Yoga Studio Reinvigorates Former Dutton’s Books Building

Who says the fried chicken and fitness crowds can’t happily coexist? Certainly not the people at InYoga Center in Valley Village.

The studio opened in the former Dutton’s Books building last April, and attracts students of all levels – including customers from the Popeye’s Chicken right next door.

“We have a few Popeye’s customers who are now students,” said studio co-owner Julie Buckner. At the risk of disclosing the instructors who might diverge from a health conscious diet, she said there are also “a few unnamed teachers” who get their fill of chicken after class.

This mix of people is in keeping with a studio that replaced Dutton’s Books, a beloved Valley gathering spot for 45 years.

“My friends and I would sit on the floor of Dutton’s during breaks from Oakwood School and read books,” said Buckner. She went to school within walking distance of her new business, and her family’s life remains rooted in the neighborhood. Her children go to the same school and the family lives eight blocks from the studio.

Buckner had a long held dream of opening a yoga studio and boutique that would “serve a need and a desire in the community,” and thought that it would be a good fit in Dutton's former location, she said.

The community is responding. Class sizes have doubled since August, with as many as 55 students filling the 1,600 square- foot space. Now in their tenth month, 3,000 people have practiced at InYoga, choosing from among 50 classes a week.

While most students are from the nearby communities of North Hollywood, Valley Village, Sherman Oaks and Studio City, other regulars come from as far afield as the South Bay and Valencia, said co-owner Kelly Simonsen.

Part of the attraction is the studio’s design. It features wood floors, warm colors on the walls, furniture from around the world, a boutique/gathering area for conversing and bathrooms with spa styled showers.

Clay Kyle is among InYoga’s teachers. He has taught at more than 15 studios in the Los Angeles area during his nine years as an instructor. Kyle is quick to praise the unique qualities that each studio offers. However, he describes InYoga as “probably the most beautiful space I’ve ever taught, as far as a public studio.”

He also praises the owners' commitment to community building, both with students and with teachers.  “Julie and Kelly talk to me personally, they really want my feedback,” Kyle said. The staff also makes every student feel welcome, greeting them as they come in and learning their names, he said.

Such policies were by design. Buckner and Simonsen wanted the studio to seem like a home away from home for students. Buckner went so far as to load up furniture from her house and her mother’s house in order to fill the space with beautiful objects. Students appreciate the ambience they’ve created.

“Just walking in there I feel good,” said student Debby Jay. “I love it -- the color, the floors, the furniture … the environment is very harmonious with how I want to be.”

Jay is one of several former Dutton’s customers who embrace the way the space has been revitalized. “It’s picking up even more of what Dutton’s had,” Jay said. “You don’t go to a bookstore every day. Here, I see people several times a week.”

Another student, Dave Tennan, loved the look of the studio, but also the responsiveness of the staff. “I met the people and I just had confidence the minute I walked in,” Tennan said. It prompted him to become the studio’s first customer to buy a 6-month unlimited pass. He bought it the week they opened and has been an active member since.

While the studio’s appearance and staff are big draws, both students cite the health benefits they receive as a result of their studies.

“I’m able to do things that a lot of people my age can’t do” said Jay, who is 57. “A lot of the poses require a lot of strength or balance … you get stronger and more flexible.”

Both Jay and Tennan relish the quality of instruction offered, and are inspired by their fellow classmates. “I feel honored to be in the presence of the other students and the teachers, so I do my best,” Tennan said.

Tennan brings his yoga practice to his job as a real estate broker. “I try to be balanced and to make other people feel balanced and calm,” Tennan said of his work with clients who are making life-changing decisions.

The range of classes can challenge students looking for a more vigorous workout or a more moderate one. But since the studio aims to welcome people of all ages and experience levels, beginner’s workshops and classes are also offered.  

“In certain parts of town it can seem like a competitive place where there is more showing off,” Jay said of other yoga studios. “I like that everyone (at InYoga) doesn’t have a perfect body,” Jay said. “People are there because they want to feel to feel better.”

What: InYoga Center

Where: 5142 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Valley Village, CA 91607

Contact: (818) 508-8040     www.inyogacenter.com