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5 Essential Santa Monica Experiences

Explore an eco-chic corner of the beachside enclave

Jenny Hontz
1 /5 Andrea Gomez

Take it home

Stop by the Green Life for Amenity pillows made of a hemp and organic cotton blend, and stuffed with cotton and fiber from recycled plastic bottles.

Modern silk-screen patterns in earthy colors are printed with nontoxic water-based dyes. And they’re stylish to boot.

2409 Main St.; 310/392-4702.

2 /5 Andrea Gomez

Find your flow

You may find Kate Hudson or Heather Graham in downward dog on the mat next to you at Yogaworks, but yoga teachers such as Vinnie Marino and Sara Ivanhoe are the real stars here.

Classes attract hard-core yogis, so beginners should gravitate toward gentle hatha sessions with Jasmine Lieb, above.

Classes from $20; 2215 Main St.

3 /5 Andrea Gomez

Try some earthly eats

At Euphoria Loves Rawvolution, an organic, vegan, raw food joint, health is king. You’ll find no animal products, no gluten, and nothing cooked here (not even the cakes), but the veggies are fresh and pesticide-free.

Flop on a funky couch and check out psychedelic spiritual art as you sip cold tomato basil bisque, drink a Super Breakfast Smoothie, or munch on a green dragon roll.

$; 2301 Main St.; 310/392-9501.

4 /5 Andrea Gomez

Shop for natural threads

Natural High Lifestyle boutique proves that your clothes can be as organic as your produce. They use only natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo for their chic but casual clothing and accessories line.

Pick up a biodegradable jute yoga mat, cotton and hemp meditation cushions, or even a fair-trade balsa wood surfboard from Ecuador. The shop is cooled by a solar-powered fan and outfitted with bamboo floors and reclaimed-wood display racks.

2400 Main St., Ste. A-3

5 /5 Andrea Gomez

Asian-inspired wellness

Tao Healing Arts Center feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a spa. This old-school stop for traditional Chinese medicine and shiatsu massage is decorated with water features, Chinese kanji characters, and lanterns.

Try acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, nutritional counseling, sauna treatments, or classes in qigong and yoga.

For really deep relaxation, book a session with therapist Charoen Lintong, who combines shiatsu, Thai, deep-tissue, and lymphatic-drainage massage techniques.

From $35; 2309 Main St.