Self-improvement is on the way: Free fitness and lifestyle classes
Self-improvement is at hand with these mostly free July and August events:
Aim to spend the day Tuesday at the Hum Together at the Grove series, which starts with a Beauty Body Sculpt class led by popular fitness studio Lekfit, moves into a talk on gut health, includes coaching on breath work and ends with yoga to live music.
Organized by supplement brand Hum, the day will also allow visitors to sample tonics from a collagen bar (including Collagen Pop, a rose- and lemon-infused version) and have one-on-one nutritional counseling sessions. Refreshments, water and a yoga mat are provided, and those who arrive early will be rewarded with swag.
Info: Noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Grove, 189 the Grove Drive. Free. Register at humtogether.eventbrite.com
::
Walking away with your own customized essential oil blend to refresh, energize and relax is the goal of a Tuesday evening Essential Scents class hosted by Anne Marie Wood, owner of Los Angeles massage and bodywork studio Templework LA. Participants mix and match from a selection of Doterra oils, including the soothing cedarwood, patchouli for clarity and lemon to invigorate. Dried flowers and other fragrances can also be added to the mix.
Info: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Templework LA, 3401 Glendale Blvd., $25 per person or $20 each if you bring a friend. Register at templeworkla.com
::
Mindfulness is one thing, heartfulness something else. At a series of free events on July 19 and 21, author Joshua Pollock will explain the difference.
“We start with the heart, we meditate with the heart and the experience we have arises from that peace we find when we can focus on the organ of feeling,” said Pollock, who lives in Delhi, India, and earlier this year co-authored the book “The Heartfulness Way.” At the upcoming events, Pollock will lead guests in a 15-minute meditation and share evidence from his book about the power of heartful meditation.
“The main reason people meditate is because they want relief,” said Pollock, who speaks at multi-national corporations such as AT&T, Google and Amazon. “I go to these tech companies and see people who have never meditated before but they are under such pressure, and in a few minutes they can experience that relief. It doesn’t matter how much you try to calm your mind; it’s when your heart is at peace that the mind is at rest.”
Info: 6 to 8 p.m. July 19, University Hall, University of Redlands, 1200 E. Colton Ave., Redlands; 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 21, Ahiah Center of Spiritual Living, 150 N. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; and 4 to 7 p.m., July 21, Sanatan Dharma Temple, 15311 Pioneer Blvd., Norwalk. Free. theheartfulnessway.com
::
FitAtFig is the name of an inaugural event at the end of July anchored by fitness trainer Massy Arias, who will lead people in a workout designed to show them that they can exercise anywhere. “You don’t need equipment, you don’t need the perfect scenario, you just need to learn how to use your body in a way that maybe you hadn’t thought of,” said Arias, adding that the 45-minute workout will include “components of strength, mobility and conditioning.”
The day will start with a 30-minute stretch led by fitness and lifestyle blogger Gwen Lane, and will later move into a yoga class and end with a dance party. In between, there are healthful refreshments and a chance to check out various product lines. By the end of the day, said Arias, “people should be motivated, and have a different mind-set.”
Info: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 28, Figat7th, 735 S. Figueroa St. Free. Register for tickets at figat7th.com
::
And finally, free exercise classes open to all levels will be available through mid-August at two West Adams-area public parks. The Cedars-Sinai Healthy Habits series runs four mornings a week. The hour-long workouts encompass Zumba, strength training, stretching and aerobics; participants often bring their children and grandchildren for family workout sessions.
Info: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at Westside Neighborhood Park, 3085 Clyde Ave., and 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Vineyard Recreation Center, 2942 Vineyard Ave. Free. cedars-sinai.edu
READ ON!
Yes, you can eat your way to beautiful skin
10 high-tech gadgets to help you get to sleep
How ‘Scandal’s’ Katie Lowes hid her psoriasis
7 steps to making your health your No. 1 priority
He lost 84 pounds in four months — and kept it off
