In some parts of the country, yoga might still be considered a crunchy type of stretching. In the Los Angeles area, yoga has already gone from being the hot new workout with celebrity endorsements to still-very-popular but not-so-new workout that many celebrities practice.

Now, yoga studios are reinventing themselves -- Some as "power yoga" studios with celebrity yoga instructors, others as Bikram studios with rooms heated between 105 to 112 degrees farenheit, and still others -- more recently -- as green yoga studios.

Two green yoga studios have opened fairly recently in Santa Monica: Home Simply Yoga and TRÜYOGA. At these studios, yogic practice meets environmental consciousness -- a very fitting union, as yoga practitioners often emphasize the interconnectedness of people and the world around us.

Home Simply Yoga prides itself on looking gorgeous while sticking to environmentally-conscious principles. The studio boasts floors made of beautiful, reclaimed mahogany, walls and furniture painted with non-toxic finishes, and an earth-friendly boutique store that offers organic yoga clothing and PVC-free mats.

Gary Margolin, owner and yoga instructor, says he's dismayed to see yoga studios that paint their rooms with toxic paints -- which offgas into the open pores of students who work up a sweat within the rooms. For that reason, Home Simply Yoga supports Green Yoga, which is working on creating a network of enviro-conscious yoga studios. Margolin hopes that other yoga studies will follow his green suit.

TRÜYOGA opened just last month, on January 12. According to Yogi Times, the place was built using "recycled building materials for the studio, including eco-resin panels on the walls and doors, stainless, cellulose fiber ceiling panels, fiber floor carpet tiles, Brazilian sustainable harvest hardwood floors and countertops made from pressed recycled newspaper pulp."

TRÜYOGA, which is part of the TRIFIT Club and Studios in Santa Monica, is owned by Bernard and Gina Baski, and directed by Peter Sterios, who also served as the architect for the studio.

One-time classes at Home Simply Yoga and TRÜYOGA run between $10-$20, with discounts for series packages.

Home Simply Yoga. 1547 6th St., Garden Ste. Santa Monica. 310.899.1930.

TRÜYOGA. 2425 Colorado Blvd. Santa Monica. 310.829.2227.