Yogaphiles | Trilogy Sanctuary La Jolla

Hi, my name is Amelia, and I am a yogaphile. I love yoga. I love it in most of its shapes and forms, in it’s sweaty goodness, in it’s deep relaxation. I love it for the breath, the movement, and the philosophy. I love to explore the boundaries of my comfort zone and challenge myself to new heights of sensation and perception. In this regular column, I will share with you my experiences exploring yoga classes and teachers both in my home of San Diego, California and my travels globally.

This week, I had the pleasure of attending two classes at Trilogy Sanctuary in La Jolla, California. Trilogy is unique in that it’s not just a yoga studio, but also a healing center and the MOST AMAZING vegetarian cafe. I mean… I don’t even know where to start. So, let’s start with the basics: where you can find this mecca of goodness – because believe me, you want to go here.

Location: Trilogy Sanctuary

Address: 7650 Girard Avenue, #400 La Jolla, CA 92037

Instructors: Leila Dora & Alexis Miller

Classes: Power Vinyasa & Aerial Yoga

Day/Time: Tuesday, 11AM & 12:30PM

Pricing: $18 drop in, $20 drop in Aerial

Membership: $140 unlimited monthly, $149 as Fitn member (check our Fitn here!)

Yoga Review: First, let me say that I would like to live at Trilogy. It has pretty much everything that I want in any given day: yoga, juice, bomb-ass veggie food, and ocean views.

In writing this blog post, one visit was not enough to experience all the awesomeness that this aptly named sanctuary has to offer. It took two visits, one appetizer, two entrees, one juice, and… ahem… three desserts for me to truly absorb how rad this place is. No guilt, though! All the food is organic, vegan, and gluten free, so you can indulge cheerfully and thrive. With a wide selection of indoor and outdoor yoga classes, it’s easy to work up an appetite for a three course meal.

I’d been meaning to check out a class in aerial yoga for a few months, and finally got around to booking a class at Trilogy on a Tuesday. For those unfamiliar with aerial yoga, it’s a form of supported hatha yoga using hammocks made of fabric to allow stretching with less pressure on the joints. It’s part acrobatics, part therapeutics, peppered with inversions and a whole lot of fun. If you decide to sign up for aerial, make sure you pre-register, because space is limited to eight students and the classes tend to sell out.

As a Fitn member*, I have access to unlimited monthly classes. This sometimes makes me ambitious enough to attend more than one class in a day. For my Trilogy visit, I decided to come early and check out a power vinyasa class before aerial, and I am so glad that I did. The class was led by Trilogy founder Leila Dora – aerialist, yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, nutritionist, and all-around lovely person.

Leila guided us through one of the most intelligently sequenced vinyasa flows I have taken in a long time – a sweet yet strong practice which led us through shoulder opening and strengthening, building mindfully to an exploration of arm balances like side crow and forearm stand. Leila’s teaching style is easy, natural, and approachable. Though the class was quite challenging, it never felt forced, and options were given for the two preggo goddesses in the mix. Savasana was deep and blissful – for me, that is always the test of whether the class “worked.”

After the vinyasa class I went straight out to the rooftop deck overlooking the Pacific and met the aerial instructor, Alexis. With a big smile, she welcomed me and assured me that even with no aerial experience, I was in good hands.

We started class with some light conditioning and warm ups, learning how to wrap the hammock around our wrists to get the proper grip to eventually invert. After moving through a creative warm up integrating the hammocks, we moved into some more challenging inversions and backbends, exploring and playing with lots of laughter! My only advice for newbies: come ready to laugh, and prepare to leave with a few bruises. If your teacher offers a cushion to protect your hips from the pressure of the hammock… you might want to take them up on it. 😉

Cafe Review: GO. EAT. HERE. The end.

Ok, ok, a little more info. Trilogy knocks the socks off every vegan/vegetarian/healthy food restaurant I have been to in San Diego. Really, I don’t feel right even lumping it into a “healthy food” category, because I think even the most carnivorous, standard-american-dieter would be drooling at the mouthwatering concoctions presented at this wonderful eatery. The ambiance of the cafe is warm and inviting – exposed brick, high ceilings, and wood accents are complemented by an intimate setting of tables and couches. The culinary laboratory is visible from the dining area, and good vibes mingle with the scent of REAL food wafting from the kitchen. The menu is divided into apps | salads | entrees | smoothies | desserts. My advice? Go for one from each category – and go with a friend, because the portions are generous and you’ll need help to devour everything you want to eat!

If you want to see the menu for yourself, go have a look. During my two visits, I sampled the spring rolls, spaghetti squash, buckwheat “BLT”, portobello mushroom tacos, decadent brownie, raspberry vanilla cheesecake, and triple layer chocolate mousse. My juice of choice was the “Radiance” – carrot, parsley, lime, orange, and cucumber. Everything is made with superfoods, chosen specifically for their nourishing and healing properties. More importantly, everything is DELICIOUS, filling, and oh-so-satisfying. Want to convert someone to veganism? Just take them to Trilogy.

I could seriously go on and on about how awesome this place is. But I don’t need to. Because now you’re hungry. So, go do some yoga, fly in the sky, and then get down with your bad self on true “soul food.” Nourish yourself. Visit Trilogy.

To the owners & staff: Thank you. You’ll be seeing a lot more of me. If only La Jolla had longer than two hour parking… you probably wouldn’t get rid of me.

Stay stoked, yogaphiles. Leave me a comment and let me know if you go check out this awesome studio!

*If you haven’t checked out Fitn yet, it’s a unique membership that gives access to over 150 gyms, yoga studios, barre, crossfit, and pilates – as well as specialty classes like SUP yoga, kettlebell, and TRX. Get more information about Fitn here.