such is the nature of painting on privately owned buildings. However, some of this art has become like an institution in Los Angeles, especially in the Art's District of Downtown.

I was fortunate to spend the last year living a short distance from the Arts District; one of the major hotbeds of street art in the city, and one of the places with some of the most iconic art. The scenery around here is constantly changing with new tags, new artists, and photographers and videoagraphers wandering all around. After all, it's an artsy place with lots of creative types and there are a limited number of walls and fences and abandoned vehicles around town. A lot of the art you will see once and come back and find covered over by something entirely new. However, the ten places below are some of those iconic Arts District photographable places that don't change (or at least not in the year that I've been going to them), and therefore guarantee you a consistently beautiful experience each time.

So where are these walls I and so many others are fond of photographing? I've mapped them out for you, and included the link in this post, but here's a written description with photos as well. Sorry guys, I haven't been able to take yoga pictures at all of them just yet. Even though I wish it was the case, every moment can't always be a yoga pose moment (pout).  Also, under each of the write ups following the pictures/galleries, there is a link directly to the artist's website or social media account if the artist is known (and has an online presence). Enjoy!

1. Corner of Los Angeles and Winston Streets

One of a few very large Audrey Hepburn murals created by Free Humanity. The mural is 15 x 50 feet in size and shows a lovely Ms. Hepburn surrounded by a field of hearts. It reads "It's that wonderful old fashioned idea that others come first and you come second."

I love this wall because of Audrey, obviously. But the other great thing about it is the background. The hearts and love are truly beautiful and fit right in with the artist's mission statement: "Taking back the Humanity stolen from our minds by social manipulation and planting the seed of positivity through art and consciousness." Also, I'm a sucker for heart walls. www.freehumanity.la

​2. Angel City Brewery, 216 Alameda Street

The Angel City Brewery is known for it's beer and it's art walls. The red brick features one of many of the the Heart of Los Angeles walls designed by artist Tiphanie Brooke, a.k.a. antigirl, and her partner Mike Polson. http://antigirl.la/

You probably know the brewery most, however, for it's wall featuring an installation of The Global Wings Project by Colette Miller, which has a second location in the Arts District and several others around LA. Ms. Miller founded this project in 2012 "to remind humanity that we are the angels of this earth." http://colettemiller.com/angelwings​

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​3. EightyTwo, 707 E. 4th Place

This place is actually a really cool bar and arcade during the evening and night.  During the daytime it's an awesome place to stop and take pictures!  The building was done as an untitled collaborative piece between Vyal (aka Vyal One) and RISK. Vyal is a native of East LA and is known for using dark, rich colors and his signature eyes and bubbles.  You've probably seen his work around town in a few places. http://www.vyalone.com/​

RISK was one of the first Southern California graffiti artists to paint freight trains, helping to spark that trend which he later took to art galleries for installation work. He has another collaborative piece in Santa Monica which is instantly recognizable from a similar color scheme and painting style as the one pictured here. www.riskrock.com

​​4. South Hewitt Street (in between E. 4th Place and Traction)

This tiny little spot wedged in between much bigger murals is home to the very first ever installation of the Global Wings Project. It is in this spot that Colette Miller launched her world wide project. www.colettemiller.com

​5. Art Share Building, 801 E. 4th Place

This building is one of my favorite spots because of all the beautiful colors. The building itself is "creative environment for [artists] to reside, develop, perform and exhibit". www.artsharela.org. Painted black with waves of teal and yellow and pink, red, and more, the building is quite lovely, and very dynamic. The artist who painted the outside of the building is an international street artist named INSA from the United Kingdom. www.insaland.com
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6. Paddy's Pub, Corner of Mateo and Palmetto Streets.

So if you haven't seen It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you will have no idea what Paddy's Pub is. If you have, sweet, we're on the same page! This is actually not a decorated building in the traditional street art sense, but if you are following my walls in order from the top to the bottom of this page (by that I mean walking around looking at them), you will pass this building. This building is used for everything from pop-up sample sales, to Chase Bank commercials (I accidentally interrupted filming taking pictures outside once....ooops), to hit TV series. What I love about it is the three big brick archways with green painted doors behind them. Each door in a different state of paint disrepair and each has its own wood patterning. It's not graffiti, but it is a really cool building with a lot of screen time, and definitely worth checking out.
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7. Blue (and yellow, and teal, and red...the colors change) Color Block Wall, Villains Tavern parking lot at the intersection of S. Santa Fe Avenue and Willow Street.

And literally, that's all the information I have and/or could find on this location except that the colors change relatively often, and this place is frequently used for various forms of videos and photo shoots.
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8. Polka Dot Wall, The Springs, 608 Mateo St., DTLA Arts District

I don't know much about this piece of work. It's created by The Most Famous Artist, aka Matty Mo. He is a conceptual artist whose works appear all over Los Angeles. His works answer the epitome of the millennial quandary: how does one make street art into ultimate selfie backdrop or Instagram shot? He is well known in the LA street art (and Instagram and blogging crowds) for exploring how social media (and influencers) can be used to promote [street] art and business. www.themostfamousartist.com

9. Heart Wall, Broke LA, 695 S Santa Fe. Street

I stumbled upon this wall by accident. I wasn't looking for it, actually I had gone too far past the entrance to the Los Angeles River and found these hearts. I wasn't able to find much information about the place online at all, which is unfortunate. There aren't a lot of pictures on social media for this place either which makes it much more of a hidden gem (yay). My favorite thing about this place is the way the hearts spill out onto the side walk and cover all the surrounding walls. It's an explosion of hearts and colors and love.

10. Kim West Mural - 'Ode to Bohemia', 7th & Mill Streets

This work appears all over Instagram, but rarely in it's complete form. Bloggers and yogis love the lilies and irises, but I love this walking by shot of one of the walls this mural covers.  It actually wraps around two sides of this building. www.kimwest.com
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Bonus Find!!! Los Angeles River Access

If you've seen an action movie filmed in LA, you've seen the LA River. Specifically, you've seen this section of the LA river under where the 6th street bridge used to be.  This spot has been featured in movies like: 'The Italian Job', 'Last Action Hero', 'Grease', 'Terminator 2', and more. It's also been in commercials, TV shows, and music videos.  I happened to find the entrance along S. Santa Fe Avenue while walking towards the heart wall above.  It is at Santa Fe and 6th Street and looks like a sketchy underpass covered in graffiti. It's often closed off for filming, photo shoots, or construction (the bridge is being rebuilt), so you may not gain access. If you do, however, it's worth the visit.​