Free L.A. Spaces Where You Can Rejuvenate Mind and Body

Sometimes we all need to hit that refresh button. Move the body. Take a breath. Settle the mind. And it helps when there are dedicated spaces to facilitate the reprieve. Fortunately, Los Angeles is chock full of them.

So what do we mean? Well, how about fitness classes. How about yoga flows, meditation sessions, and even a mindfulness lounge? But if that all sounds super-duper expensive then guess again. This wouldn’t be a Metro-We Like L.A. collab if everything we mention isn’t 100% free to attend!

And just as well, all events/series catalogued below are also accessible by Metro rail or bus lines. Because let’s be honest, it kind of misses the point to trigger a traffic headache on the way to your train your brain (or muscles for that matter).

Art & Meditation at LACMA

Next up in LACMA’s Art and Meditation series, educator Alicia Vogl Sáenz leads a slow art-looking exercise in at the Resnick Pavilion in conjunction with the exhibition Simone Leigh, followed by a group meditation. The event is scheduled for August 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. No experience necessary and free to attend, but make sure you register in advance. Go Metro: Take Line 20/720 along Wilshire Blvd.

Wellness & Waves

Wellness & Waves is a seasonal series of group fitness events soon to return for the fall, and it comes in two parts. For the runners out there, start with a breezy group job from 8 to 9 A.M. Next, instructors lead a group yoga flow at the west end of the pier from 9 to 10 a.m. The event is 100% free to attend, and takes place every Saturday from September 7 to October 24. If you’re doing the yoga, make sure to bring a mat! Go Metro: Take the E Line to Downtown Santa Monica Station.

Grand Park Wellness Break

On Wednesdays and Fridays, Gloria Molina Grand Park hosts Health & Wellness Break classes to help get you moving and reset your body. Beginning at noon, the thirty minute flows take place on the performance lawn (between Grand Ave and Hope St), backdropped by City Hall. Bonus: On third Thursdays Grand Park has a Wildcard Wellness Series offering 45-minute sessions with varying emphasis, hosted at the same location. Go Metro: Take the B or D Lines to Grand Park / Civic Center station

The Courtyard Series at One Colorado

Old Pasadena shopping destination One Colorado is currently offering a pair of special monthly activations focused on wellness/fitness. On second Saturdays from 9 to 10.m., catch free fitness sessions. Then on third Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. they’ll offer a suite of complimentary wellness activities. Free to attend, but space is first-come, first-served. Go Metro: Take the A Line to Memorial Park station.

Mindfulness Lounge at Japan House

Experience Japanese-style mindfulness at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles Level 5 Salon, where a Mindfulness Lounge invites guests can sooth their senses with comfortable Japanese mats and cushions, projections of beautiful scenery, healing music and natural sounds, and fragrant aromas. The Salon is open to the public Monday and Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., subject to closure (so make sure you check before you go). Go Metro: Take the B Line to Hollywood / Highland Station.

Self-Care Yoga at CAAM

One Saturday (usually) a month, California African American Museum offers a sixty-minute flow session led by yoga and meditation teacher Constance Hartwell. No previous experience is necessary, but you’ll want to bring a mat. Go Metro: Take the E Line to Expo Park / USC Station.

Sunset Yoga on the Steps

On Tuesday evenings at the Culver City Steps (about an 8 minute walk from Culver City Station), you can join a free group yoga classes led by instructors from Corepower Yoga. The one-hour sessions are free to attend, but you have to register on the Corepower website. Class starts at 6:30 p.m. (weather permitting) and run through September 10. Go Metro: Take the E Line to Culver City Station.

Mindfulness Meditation at The Hammer

UCLA Mindful, the mindfulness education center at UCLA Health, is no doubt one of our city’s best meditation resources. As part of their satellite programming, they organize drop-in sessions at The Hammer on Thursdays where participants work through a thirty-minute meditation session with a focus on mindfulness, which is defined as the “moment-by-moment process of actively and openly observing one’s physical, mental, and emotional experiences.” If you can’t make it in-person, there is an online broadcast of the meditation as well so you can follow along remotely, or even watch past sessions. Go Metro: Take Line 20/720 along Wilshire Blvd OR take Line 761 to Wilshire / Westwood.

Mindfulness Meditation at Central Library

Can’t make it over to The Hammer on a weekday? Consider that UCLA Mindful also hosts midday meditation sessions in Downtown L.A. at Central Library. The group meditation takes place every Thursday at Meeting Room A beginning at 12:30 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A, B, D, E, or J lines to 7th Street / Metro Center Station.

Mindfulness Meditation at Santa Monica Hospital

UCLA Mindless also kickstarted their lunch-time drop-in meditation sessions at the Santa Monica Hospital Auditorium. These thirty minute sessions take place from 12:30 to 1 p.m. every Tuesday, and are open to staff, patients, and the general public. Go Metro: Take Line 4 to Santa Monica / 14th.

2024 Fall FitspoLA Series

The FitspoLA series returns to The Bloc this Saturday for the first of three fall classes (presented by UCLA Health) offering participants an hour-long session focusing on dynamic movements to increase flexibility, restore balance and strengthen core muscles. Dates are August 24, September 21, and October 19. Free to attend, but pre-registration required. Parking validation for attendees $12. Go Metro: Take the B, D, A, or E Line to 7th Street / Metro Center.


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