Move Sanctuary

The studio sits on East Matilija Street, close enough to downtown Ojai that you walk there after breakfast. Light pours through tall windows onto pale wood floors. The ceilings are high. There's an outdoor deck where classes sometimes move when the temperature drops in late afternoon and the oaks throw long shadows across the mats.

Move Sanctuary opened as a dedicated movement space, teaching daily Pilates, yoga, and restorative practices. Jacqui leads many of the sessions, her cuing is precise, her adjustments minimal but effective. Se Shen teaches too, reading each group and adapting the sequence mid-class if shoulders are tight or hips won't open. The open practice sessions draw regulars who spread out across the room and work at their own pace while an instructor circulates. Sound baths happen in the evenings. The space also hosts events, workshops, gatherings that spill from the studio onto the outdoor areas.

People return for the cleanliness, the quiet, the sense that someone is paying attention. But the pricing runs high. Class packs soften the cost somewhat, though not enough for most locals to come more than once a week. It's a place you visit intentionally, not casually. The instruction is careful. The room stays calm even when full.