>> Rose Bowl Green Expo will feature speakers, green exhibitors, and workshops on environmental topics. Be there Fri., July 23 from 10 am to 6 pm at The Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Register online.

>> Join me to Walk and Ride for a Safer 4th Street! Organized by the L.A. Bicycle Coalition, this event highlights efforts to turn 4th Street into a bike boulevard. The bike ride starts at 10 am from Pan Pacific Park, the walk starts at 10:30 am from 4th and Normandie and ends at Shatto Park, 3191 W. 4th St., Los Angeles — where free refreshments will await all participants.

>> Find handmade gifts and items at the FREE 2nd Annual Renegade Craft Fair. You’ll get to shop from more than 250 indie crafters, take advantage free workshops, and enjoy entertainment. The fair happens Sat., July 24 and Sun., July 25 from 11 am to 7 pm both days in Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N Spring St., Los Angeles. Earlier: On Spring: Organic cafe with locally-grown eats in L.A. State Historic Park.

>> After a 2-month break, EcoTuesday is back! Go meet fellow green businesspeople on Tues., July 27 starting at 7 pm at M Cafe de Chaya, 9343 Culver Blvd., Culver City. Earlier: EcoTuesday: Green business networking with a structure.

Like green LA girl’s Facebook page to learn about more fun green parties, sales, and events happening in the L.A. area!

Image via bravenewvoices.org

Last week, I finally got to practice Qigong — at Raksa in Culver City. In fact, thanks to Raksa, I’ve also gotten to try TaiChi and Feldenkrais Movement in the last month. That’s because Raksa offers a full schedule of movement classes — all in a roomy, peaceful studio featuring bamboo floors and low VOC paints.

A variety of yoga classes make up most of that schedule, but Tai chi, Qigong, and Feldenkrais movement classes are also offered, letting anyone easily try out these techniques without signing up at a school dedicated to the specific practices.

In many ways, Raksa’s like a one-stop-shop for all alternative wellness practices. In addition to the movement classes, the Culver City spot also has a macrobiotic cafe and offers eco-friendly salon services. Plus, Raksa also offers a long list of “energy” and “mind” services, ranging from the I-want-to-try-it acupuncture sessions to the I’ll-keep-an-open-mind-about-it reiki and hypnosis sessions to I-think-it’s-bullshit astrology readings and “past life regression” sessions. The services are offered by 30 different practitioners in the upstairs rooms — painted in corresponding chakra colors.

“All these things helped me at different times in my life, ” says Apinya Pokachaiyapat, Raksa’s founder, “and you want different things at different times.” Apinya — who has degrees in math, civil engineering, documentary filmmaking, and creative writing in addition to a yoga teacher certification — says Raksa seeks to offer people an alternative to western medicine that addresses all areas of wellness in a non-threatening, try-what-you-want sort of environment.

Many visitors come in for a simple yoga class or a therapeutic massage, but for those seeking a total package, Raksa offers a private evaluation and health consultation. For $100, you get a 2-hour consultation with Apinya and Lucien Demaris, a Feldenkrais practitioner and nationally certified bodyworker — to tackle anything from addiction and trauma to a simple desire for improved wellness. Together, the three of you will create a wellness package that “will encompass how you eat, what you do, kind of give a holistic approach in supporting you to get to your goal,” according to Apinya. That could combine everything from an ayurvedic diet plan to taichi classes to therapeutic massages to cranial sacral unwinding.

Don’t need or can’t afford a personalized plan? Then take advantage of the individual movement classes at $10 – $15 each — and the many different workshops offered at Raksa, which really run the gamut — from an “E&P Relation Workshop taught by a hypnotherapist to “The Psychotherapy of Yoga” taught by a clinical psychologist with a PhD. Those workshops usually cost $35 each, but free intro to yoga and Tai Chi workshops will be taught on Sat., July 11. Call to RSVP!

Raksa. 10846 Washington Blvd., Culver City. 310.559.7200.

Downtown Culver City’s become an eco-foodie’s paradise in recent years, with Tender Greens, M Cafe de Chaya, and other green eateries all in a row. But if you need a break from the busy downtown lunch crowd, powerwalk a mile east to find Culver City’s new organic spot: Raksa Cafe.

Here’s a great lunch or snack spot for locavores seeking health and wellness. This cute, sunny cafe offers a simple Thai-influenced menu with a focus on macrobiotic, aruyvedic, and vegan eats — made with organic, local ingredients.

For a quick lunch, try the soup of the day — above’s the rich and thick herbalicious vegan carrot squash soup ($3.95) I enjoyed — and pick out a few options from the salad display (below; $3.95-$12.95 each). Selections vary by day, but I especially loved the slightly spicy root vegetable salad. Sandwiches and fresh juices are also available.

These eats aren’t made at Raksa Cafe, which doesn’t have its own kitchen. Metro Cafe — a restaurant down the street which has a completely different menu — specially cooks up Raksa’s mostly-eco eats. Unfortunately, I discovered after lunch that the grilled salmon at Raksa’s actually farmed Atlantic salmon — which is on Seafood Watch‘s avoid list! I’ve recently noticed that L.A.-area restaurants that support local, organic produce often don’t include sustainable seafood in their eco-sourcing practices, so don’t make the fishy assumption I did, here or elsewhere.

Raksa Cafe also offers organic, fair trade loose leaf teas (above) that are as fragrant and beautiful as they are delicious. For snacks, try the healthy, vegan pastries specially baked up by Platine Cookies next door ($3.75 each), or ayurvedic bars (below; $4.25 each) handmade by Allison King, who also happens to be one of Raksa’s aestheticians.

After all, Raksa Cafe’s just one part of an entire wellness center that includes a spa offering relaxing arurvedic facials, a movement center with yoga and tai chi classes, and a long list of healing treatments for the mind and body. Stop by for yummy eats and a class, workshop, or beauty and wellness service.

Raksa Cafe. 10846 Washington Blvd., Culver City. 310.559.7200.

This week, $5 will get you either a falafel wrap and an M Chopped salad (above; to-go only). Next week, it’s a 2 Salad Combo (below’s one pair of options — the Scarlet Quinoa Salad and the Sesame Soba Noodle Salad) or a Tofu Bento (to-go only).

Then the week of June 21, pick between the Breakfast Enchilada (breakfast hours only) or Double Chocolate Fudge Cake (below). My verdict on the cake: The refined-sugar-free dessert isn’t exactly rich, fudgy decadence — but a nibble-worthy delight if your health aspirations are somewhat stronger than your sweet tooth’s true desires.

Plus, all month, Green Tea Roll Cake will also be available for $5. Unfortunately, those cakes ran out before I got there during M Cafe’s anniversary fest on June 5, when all items on the menu were available for $5 and healthy foodies created a line longer than at Pink’s around the corner.

M Cafe does offer seafood dishes — some of which are sustainable — but it looks like all the $5 specials are vegan. So if you thought a Big Mac combo was your only option because you only have $5 in your wallet, head to M Cafe for delicious food that’s actually good for you and better for the environment too.

M Cafe de Chaya. 7119 Melrose Ave. Hollywood. 323.525.0588. Additional locations in Culver City (9343 Culver Blvd.) and Beverly Hills (9433 Brighton Way).

At this serene wellness center in Culver City, facials shun the weird chemical-laden products used at many conventional salons. In fact, facials at Raksa are quite different from even the more natural facials at greener salons, which simply swap out conventional products for slightly greener ones. Allison King, one of the two aestheticians at Raksa, pampered my face with beauty remedies ranging from a treatment with eco-luxe Eminence products to the simple purity of a raw organic honey mask to the verging-on-very-hippie facial massage using wheat dough balls infused with aryuvedic herbs.

Plus, Allison incorporated her training and education in reflexology and ayurveda into my facial, making for a unique rejuvenating experience that left my mood as refreshed as my skin. Of course, Allison’s facial included the more typical relaxing steam — and a very gentle extraction too. Facials at Raksa use erb, a natural beauty product line from Thailand, supplemented with better-known brands like Eminence and Ascendant Health — as well as the so-organic-you-could-eat-it wheat dough and honey.

What I enjoyed most about the facial, however, were the mini-massages. Unlike some aestheticians who take off mid-facial, leaving you to lay alone beneath a steamer or mask, Allison uses these moments to treat you to firm but gentle massages. I felt some of the knots in my shoulders, arms, hands, and even scalp — created by my daily hours-long sessions in front of the laptop — slowly melting away under her hands.

Newly opened earlier this year, Raksa’s a complete wellness center that includes a cafe, movement studio, and wellness services — which I’ll write more about later — in addition to spa treatments. Eco-beauty seekers can opt between an hour-long basic facial (which is what I received) or an ayurvedic facial (which incorporates more ayurvedic herbs) for $70. Lymphatic drainage, Thai and microcurrent facials are also available at higher prices, as are add-on reflexology treatments.

One word of caution: Do request that the air conditioning be turned off before you begin your treatment, or you’ll risk listening to its loud whirr overpower the relaxing music for an hour.

Raksa. 10846 Washington Blvd., Culver City. 310.559.7200.

Earlier:
>> Purity Organic Spa: Eco-luxe facials with a personal green touch
>> Sea Wellness Spa at Casa del Mar: Luxe eco-pampering
>> Eco-friendlier facial at Arcona in Santa Monica

If M Cafe de Chaya had a location in Santa Monica, I’d be there every day. I enjoyed one of the most delicious organic macrobiotic meals there last month — the Miso Salmon Macro Lunch. The balanced meal comes with miso marinated organic farmed salmon, brown rice, broccolini, and cauliflower — all for $9.75. For 75 more cents, you can add an organic miso soup.

The Japanese Breakfast Bento’s a bargain too — moist black cod, served with rice, salad, and pickled vegetables for $14.

Macrobiotic dining’s what I generally refer to as “vegan, but with fish,” though I realize serious macro foodies have stricter definitions of the diet. At M Cafe, macrobiotic’s made organic and sustainable too; the restaurants also shun refined sugars.

While the Japanese meals are my favorite so far, M Cafe offers contemporary macrobiotic versions of international fare — from Korean bibimbap to big Californian salads to grilled tuna burgers and fries to baked goodies. Walk into the sunny restaurant on Melrose, and you’ll be tempted by all the prepped salads, wraps, and sushi rolls on display while waiting in line to order.

Order, take a number, then stake out a spot. The Melrose spot has both indoor and outdoor tables — including a communal table, if you’re feeling social. I advise dining extra early or late, since the restaurant can get super busy and crowded during peak meal times.

When I visited again earlier this week, I went for the Wild Salmon Wrap special — a good option for pescatarians who don’t want to eat farmed salmon, even if it is organically farmed. That wrap was pretty good — and the red quinoa salad I got as a side was excellent — but I instantly had salad envy when I saw my friend’s crisp, fresh, M Chopped arrive.

That’s what I’ll be getting when I visit next. I finished off my meal with a comforting soy latte — made with organic, fair trade coffee, though from Starbucks-owned Seattle’s Best — which was a bit too foamy and not quite as good as the food, but decent enough. I loved M Cafe’s Green Day veggie juice though, which I’ll be writing more about later.

Believe it or not, I’ve yet to try any of M Cafe’s baked goods — mainly because I never leave enough room for dessert! Assuming M Cafe’s bid to open a restaurant at LAX goes through, I look forward eating healthier macro cupcakes at the airport in the future. What’s your favorite meal at M Cafe?

M Cafe de Chaya. 7119 Melrose Ave. Hollywood. 323.525.0588. Additional locations in Culver City (9343 Culver Blvd.) and Beverly Hills (9433 Brighton Way).

>> Get to know Culver City intimately by joining the Tour de Culver City, “a guided walk for people of all ages and abilities with the Culver City Historical Society” that’ll include portions of the Culver City Pedestrian Network Initiative proposed improvements. Meet for the two-hour event on Sat., May 15 at 10 am at the Lion Fountain in the Town Plaza, 9500 Culver Blvd, Culver City.

>> Foodies willing to make the trek to Brea won’t want to miss You Are What You Eat: A Delicious Journey into Food and Nutrition, an all day eco-foodie event featuring Mariel Hemingway, Real Food Daily founder Ann Gentry, food demos, book signings, and more. Eating begins Sat., May 15 from 10 am – 4 pm at the Brea Community Center, 695 Madison Ave., Brea. Cost: $20.

>> Go on the ALL-VALLEY LA River tour with the Friends of the Los Angeles River and see the L.A. River up close — while taking breaks for with Thai noodles and Cuban bakery goods. The carpool tour happens Sun., May 16 from 9 am to 4 pm. Meet up at Bette Davis Picnic Area (across the 134 from the Griffith Park zoo) to form carpools. Cost: $25 ($20 for FoLAR members). Earlier: A Pictorial ode to the L.A. River.

>> Bike Week L.A. means fun events on two-wheels all week for Angelenos, from the blessing of the bikes to bike to work day. Find out more at L.A. Bicycle Coalition’s event calendar.

>> Attend a special Metro Westside Subway Extension Meeting to find out about alignment alternatives between Century City & Westwood/UCLA Stations. Tues., May 18 from 6 pm – 8 pm at Westwood United Methodist Church – Fellowship Hall, 3rd Fl., 10497 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Earlier: Update on the Subway to the Sea.

Image via greenerfest.com

>> Go to West Side Green Drinks to mingle with fellow environmentalist over organic Frey wine tonight, Thurs., May 6, from 7 pm – 10 pm at The Green Life, 2409 Main St., Santa Monica.

>> The 7th Annual Alt Build Expo invites all to check out more than 150 exhibitors featuring green building materials, water conservation products, energy efficient gadgets, and a whole lot more. There’ll be speakers, demos, mini classes, and more on topics ranging from green gardens to government rebates. Yes, a free bike valet will take care of your bike; drive, and you’ll be out $8. The FREE event happens Fri., May 7 and Sat., May 8 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St., Santa Monica.

>> Long Beach Bicycle Festival happens all weekend, featuring everything from Fixed Gear Fest contests to a CYCLESTYLE Fashion Show to a bike film festival and a lot more. Check the schedule to seen when the events you’re interested in are happening, then head to downtown Long Beach Fri., May 7 to Sun., May 9 to ride and enjoy.

>> Start your day with fair trade coffee, tea, or bloody mary, because May 8 is World Fair Trade Day!

>> The Great L.A. River Cleanup happens this Sat., May 8 from 9 am to noon at 14 locations around the city! Get up early to get cleaning with your fellow Angelenos (via LA Creek Freak). Earlier: A Pictorial ode to the L.A. River.

>> The Santa Monica Festival. With the theme “Engaging Culture – Renewing Community” this year, the FREE zero-waste festival will feature musical and dance performances on two stages, hands-on upcycling workshops, an “Eco Zone” featuring green organizations, a global cafe with international food, and my favorite — a Human Library where you can check out “living books” — a.k.a. knowledgeable humans — to learn from. Yes, there will be free bike valet. The fun happens Sat., May 8 from 11 am – 6 pm at Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica.

>> Celebrate National Train Day at Union Station by checking out a National Park Service Trails & Rails Exhibit, an AmtraKids Depot Go-Green Express: Eco Exhibit, model train displays, culinary demos, and more. The free festivities happen Sat., May 8, from 11 am to 4 pm at Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles.

>> Kali Klub, which bills itself as LA’s first “Conscious Nightclub,” combines everything from electronic and hip hop to “ecstatic chant” to raw organic food and drinks. There’ll be music, art, and clothing and jewelry vendors at the next event happening May 8 at Out of Asia, 3249 La Cienega, Culver City. The event sounds a little out there for me, but if you’re into it, tickets cost $20 each.

Image via AltBuild Expo

>> Join the last Malibu Public Beaches Safaris by The Los Angeles Urban Rangers! On Sat. Feb. 27, the rangers will offer three FREE 1.5-hour mini-safaris, taking off at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. You don’t even need to sign up — Just show up at the public beach accessway between 22140-22126 Pacific Coast Highway (~.5 mis west of Carbon Canyon Rd. and ~1 mi. east of Malibu pier). Rain cancels the safaris. Earlier: Malibu Public Beach Safaris: Why activists should chill on the beach this summer.

>> L.A. Council President Eric Garcetti wants you to join him for a Day of Beautification in Echo Park. Meet on Sat., Feb. 27 at the Walgreen’s parking lot in Echo Park (northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park Avenue) at 8:45 am, nibble on refreshments and get instructions, then clean up the hood for 2 hours.

>> Take a crash course on Small-Space Food Gardening with gardening expert Darren Butler, who’ll teach you how to grow food even if you don’t have a garden plot. The day-long class happens Sat., Feb. 27 from 8:45 am – 4:30 pm. Cost: $100, or $85 if you pay before Feb. 19. Earlier: Fresh Food From Small Spaces – Balcony gardens, simplified.

>> Cut back on your water bill by taking Greywater 101 with Leigh Jerrard, founder of California Greywater Corps, who’ll show you how to reuse waste water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks and laundry for landscape irrigation. The lesson begins Sat., Feb. 27 from 2 pm – 4 pm on the east side; RSVP to Julie at contactgbf@gmail.com for the exact address. Cost: $25.

>> Planning a green wedding? The FREE Champagne & Cupcakes Eco-Bridal Trunk Show presented by Copper Willow Paper Studio will feature eco-friendly wedding vendors and resources, green wedding and event experts, creative tutorials and demos, dessert and hors d’oeuvres tasting, and hourly prizes and giveaways. Be there Mon., March 1 from 4 pm – 8 pm at Copper Willow Paper Studio & Collection, 8530 Washington Blvd., Culver City. RSVP required to info@copperwillow.com or 310.836.6004. Earlier: Copper Willow – Gorgeous green letterpress holiday cards from Culver City. Earlier: Soi-Meme: Eco-weddings made economical.

>> See eco-celebs at Global Green USA’s 7th Annual Pre-Oscar Party. Famous actors attend, and famous musicians perform, at this annual eco-event and fundraiser — but would-be attendees should be warned that last year, the party got so full ticket holders had to stand in line for hours to get in. Perhaps they’ll be better organized this year. The party begins Wed., March 3 at 8 pm at Avalon Hollywood, 1735 Vine St., Los Angeles. Cost: $75.

>> The Green LA Coalition’s put together a workshop on Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programs: Community Benefits, Workforce Opportunities & Challenges (PDF). Learn about everything from broader environmental implications of retrofits to direct benefits for building owners and apartment renters on Thurs., March 4, 9 am to noon at The California Endowment, 1000 N. Alameda, Los Angeles. RSVP to szabanal@greenlacoalition.org by Feb. 26.

>> Don’t miss Metro’s first Bicycle Roundtable, happening Fri., Feb. 19 from 2 pm – 4 pm in the Windsor Conference Room on the 15th floor of Metro, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles.

>> Newport Beach is having a FREE EcoCelebration, complete with free wine and beer, food, green products for sale, and electric car test drives. Be there on Feb. 20 from 11 am – 6 pm at the Newport Fun Tours building, 2122 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach.

>> Westside bicycle co-op Bikerowave’s throwing a BikeRoParty 3.0, in celebration of its third birthday. Stop by on Feb. 20 after 1 pm to work on your bike for free, then get ready to party after 7 pm with free food and drinks, taco truck tacos, and a disco dance party. Bikerowave’s at 12255 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles.

>> Get on your bike for the Creek Freak River Bike Tour, and see the L.A. River up close! Organized as part of C.I.C.L.E.’s Urban Expedition, the ride “will be a leisurely-paced ~2-hour ride, a little riding on streets, but mostly on the Los Angeles River bike path” according to C.I.C.L.E. The free event happens on Sat., Feb. 20 from noon to 3:30 pm. Meet up at the L.A. River Center, 570 W. Avenue 26, Los Angeles.

>> California Assemblywoman Karen Bass wants you to join her for the Greening Project & Clean-Up of Ballona Creek. Meet Karen — who, BTW, is the first African American woman elected speaker of the California State Assembly — and your neighbors on Sun., Feb. 21 from 10 am – 12:30 pm. Meet up at the Overland Avenue Ballona Creek Bike Path Entrance, across from the Culver City Julian Dixon Library, 4975 Overland Ave., Culver City. RSVP requested at 323.937.4747 or roxane.ojeda@asm.ca.gov.

>> Sign up to take a Green Living Workshop with Santa Monica nonprofit Sustainable Works. Workshop participants meet once a week for 6 weeks to learn all about shrinking your carbon footprint. The next round of classes begin early March; pick from Mon., Tues., or Wed. night meetings. Cost: $25 for Santa Monica residents, $50 for L.A. residents.

Images via Bikerowave on Facebook and asmdc.org