Things to Do in Mission Viejo
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
A summer staple of Laguna Beach since 1966, Art-A-Fair corrals creative works from around the world, unfurling them across the apropos, color-splashed gardens of Laguna Canyon. Festival visitors meander leisurely through the web of imagination, stopping to soak up content that is as rich in quality as it is in diversity. Between brush strokes and spontaneous games of frisbee with their palette, working artists take a breather to chat about their pieces and the inspirations that drive their craft. From year to year, the festival features a wide spectrum of 2- and 3-D art, and, should one of those gems seduce the heart of a passerby, everything at the festival is available for purchase.
For more than a decade, physical therapist Amy Fischer helped clients recover from a range of orthopedic and sport injuries. These days, she blends her knowledge of the body with her passion for Pilates at her two Pure Pilates studios—one in Laguna Niguel and the other in Ladera Ranch—each of which host regular classes alongside specialized sessions for golfers, breast cancer survivors, and moms-to-be.
Surrounded by tranquil Asian-inspired décor, Amy and her team of instructors guide students of all levels through private and group Pilates classes, which aim to strengthen core muscles while improving flexibility and posture. After being divvied up into Level 1 or Level 2–3 sections, students learn a variety of exercises on a reformer machine built from adjustable ropes, pulleys, and springboards reclaimed from the days of vaudeville. Amy and her team also offer slower-paced courses for seniors as well as physical therapy sessions that speed healing with modified Pilates exercises paired with a personalized at-home exercise program.
Students stand squarely on hardwood floors in Sumits Yoga's 104-degree studio. Instructors lead them through 75-minute classes, fusing inspiration from Bikram and Ashtanga power-flow styles of yoga to create a dynamic and fluid practice. Sumits' two styles of hot yoga cover a sequence of balancing and energizing physical postures, called asanas, set to motivating music. The practice room's hot and humid atmosphere warms and relaxes muscles more effectively than a bear hug from an actual bear, helping yogis to reach deeper stretches.
After studying under Bikram Choudhury, the father of Bikram yoga, Sumit Banerjee decided to bring the heat to his own class style—an amalgam of Bikram- and Ashtanga-inspired postures. The Sumits Hot Yoga signature class steers students through deep stretches performed in a toasty studio. Aided by the heat, these movements help students hone both balance and strength.
Though Sumits Hot Yoga champions the physical benefits of the practice—muscle toning, detoxification, and the ability to someday fry an egg on one's forehead—the true object of his style is “the simple pleasure and self-reward that comes from quieting our minds." To honor this, he emphasizes introspection and spiritual awareness over perfect technique, allowing guests of any experience level to participate.
Beneath the surface of the serene Pacific Ocean, a reef wall bustles with a vibrant mix of coral, fish, and crustaceans. Though known for its beauty, the underwater landscape also shelters the shoreline from choppy waves. In these tranquil waters, the instructors at Laguna Beach Paddle Boarding share their standup paddleboarding expertise with students of all skill levels. The ideal water conditions are augmented by wide, stable Padillac paddleboards. The staff hands these out during lessons and tours of Laguna Beach's Treasure Island Coves, named as such to distract visitors from where the treasure is actually hidden: Dennis Rodman's basement.
Laguna Beach Paddle Boarding also hosts an annual Paddle Party and frequent Paddle Girl Parties to raise awareness for the nonprofit organization Hailey's House, which helps guide teenage girls to make positive life choices.
