Beauty
Health
OIL Boom
Once the domain of health-food stores and hippie aunts, essential oils are spilling over into the
mainstream, with dedicated workshops being held everywhere from Los Angeles to New York. At
a dinner party I recently attended, the chic woman sitting next to me whipped out a tiny rollerball
and twirled it on her temples. “Cannabis oil, mixed with peppermint and sage,” she explained. “It
makes me less tense around the jaw.” When applied topically to the pulse points, inhaled, or even
ingested, these superpotent plant extracts pack a one-two punch: The scent affects mood, while the
plant medicines can have an impact on physiology. An increasing number of peer-reviewed medical
studies have shown that certain oils—cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary, for example—have an
antibacterial effect, and a study published earlier this year showed that geranium and rose oils may
raise estrogen levels in perimenopausal women. Desperate for a solution to my tension headaches, I
visited the SoHo studio of Oceana Baity, a yoga instructor and acupuncturist who has started leading
essential-oil classes. For 45 heady minutes, Baity diffused a springy grapefruit and bergamot oil into
the air, then pressed something zingy and herbaceous into the tips of my ears. I felt a little silly but
also, I had to admit, relaxed. The best part? One week later, I’m still headache-free. — JULIE BUNTIN
OUTSIDE
INTERESTS
I
SCENIC ROUTES
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: SAN
FRANCISCO’S GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE;
LOVE YOGA INSTRUCTORS; SANTA
MONICA BEACH; PHOTOGRAPH BY
JORG BADURA FOR VOGUE, 2004.
t used to be that an outdoor workout
meant going for a jog or rustling up a
tennis partner. Thanks to an array of
inventive new offerings on the fitness
scene, you can finally get your grade-A
instruction along with some vitamin D.
Manhattan stalwarts Sky Ting Yoga and New
York Pilates are pairing up to stage Abs Arms
Ass and Grass classes in Nolita’s Elizabeth
Street Garden. Across town, on the West
Village’s Charles Street Pier, Bandier’s editor-
packed Studio B offers cardio and sculpting
classes. All about props? Look no further
than San Francisco’s Kokoda, a mobile boot
camp whose trainers set up rowing machines
and squat racks in Crissy Field and Oakland’s
Lake Merritt, rain or shine. In Los Angeles,
head to VeniceBeach, where cult studio Love
Yoga’s instructors Kyle Miller and Sian
Gordon lead classes to the sounds of the
Pacific Ocean. You can also climb Runyon
Canyon with the Wildfire Initiative, whose
weekly Walk & Talk offering blends breath
work, meditation, and qigong with vigorous
hiking. The air just got a little fresher. — Z.R.
VOGUE.COM
FRO
HL/G
Fitness