In a slightly futuristic building on a quiet street of Westlake Village sits the newest edition to the YogaWorks family. YogaWorks Westlake is the first of the 16 studios to be conceived and built from the ground up. The architecture utilizes sustainable building materials and takes advantage of the natural light with an open, airy design.

The studio houses three asana rooms with a large waiting area connecting the spaces. A living tree dwells in the waiting area and echoes the natural elements of the building, while also reminding students to stop and breathe in a breath of fresh air.

The two larger studios each hold a capacity of 100 students and the one Iyengar studio boasts enough stations to accommodate 30 practitioners. Each studio, with simple bamboo floors and white walls, gets a splash of color with a robin’s-egg blue false wall at the head of the room, behind which the props are inconspicuously stored out of the way.

In addition to the new architectural design, YogaWorks has added innovative new classes to their repertoire like Danceworks, Sculptworks, Pilates Reformer and Tai Chi. The Pilates reformer classes””held in the Pilates room complete with machines and Magic Circles””are kept to a maximum of five students to ensure high quality, personalized instruction.

Parents can enjoy a class stress-free while their children are actively engaged at KidWorks, the studio’s in-house daycare service. With kids safely tucked away, the busy mom or dad has some leisure time after class to browse the retail section for a plethora of goodies, or meander over to the tea bar and grab one of the pristine white two-person tables with a friend to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of tea in such enticing blends as rainforest and rice tea. The teas are presented in clear glass goblets allowing the natural beauty of the teas’ color to be enjoyed along with the flavors.

For the busy 9-to-5er, YogaWorks Westlake offers a locker room with showers, towel service and organic bath products. The women’s locker room features six showers, while the men’s houses three. The showers are covered with calming blue tiles, which again echo nature by reminding students of the ocean just a few miles away. Students can stash their belongings in large lockers inside the changing area or smaller security lockers and cubbies in the common area.

The true gem of YogaWorks Westlake is General Manager Paulette Dwyer. Having served the Westlake yoga community for over 20 years as a teacher and studio owner, Paulette is committed to creating not just a yoga studio, but a place where students can really learn and practice the ins-and-outs of a healthy lifestyle. Overall, she wants to create an environment that she would be proud to come to one day when she has finally hung up her hat.

But don’t expect that day to come anytime soon. Despite working 13-hour days the week of opening, her energy and enthusiasm are still infectious. She becomes exuberant as she talks about all the future plans for the space, such as hosting workshops and the renowned YogaWorks teacher training program.

Despite all these grand plans, however, she hasn’t forgotten her students. She has lovingly helped ease them in the transition of closing the smaller studio and welcoming them into the YogaWorks family. She’s always available to chat with old friends, offer insights on the new class styles, and recommend appropriate teachers.

So whether you are a seasoned practitioner or a yoga virgin, Paulette and the YogaWorks Westlake staff welcome you into their family with open arms.

yogaworks – westlake village