Fabric of the Community / Laguna Beach Yoga & Fair Trade
UPFRONT PLACES | PERSPECTIVES | HAPPENINGS
Products and Poses
LAGUNA BEACH YOGA & FAIR TRADE CO-OWNER KATIE BOND GALLEN HAS CULTIVATED A COMMUNITY SPOT THAT FOCUSES ON WELLNESS AND SUSTAINABILITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HER NONPROFIT , THE PEACE EXCHANGE .
By ASHLEY RYAN
Katie Bond Gallen at Fisherman ’ s Cove with husband , James , and daughters , Maia and Kalani
O ver the last decade , the success of The Peace Exchange has been understated . The nonprofit , which was established by Laguna Beach resident Katie Bond Gallen , works directly with artisans in countries like Kenya , Tanzania and Congo to sell their pieces while simultaneously improving their lives .
Through pop-up shops and an online store , the organization has flourished . But in September , Bond Gallen and her husband took things up a notch with the creation of the new Laguna Beach Yoga & Fair Trade , a downtown boutique and fitness studio that has already gained traction as a gathering place within the community . “ I feel like … [ Laguna Beach ] is this unique town where there is this focus on mindfulness and community . It ’ s like old Laguna — that heartbeat of old Laguna is still here ,” Bond Gallen notes . “ And so we ’ re trying to tap into that , … into what people are wanting — just to be part of something , to know your neighbor , to have a coffee . Bring your laptop , connect to our Wi-Fi , sit out there and just hang out . We want this to feel like a safe space where people can just feel a part of something bigger in a real peaceful way .”
As you enter into the boutique , you ’ ll find all of the fair trade offerings as well as a products made by local mothers , Native American jewelry , potted plants , crystals and more . A small snack bar provides coffee , tea and light bites while a bench under the window doubles as storage for shoes during class . Natural light floods both the shop and the adjoining studio , where classes and community events take place .
“ I feel like Laguna is this really sacred space where there are a lot of artisans and a lot of people …[ that give it ] an international feel ,” Bond Gallen says of combining the two concepts . “ And fair trade is very much supporting of international artisans . So I think more people are open to the concept of fair trade here .”
Although the doors have only been open a few months , Bond Gallen says that the community is already buzzing , with locals selling out some of their classes . In the future , Bond Gallen and her husband , James , plan to expand with more classes , community events featuring complimentary sessions , reiki training , yoga retreats and more .
“ We ’ re blessed to have this space ,” Bond Gallen adds . “ We feel like we get to open and close the doors , and we get to take out the trash and sweep the floor — we keep it clean and we keep the lights on . But we feel like it ’ s not our space , … it ’ s a space for everyone .”
MADISON SEIDE STUDIO
24 LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE . COM