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Founded in 2018, OPEN is a mindfulness app with a wide range of classes like breathwork, mindfulness meditation and yoga. After doing numerous pop-ups throughout the LA area, OPEN opened its first in-person studio in Venice in May 2023. This iconic neighborhood is the homeland of hippie culture and wellness practices, which is why opening OPEN in the heart of Venice is a no-brainer. The place is located in a little alley, right off the boardwalk.
What sets OPEN apart from other meditation apps is the modern and sleek layout of the website. It’s very immersive and the cinematography of the classes is excellent. When I first went on the website and watched all the preview videos of the classes, it piqued my interest even more. “Is it yoga or a meditation class?” I thought. Here’s an excerpt from their website:
“Immersive, cinematic classes transport you to the here and now. Access thousands of on-demand and live broadcasted breathwork, meditation, and movement classes.Designed with the science of fitness and the wisdom of mindfulness.”
To translate the immersive atmosphere from the app to the in-person studio, OPEN partnered with the sustainable architectural firms Leong Leong and David Hertz Architects. The latter is based in Venice Beach and has earned many accolades thanks to its climate change activism.
The studio is designed to immerse guests in a different realm. For a moment, I forgot that I was in Venice, but rather I felt like I was in a cabin in the woods.
Note: The class was full and it was very hard to get good shots of the space without people in the background — which is why, to respect their privacy, I decided not to share them. 🙂 Some of the pictures below are from the official website.
The wooden walls and the round “open” window in the ceiling really brought me into a serene and meditative state. I also like how they used natural light, which is said to have a positive effect on your mood.
I didn’t take a picture of the hallway. The one is below is from Yelp. I blocked out people’s faces. 🙂 How cool is the tree branch?
Besides breathwork and meditation classes, the studio offers yoga and hot + cold therapy. The latter features a sauna and a cold plunge. It is recommended to book your hot + cold session in advance due to the high demand!
After I checked in, I went to the locker room to put my shoes and bag in the locker. Being there was a chance to meet other people and chat. I met a guy named Jacint, who was from Barcelona. Jascint said that he’d been living in LA for nine months and that by far, his first months were the hardest. We didn’t get to mingle that much because the class was about to begin, but this just goes to show the sense of community at OPEN and other meditation centers that I’ve been to in the past. Everyone was so nice and most people were willing to meet each other and strike up conversations.
The first time I came across OPEN was about 2 years ago through fitness instructor Alexis Fischer. She said that OPEN was her go-to meditation app. Intrigued, I downloaded it and had my first virtual class with Manoj Dias. I loved his teaching style and how good I felt after his class. This is also why I decided to book my class that day with him specifically.
Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Manoj is the co-founder of Open. Ten years ago he was the director for a big financial institution when he had a panic attack at work. This was a pivotal moment that led Manoj to immerse himself in Buddhist practice and co-found A-SPACE, Australia’s first multidisciplinary drop-in meditation studio. Today, Manoj is one of the most sought after meditation teachers. He’s also an author, mindful brand consultant and yoga teacher.
From the moment Manoj walked into the room, I felt a sense of peace and tranquility. There are a few Youtube videos (here), where you can get a sneak peek of his amazing classes and teaching style, but I highly recommend taking an in-person class with him!
His presence alone put me at ease and made me want to slow down in the same way as when I see a Buddha statue. As Manoj made his way to the front of the room, some people taking the class for the first time whispered as they recognized him. Manoj shared how, earlier in the day, a girl exclaimed that it was 11:11, and how that was the most “Venice” thing he’d ever heard.
Manoj then proceeded to give us a short introduction and a full breakdown of what we were about to experience. For those who don’t know, breathwork can be traced back to ancient Eastern practices and it’s also widely used in the military to help with PTSD. Breathwork actives your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and slows down our heart rate. In other words, it’s an excellent tool for quieting the chatter and tuning in with yourself.
I’ve taken breathwork classes before, so I already knew what to expect, but if it’s your first time practicing it, know that it’ll be a very intense experience for your nervous system. Manoj asked if anyone was doing breathwork for the first time and gave special cues if at any point anyone felt overwhelmed.
Before we put our sleep masks on, Manoj encouraged us to say hi to the person next to us. The girl next to me asked me if it was my first time and when I said yes, she praised him and told me that I was going to love my experience, “he’s the best”, she said.
On the mat, there were also neatly folded blankets in case you get cold or need some comfort.
His cadence, his cues, his accent and the smoothness of his voice were a cozy blanket to my ears. Manoj also curated the best music playlist for this class that ranged from Afrobeat to calming ambient music. All of the rhythms perfectly matched our breathing patterns.
When I practice breathwork at home with Youtube videos, the tingling and cold sensations were not as intense as the in-person class.
When the music was over, we slowly sat back up to our regular cross-legged position. Manoj asked us to talk about our experiences, but most of us were either drowsy from what we’d just experienced or too shy to share in front of 50 strangers.
Because breathwork is such an intense somatic experience, Manoj told us not to drink alcohol for the next two hours and highly recommended staying hydrated throughout the day. He even offered us tea before we stepped out of the door. The studio also offers chocolate treats at the end of the class, but these were not available. Manoj jokingly admitted that the staff hid them because he always ended up eating all of them.
After your mental reset at OPEN, I encourage you to go for a walk on the boardwalk afterwards to further clear your head and soak in the fresh sea breeze. Parking in Venice is not as bad as other areas, so you might end up finding a spot on the street. Otherwise, there’s a lot right across from the studio.
Overall, I loved my experience at OPEN: the community feel, the wide range of classes, the aesthetic, and the class with Manoj. It was the most powerful breathwork class I’ve ever taken! You can listen to his carefully curated playlist on Spotify through this link.
Book your in-person class here.
Address: 57 Market St. Los Angeles, CA 90291.
If you want to know more about breathwork, you can read my article about the studio BREATHWRK (here), which opened in Venice last year. The studio closed down because they have plans to move to a different location. However, the former manager, Arianna, gave me a big insight on why breathwork is so important to regulate our nervous system.
