So I called to ask about the yoga class schedule and decided to start with the Monday Lunch Break class. 
Welcome to Yoga Circle Downtown LA!
The Yoga Circle Downtown Studio is inside of a spacious vault. It has high ceilings, the warm yellow and grey walls, a lotus mural, and the Sanskrit inscriptions. 
The sunlight comes in through the giant skylight. There is a feeling of openness and space here.
I had an impression that I entered a Yoga Temple.
The Monday Lunch Break class filled up quickly.
Most students left their things in the wooden cabinet drawers and proceeded to settle in.
They rolled out the yoga mats, stretched, had a rest, permitted themselves to restore and revitalize.
A few people from the class were the locals from the area. I met a neighborhood politician, a man and a woman who work nearby.
A woman next to me was a sculptor who recently moved to Downtown. It was her first time in this studio.
Meet one of the best Downtown yoga teachers
Knekoh Frugé warmly welcomed her students.
The radiant yoga teacher is also consultant and studio owner of the Yoga Circle Downtown.
I was surprised to learn that her yoga studio is completely analog.
Knekoh stores the administrative information she needs on the alphabetically sorted index cards. These small file storage boxes help her to replace the digital. 
Before, Knekoh used to bring a laptop to the class.
But she and her students could sense the presence of the machine in the room.
To help her students to disconnect, Knekoh decided to stop using a laptop in the studio.
I realized that it’s my habit to put a phone near the yoga mat, even if I have no intention to use it.
Next time I joined the class, I left the phone in a wooden storage box like most other participants.
I noticed how serene I felt as soon as I got on the floor.
It was relaxing to be in a spacious place and in a group of people breathing slowly, working on their asanas to unlock prana. I was in an oasis of positive vibes and peaceful concentration.
Doing yoga in Downtown
Knekoh started the session with a brief exchange of the news.
She shared a story of her funny surfing experience at the beach the day before.
Her cheerful and bubbly manner put everyone at ease and helped us to connect.
Then, we moved to asanas. Knekoh demonstrated and explained all the poses she was instructing.
She has been teaching and practicing yoga for over 20 years.
Today, she is an advocate of the “real yoga”:
it is very physical but also breath-centered and conscious driven.
The main goal remaining to prepare the body for Meditation.
Breathe, Align, and Meditate in DTLA
As our class was rolling out, Knekoh walked around, helping to find a better alignment. She corrected the postures and gently encouraged:
“Doesn’t it feel better now?”
It surely did!
A giant gong was played to close out the practice of the class with a harmonic hush.
The woman next to me, a sculptor who recently moved to Downtown, told that she was looking to come back.
She felt happy and at peace.
I also knew that I would come back again.
Want to learn more about Knekoh and why she loves Downtown LA? Read here.
Planning to come to the class? Mention MADEINMARAIS to get your Welcome to Yoga Circle Downtown Special Price on the class packages.