Walking into Wanderlust Hollywood at 8:50am on a Sunday morning you’ll find that, even though this popular yoga studio isn’t yet open, you’re already shoulder-to-shoulder with 20–30 other humans.
If you walked there (like I did) and came alone (again, guilty), you may feel a bit like a transfer student arriving mid-semester after everyone has already established friend circles. Do not let this deter you, it’s worth the awkward 10 minutes you’ll spend orbiting about, pretending to look keenly interested in the smoothie menu. In fact, take this opportunity to decide on your post-workout victuals now because you will definitely want a reason to sit in the outside patio area (it’s an oasis of green in the sidewalked desert of Hollywood).
At 9am, the doors to the Great Room will open and the 40 or so of you will file inside. You’ll remove your shoes, place them in a cubby with your phone and yoga mat satchel and then find a spot on the floor to spread your mat horizontally, parallel to the stage. At this venture, you might feel a small twinge of panic as you realize you took too long milling around the smoothie menu and now there is absolutely no room for you to spread your mat. Breathe. This is exactly how it’s supposed to happen.
You’ll hear the husky voice of the instructor against the background muzak as she gently but firmly reminds everyone to bring their mats forward, to make space to fill the room while simultaneously minimizing the space between each person. “This is a group practice,” intones the instructor. “You…
