Wanderlust Hollywood : Finding the Believer In Us All

It’s LA, right smack off of Sunset and Highland, so naturally the people are going to be beautiful—stylish, too.

Women enter the facility en route to their yoga classes in designer gear. They’re clutching their mats, their “laid-back workout attire” being high-heeled fringe boots and backless flannels. This is not your typical yoga facility. This is a place to see and be seen. This is Wanderlust Hollywood, baby.

“The Universe Loves a Believer” greets you on a chalkboard as you walk in. The friendly front desk staff, next to the Marketplace (a petite in-house boutique full of said designer gear) wishes you a lovely morning. People are outside at the community cafe on succulent-covered wooden tables, enjoying vegan breakfasts or gluten-free lunches while greeting friends, talking about what classes they’ve just taken.There is a sense of unity here that can sometimes be hard to find in LA despite it being a town full of "believers." Dawne Stanley, the General Center Assistant says, “We encourage a community feel, we want people to come and feel free to stay all day. Take a class, hang out, and just be comfortable.”Stemmed from the popular Wanderlust Festivals that were created in 2007 by founders Schuyler Grant, Jeff Krasno and Sean Hoess, the goal was to create a space where people could gather willfully and share their practices and values. Now, the festivals can be found worldwide and Wanderlust Hollywood is celebrating their one-year anniversary this month, proud to be the first Wanderlust brick and mortar.“Wanderlust Hollywood is meant to be a mini-festival in a sense, there’s the cafe, the retail, the events, the yoga, and people constantly coming through and giving talks. We aim to embody what the festivals embody, but in a center,” explains Dawne.Classes, ranging from 15 to 20 students, are offered from 6:30am to 9pm on weekdays and from 9am to 7pm on weekends and are taught by popular local instructors. Workshops and events host anywhere from 5 to 90 people and occur on a nightly basis. These are vast in variety and aim to hit everyone’s interest. Marawa, a five-time Guinness World Record holder for hula hooping teaches a Hoop Disco workshop, and Shakti Flow with Jessica Abner, is a dance party within a dance party. The popular Slam Poetry champion and multi-platinum winning songwriter, IN-Q Live, has brought his one-man poetry show to the space multiple times.These functions are often held in Wanderlust’s very own private event space, aptly dubbed The Greatest Place, which can hold 150 yoga mats or 350 people. This gigantic and grand room has done it all, having hosted morning rave’s, movie screenings, and, of course, daily yoga classes. Still, other spaces like the Meditation Lab hold their own, featuring such intricacies as teak wood floors from India and reclaimed wood made from wine barrels for the walls. Outside the Haven--their hot yoga studio--is a mural of buddhas created by artist, Amanda Giacomini as part of her 10,000 Buddhas installment.Events, workshops and classes can be purchased on a one-time basis or through memberships. Currently Wanderlust has just about 200 members, who, along with unlimited entry to classes, have access to members-only areas like the Library—stocked with comfy couches, books and games—and the Rooftop Lounge, both perfectly manicured spaces that provide a quiet place to reboot away from city life.So whether you find your inner downward dog through a morning dance party, a hula hooping workshop, or just from chatting with friends over a healthy meal, Wanderlust Hollywood just might make a believer out of you—specifically, an LA one. Dress the part.Lindsay DeLong is the Managing Editor of The Fullest and also an avid morning raver and wannabe hula hooping champion. Look for her at the next Wanderlust workshop or find her at lindsay@thefullest.com or on social media via @lindizzaster.