Five years ago, Tal Rabinowitz learned to meditate. At the time, she was entrenched in the corporate world, but she made it a point to incorporate the newfound practice into her routine. Carving out twenty minutes or a half hour during the workday, Rabinowitz made the point to sit. But it wasn’t always easy.

“I just thought, you know, if I could just go somewhere in the morning or at night and do this every day, I could have such a good practice. But I could never find that space,” she says. “There were places like that for, say, Pilates, but nothing for meditation.”

Today, meditation is her work life. This year, she founded The Den Meditation, a natural light-filled-studio on La Brea in Los Angeles. Decked out in block-printed cushions, comfortable, modern rockers, and perfectly worn kilim rugs, it’s an oasis of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of LA. Its classes include candlelit relaxation sessions, mindfulness meditations, reiki, qi gong, and much more.

The Den opened at a moment when meditation is in the public consciousness: meditation apps such as Headspace and Calm have taken off, and something called “meditation pods” are a thing. Rabinowitz takes no issue with app-guided meditation: “They’re all great—an app can lead you when you can’t do it yourself.” She says The Den isn’t there to replace a home practice, but the value in having a space like a studio is that it can hold you accountable.

Not to mention the social benefits: the Den has already established a strong community. Clients may be different ages, different sizes, and from different backgrounds, but everyone is united by their practice.

Rabinowitz says that the challenges of meditation have changed alongside her personal development. A lot of transformation has occurred in her life over the past few years, and at times, sitting still was the hardest part of her practice. In other periods, it’s simply a matter of finding the time.

No doubt, Rabinowitz lives life in a state of pursuit. Going from newbie to meditation studio founder in five years is impressive enough—she also has a newborn. I ask her if ambition and calm are mutually exclusive, or if one can help the other.

Opening The Den, she believes, has acted as a resolution of the two. “It’s perfect for me because it blends two worlds. I have a corporate background, and I am a go-getter, I have that part of me. And with meditation, I get to fulfill the spiritual part of me everyday. You can accept both sides of yourself.”

Five years ago, Tal Rabinowitz learned to meditate. At the time, she was entrenched in the corporate world, but she made it a point to incorporate the newfound practice into her routine. Carving out twenty minutes or a half hour during the workday, Rabinowitz made the point to sit. But it wasn’t always easy.

“I just thought, you know, if I could just go somewhere in the morning or at night and do this every day, I could have such a good practice. But I could never find that space,” she says. “There were places like that for, say, Pilates, but nothing for meditation.”

Today, meditation is her work life. This year, she founded The Den Meditation, a natural light-filled-studio on La Brea in Los Angeles. Decked out in block-printed cushions, comfortable, modern rockers, and perfectly worn kilim rugs, it’s an oasis of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of LA. Its classes include candlelit relaxation sessions, mindfulness meditations, reiki, qi gong, and much more.

The Den opened at a moment when meditation is in the public consciousness: meditation apps such as Headspace and Calm have taken off, and something called “meditation pods” are a thing. Rabinowitz takes no issue with app-guided meditation: “They’re all great—an app can lead you when you can’t do it yourself.” She says The Den isn’t there to replace a home practice, but the value in having a space like a studio is that it can hold you accountable.

Not to mention the social benefits: the Den has already established a strong community. Clients may be different ages, different sizes, and from different backgrounds, but everyone is united by their practice.

Rabinowitz says that the challenges of meditation have changed alongside her personal development. A lot of transformation has occurred in her life over the past few years, and at times, sitting still was the hardest part of her practice. In other periods, it’s simply a matter of finding the time.

No doubt, Rabinowitz lives life in a state of pursuit. Going from newbie to meditation studio founder in five years is impressive enough—she also has a newborn. I ask her if ambition and calm are mutually exclusive, or if one can help the other.

Opening The Den, she believes, has acted as a resolution of the two. “It’s perfect for me because it blends two worlds. I have a corporate background, and I am a go-getter, I have that part of me. And with meditation, I get to fulfill the spiritual part of me everyday. You can accept both sides of yourself.”