A Love Letter to Encinitas
Ten years after moving to California, launch week in Encinitas feels like a true full-circle moment. Here is why choosing an independent co-op space matters to me, why we need to protect local movement, and what you can expect when you step onto the mat at Oasis this Wednesday.
In 2016, we packed up our lives in Chicago and brought our kids out to the ocean air of Encinitas. Ten years prior, we had left Sweden when they were just toddlers. But from the moment we landed in North County, this town became our true California home.
Fast forward to right now: our daughter is back in Sweden studying at university, our son is moving to Canada as we speak to coach hockey, and for now, my husband and I are soaking up every moment in the town that helped raise our family.
Living here for a decade means watching how Encinitas has evolved. We've all felt the shift as skyrocketing commercial rents have made it almost impossible for local mom-and-pop yoga studios to survive. One by one, authentic community spaces get priced out, replaced by corporate chains with mass-produced schedules and scripted teachers.
If we want yoga to stay what it used to be, a genuine, unscripted sharing of the practice, we have to support independent spaces.
That is why choosing a co-op space at Oasis for my own independent classes was a deliberate choice. When you step onto the mat with me, you aren't walking into a corporate gym cycle. You are entering an intimate space built around human connection, continuous breath guidance, and actual rest for your mind.
As my kids launch into their own next chapters, I am so honored to launch this new chapter with the town that welcomed my family a decade ago.
Come flow with me at Oasis this week:
Launch Date: Wednesday, September 2nd
Location: Oasis Encinitas
Never Lose the Breath
We've all seen the Reels poking fun at yoga teachers who overshare mid-pose. When you step onto your mat, you came to quiet your brain, not take in someone else's commentary. Here is why intentional breath guidance matters far more than filling the room with talk.
We’ve all seen the Reels poking fun at yoga teachers who talk endlessly about their personal lives mid-pose. The comment section tells the whole story: when you step onto your mat, you came to quiet your brain, not to take in someone else's daily commentary.
There is a big difference between talking just to fill the room and providing continuous breath guidance.
My voice is strictly there as an anchor. I believe that your practice is yours and yours alone. We take what we need, and we leave the rest. The only thing I ask from my students is that they breathe.
From start to finish, I cue every single inhale and every single exhale alongside your movement. You don't have to guess when to transition, count your own breath, or manage your tempo. By holding that rhythm out loud, I take the mental load off your shoulders so your brain can finally stop working for an hour.
When you don't have to overthink the movement, your nervous system drops out of stress mode and into real recovery. You leave the room feeling lighter, grounded, and truly rested.
Come flow with me in North County
You can experience this fully-guided style with me throughout the week across North County, including my newest weekly class at Oasis Encinitas, launching Wednesday, September 2nd.
Oasis Launch: Wednesday, September 2nd
Location: Oasis Encinitas
Visit: balancebymalin.com to secure your mat.