I met Alanna at her studio, AZIAM Yoga, and was fortunate enough to be in one of her classes. She was also friends with one of my really good friends that teaches at her studio, so I knew that we would become friends as well.
Alanna is a registered ERYT-500 yoga instructor, Pilates and fitness instructor. In 2000, she founded her own unique YogaDance company based on combining the essential movements of yoga with modern dance. Her first performance was choreographed for a private party at Michael Jackson’s home and performed at Neverland. Her performances have been requested at fashion shows, conferences and private parties.
With a flare for style and design, Alanna launched the premium AZIAM Active Wear collections. Beyond her accomplishments as an instructor, performer, program director, writer, and designer, Alanna is a creative force and a teacher with a passion for kids. In addition to fourteen children’s books with yoga and wellness themes, she single-handed created The World’s First Yoga Doll and Soul Model collections.
Voted “Best Yoga Instructor in Los Angeles” in 2011 by LA Family Magazine and one of “Hollywood’s Hottest Trainers” by Shape Magazine in 2014, Alanna is passionate about teaching yoga through her classes, life and writing. She is the author of As I Am: Where Spirituality Meets Reality. Her children’s book titles include The Seven Doors, a children’s version of Deepak Chopra’s best selling The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
Alanna holds a BA in Child Development with a minor in Theatre/Dance from the University at Buffalo. She stars in five fitness DVDs: two produced by Natural Journeys: Yoga Total Body Makeover and Pilates Yoga Fusion, as well as three from Anchor Bay Entertainment: Beginner Level Yoga for Toning, Flexibility + Stress Relief, Cardio + Conditioning Yoga, and Beginner Level Yoga which became a nationally bestselling fitness DVD in 2016.
I’m so excited for you to learn a little bit more about Alanna Zabel!
Where are you from?
Buffalo, NY
What brought you to LA?
I was living in NYC and booked an ABC Movie of the Week, which for a young actress was kind of a big deal.
What has been your favorite LA experience?
Every day I am grateful for the weather and natural surroundings we are blessed with in LA – ocean, mountains, and sunshine.
What’s your advice for people new to LA?
Stay connected to who you are. It’s easy to get caught up in the “who’s who” of the city. Authenticity is the ultimate sexy, and you don’t need much more than that.
What inspired you to create AZIAM yoga?
I decided to get out of the acting industry because I started seeing parallels with the “characters” I played and my real life. I decided to only play “me”: Alanna Zabel – I AM became AZIAM.
What’s your favorite thing about teaching yoga?
Witnessing people connect with their true selves and drop any masks they may have been hiding behind.
Besides running the studio and practicing yoga, what are your other passions?
I still greatly enjoy performing Improv Comedy, writing, as well as surfing when I can get to Central America.
What’s your best tips for those who want to start a studio in LA?
Remember that everyone has their own opinions of how things should be done and everyone is an armchair quarterback, but when you’re the one playing in the game, focus on what you want to achieve and listen from within.
If LA was a yoga pose, which one would it be?
Royal Dancer
Watch our “Pros of LA” video below on Alanna’s top 5 tips on how to live a yogi life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WOrjudKAZk
You can learn more about AZIAM Yoga on their website or you can follow them on Instagram.
