Where to om: SoCal yoga guide

You’re driving around town when all of a sudden you have a hankering for an eclectic, Vinyasa-style yoga class. But you’re miles from home and haven’t a clue where to go. What do you do?

You open the glove box and pull out your handy Yoga Guide Southern California, a pocket-size handbook that lists studios in various neighborhoods. Although it doesn’t feature every location — which might be tough, considering Southern California probably has as many yoga studios as it does Starbucks — it does include Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Glendale, Woodland Hills, the South Bay, Irvine, Chino Hills, Pasadena and other environs (although oddly, downtown L.A. was left out). Each listing includes the studio's address, phone, website, and a brief description of what it offers. City Yoga in L.A., for example, is described as Anusara-based, a place where "the kindest instructors will encourage you to face your fears and meet them head on, on the mat."

A couple of online guides also offer studio listings (LA Yoga magazine and Yoga Journal have them, as does Citysearch). The advantage to this one is that it can be easily slipped into a bag or briefcase. The book is courtesy of Lululemon Athletica, a chain of yoga-inspired athletic clothing stores, some of which also feature yoga and fitness classes. According to the company’s publicist, community leaders and store managers researched and visited local places to come up with the directory. It also features a short list of healthy restaurants, plus tips for attending your first class.

Just like the best things in life, the guide is free, available at Lululemon Athletica stores.

-Jeannine Stein

Photo: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times