Santa Barbara Yoga Collective Hosts a Girls’ Night Out

It was one of those evenings that reminded you how powerful it can be when women gather simply to move and be together. That idea shaped the Santa Barbara Yoga Collective‘s recent Girls Night Out event at Acorn & Oak.

The evening unfolded in layers, beginning with an all-women’s yoga class around 5 p.m., each of us grounded on matching pink mats. Many of us were exhausted from the workday; others carried the quieter fatigue of childcare.

But all of that stress faded away as we settled into child’s pose, and our teacher, one of the collective’s founders, Jenny Tucker, reminded us why we were there: “This is a space to move and celebrate ourselves as women,” she said, “in the sisterhood, motherhood, womanhood, and to just be together.”

There was no pressure to perfect the moves or keep up with the flow; our presence was enough. “As women, we’re always striving and striving for an invisible piece of the ladder that we’re climbing up toward,” Tucker mused. “Can you let how you’re arriving be enough?”

We moved through a familiar flow, from savasana to upward dog to downward dog, along to calming music by live deejay Claire Zielinski. In between moves, Tucker had us high-five the women next to us.

As the class progressed, Tucker guided us into more challenging poses, including eagle pose — wrapping one leg over the other and hooking it behind the calf while interlacing the arms — where balance is everything. We then ended on our backs as Tucker took us through a closing meditation.

After class, the energy shifted into a raffle featuring prizes like a free consultation with professional organizer Jean Marie Driskel of Tope805 and a cacao elixir from Earth Milk Moon. From there, guests could explore the cold plunges and sauna. 

Inside the Acorn & Oak space, several wellness stations were set up, including complimentary B-12 shots from Claudia Godinez at Infuse Vida and a compression boots station with Karlyn Roberts from Restore Hyper Wellness. 

To understand the spirit of the evening, it helps to look at how the Santa Barbara Yoga Collective began, over a glass of wine among a group of friends who felt there was a gap in the local yoga scene. “We need to create something that’s a little bit more fun than just, like, the studio workout yoga class,” recalls cofounder Samira Pace. 

Traditional studios offered solid fitness-style classes, but the experience often felt transactional — more like clocking in and out of a workout than truly connecting. They wanted something different: a way to move their bodies, build community, have fun, and create an experience that blended wellness with a social, lifestyle element. 

From there, the group launched Santa Barbara Yoga Collective, beginning with yoga pop-ups at local breweries and wineries such as Topa Topa and Draughtsmen. Those early gatherings quickly revealed something deeper: People weren’t just coming for the yoga itself, but for the connection, the music, the atmosphere, and the chance to linger afterward with a beer or a glass of wine.

Building on that momentum, the collective has since expanded its offerings. Today, it hosts weekly events and private sessions — including Bachelorette Yoga — as well as guided meditations and all-women hiking trips.

Now, that evolution is taking a more permanent shape as Pace prepares to open the collective’s first brick-and-mortar space, set to open at 1905 Cliff Drive, Unit G.

“The vision,” she said, “is to offer both a reliable space for ongoing practice and unique, social wellness experiences rooted in the beauty of Santa Barbara.”

For more information, visit santabarbarayogacollective.com.