You’re standing on the sun-drenched, sea-breezy corner of Catalina and Avenue I in Riviera Village, and you see yourself reflected in the glass door of Allomi. As you open the door and step inside the light-filled main room, you know you’ve entered a very different kind of fitness studio.Bringing together movement, meditation and mindfulness, Allomi is a workout on every level.
Whether you’ve come for a joyful, sweat-drenched, dance-inspired hour of plyo-jam, a soul-soothing guided meditation, transformative Kundalini yoga, a writer’s circle, or any of the other not-your-average classes and workshops on Allomi’s schedule, you can feel owner Amber Susa’s passion for addressing all of you.
Sometimes our bodies work for us, and sometimes we have to work for them.
Amber started training her body, mind and emotions to work as a whole when she was a kid. A child actress and lifelong dance enthusiast, movement was always a part of her life—and it became her way of managing her emotions and internal stress. A career in fitness was a fulfilling way for Amber to use her gifts as a performer and her innate desire to help others, and it led her to open what would become a popular high-intensity training studio in Hermosa Beach. But after her children were born, Amber’s body began to send her some unfamiliar new signals.
“I started having severe low back issues,” Amber recalls. “And I had never had anything physically wrong with me before—nothing that ever limited my ability to move. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t stand up straight, I couldn’t pick my son up out of his crib…and I couldn’t teach fitness classes. I was really terrified.”
From working out to working inward
A friend introduced Amber to meditation, and a journey began that would, over time, open Amber up to a world of possibilities for health and healing beyond what she had accessed before. As she gradually healed her back, she began to feel the need to give people more than just exercises to flatten their abs.
“I believe that our bodies manifest things that need to be addressed emotionally, spiritually, and mentally,” she says. “My vision was to create a one-stop wellness center, where fitness involves every aspect of who we are. I’ve manifested the vision I set out to create, but it continues to shift. That’s part of the fun.”
Sharing the vision
In addition to leading fitness and meditation classes, Amber brings teachers from all disciplines into the studio, to offer experiences in everything from writing to running to reiki. But building a business from a personal vision can be a lonely journey, even when it involves serving others and working alongside like-minded people. For Amber, the Visionary Club has become a vital part of life as an entrepreneur.
“People come to Allomi to find the best in themselves, and I need to be the best I can be for them, every time they walk in that door. But sometimes uncertainty and fear creep in. You wonder ‘what if I’m just a dreamer?’ and its hard to get out of that frame of mind. It’s important to have a community that picks you back up. People you don’t have to pretend with, who can hold you up if you’re starting to feel down, and inspire you to stay with your vision. It’s the kind of support you don’t necessarily get from your spouse or your kids.”
Check out this month’s schedule of classes, workshops and events at allomi.com .
Follow @allomi on Instagram for updates and daily inspiration.
For more information visit The Visionary Club.