Enthusiasts stretch it a bit on Yoga Day

Alicia Robinson

Two competing Southern California stereotypes met and mingled

Saturday as a bevy of yoga enthusiasts performed their exercises amid

strolling shoppers at Fashion Island.

With nothing but a quarter-inch of foam rubber between them and

the stony sidewalk, participants bent, stretched and balanced during

a free yoga class in the courtyard in front of the new Lululemon

Athletica store.

“It was nice to do yoga in the sun outside,” said Jeremy Sandahl,

55, a boat captain who lives in the San Juan Islands but is currently

working in Newport Beach.

Organizers of the class -- Lululemon Athletica and local studio

Yoga Works -- were worried it might rain, but the weather was

gorgeous, and the only clouds to be seen were distant, nonthreatening

and fluffy white.

The class was held in honor of Yoga Day USA., and it was offered

at Fashion Island to expose a wider variety of people to the benefits

of yoga, Lululemon store manager Paige Kerr said.

“There’s lots of people that’ll be in the mall for other reasons

that we had the intention and hope to inspire,” she said.

The Canadian chain of athletic wear stores is just beginning to

spread here. The Fashion Island store opened around Thanksgiving, and

it already has a full “community board,” which refers customers to

other health-related businesses in the area.

Saturday’s class was led by Geo Takoma, an instructor from Yoga

Works who’s been teaching yoga for about 30 years. In a soothing

voice, he directed about 40 participants through stretches, a series

of standard yoga poses and breathing exercises during the hour-long

class.

Yoga Works founder Randi Beck was excited about the turnout.

“A long time ago, people said, ‘Oh it’s just a fad,’ but it’s

not,” she said. “Every magazine you pick up, everything you read

today, has an aspect of yoga for your physical health.”

Some of those who took the class would undoubtedly agree. Maggi

Forootan, 44, dropped by from Santa Ana to get some exercise.

“It’s a way to work out and strengthen your body, but it’s also a

way to strengthen your spirit,” she said.

Others liked the perk they got after class -- a slice from a

towering confection of a cake decorated with flowers and dragonflies.

“It was fun,” said 10-year-old Melanie Arzouman, who sometimes

does yoga with her mother, Sylvia Bissonette of Newport Beach. “And

you get free cake.”

While passersby often paused to see what was going on, they

weren’t moved to throw down their shopping bags to join in.

“It looks painful,” said Shirley Sperrazza of Newport Beach,

before admitting: “It probably is very relaxing once you’ve been in

it for awhile.”

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.