Pleasure Point Sanctuary

Let’s face it. A healthy body needs movement. It craves it. Especially graceful, mindful, and controlled movements, such yoga and dance, which simultaneously provide exercise while lowering stress and promoting relaxation. Both disciplines require and inspire awareness, and empower their practitioners to express themselves in a way that speaks from their soul. 

They also demand a lot of discipline and devotion of those who hope to master their ways. The same goes for those who devote their lives to operating the spaces which offer them. Just ask Megan McAllister.

McAllister owns and operates Pleasure Point Sanctuary, which comprises two physical spaces (Pleasure Point Yoga and Pleasure Point Dance) where Pleasure Point residents can practice both yoga and dancing, located just a stone’s throw apart on Portola Drive. 

They serve as places where people working with injuries can feel safe in an adaptive yoga, yin yoga, or restorative yoga class. Where those who need more intense movement can do so in a sweaty flow yoga, cardio dance fitness, pilates or barre class. While others can feel the rhythm and connect with diverse dance styles and infectious music in a Cardio Hip Hop & Zumba, Tropical Fusion or Latin Spice dance class.

Anyone involved in running these kinds of businesses will be quick to tell you that when it comes down to it, the task at hand has to come from the heart, and that keeping these movement centers afloat requires a ton of passion and dedication. The fact that McAllister is doing so in both spaces, is a testament to her belief in what’s she’s doing.

I recently sat down with this tenacious business-owner to find out just how it all came into being for her. In an effort to remain transparent, I must mention that I’m her employee. I’m so grateful that she’s given me the opportunity to share my own love for the healing power of yoga and I’m proud to call her my boss. Here’s what she had to say.

What did you do for work before entering the yoga and dance space?

I was a Corporate Executive in Silicon Valley at leading edge technology companies for 17 years. I did everything from market & competitive intelligence and strategy to strategic portfolio management, revenue planning, market & product strategy, and pricing. It was incredible to be in a leading-edge company during that golden era of tech with the opportunity to experience such a profound impact with clients such as HP, Dell, EMC, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. During this entire time in my life, I also worked as a Zumba instructor, was a dance enthusiast, and devoted yogini, and loved the balance it brought to my work life balance.

How long have you owned Pleasure Point Yoga? What made you decide to purchase a yoga studio? What has this experience been like for you?

I’ve owned Pleasure Point Yoga since June 2018. I bought it because, at the time, I was a student there, and had fallen in love with yoga. At a time in my life where all the strong pillars in my life which I loved deeply crumbled in front of me—and my mat became my refuge. It made me go on a big inward journey to heal my heart. Everything had fallen apart in my life, but I feel like sometimes the Universe has to “Shaken You to Awaken You”, and it plucked me up and threw me into a totally different direction. And Yoga was a big part of that journey home.

I had the luxury of being able to quit my job in tech and told myself I’d give myself two years to figure it out. At that point I was doing yoga every day at PPY and also started traveling around the world pursuing a more in-depth relationship to myself through yoga. It made me understand deeply the medicine within the practice of yoga, and believed that if it could help me, it could help others. I found my purpose in that way. Yoga found me.

I started doing all the things on and off the mat — studying the deeper aspects of yoga such as:  philosophy, meditation, breath-work, and its practices, becoming a student above and beyond asana (the postures). I used those tools and the practices of yoga to heal while inviting all parts of myself to show up fully and really get present with what was real, and yoga became my anchor and form of synchronistic medicine that was supporting me on my journey back to my heart.

When I was on a 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali I caught wind that Pleasure Point Yoga would be up for sale, so I wrote a deeply heartfelt letter to the then-owner. My life was forever changed.

The biggest challenges I’ve faced owning a yoga studio really surfaced during the pandemic. Being told to shut down and not being able to help support people with their medicine and practice of yoga presented an immense challenge. We received zero funding nor any support to continue which felt so disheartening.  Holding it together for our community was the toughest thing I’ve faced to date. I did everything in my personal power financially and emotionally to ensure I could keep it going.

Additionally, the reality of practicing yoga is that people will be going through things, students and teachers alike, so it’s how we communicate and work with each other that matters. In this way, yoga is a way of life.  It can be challenging to manage all the different sensitivities and personalities involved in order to move forward in loving-kindness at all times.

As an owner of a sacred space like this, it can sometimes feel lonely and a little thankless at times.. I say this in the sense that we hear more about the complaints at times than the beauty or appreciation. At times, it can be hard to separate this from my heart. I try not to take things personally, and I think I do a really good job here, but at the end of the day, I’m still human. Having a gratitude practice and a strong personal yoga practice helps anchor me home.

My favorite part is the impact we have in the community. I personally know that these tools we share and offer are deeply powerful and that we have a crew of excellent teachers holding loving space for our community. I see it, feel it, and believe in it! I love that we represent yoga the best we can. We create pathways for people to go deeper when they want to take that journey inward.

Now, let’s pivot to dancing. What’s your history with dance? What’s your experience been like as a dance studio owner?

I like to say that “dance is my religion and yoga is my heart”. While, for me, Yoga is inward, balancing, healing; Dance is liberating, freeing and expressive. It helps to build confidence, connection, and community — the yang to the yin of yoga. It is incredible for people to feel welcomed and included in dance. Going into both of these businesses, I wanted to create spaces that fully embrace the fact that, if you have a body, you can dance and do yoga.

First-time dancers are liberating their souls in this way, while life-long dancers can connect and express themselves with friends—performing and dancing in the streets. It’s all amazing!

Since I was little, if there was music playing I would be dancing, and I’m still like that. Dance has always had my heart. In college at UCSC, I took my first dance class and found my home. After I broke my back in high school as a gymnast, I took extra curricular dance, including ballet, jazz, and modern just to name a few. I’m not a technically trained dancer, but I love it. My passion came in the form of jazz, street jazz, hip hop…all these styles were easy for me to fall into. Then, I got really big into Zumba in 2007 and Latin dance, with Samba, Cumbia and Reggaeton being my favorites.

Most of my challenges as a dance studio owner, much like with the yoga studio, were born out of the pandemic. It was always my dream as studio owner to have both a yoga and a dance and movement studio, but coming out of the pandemic was so tough as it forced us to continually open and close, open and close, which impacted stability and growth. Once that began to stabilize and the word got out, things exploded and the dance and movement studio really took off. It helped to have an all star team of teachers who I had been dancing with for years.

Most people who aren’t into dance want to do it, but are often afraid to. There’s a perception that it’s pretty competitive and if you don’t look good, then you aren’t a good dancer. Movies and social media tend to push this idea, but the reality is dance is for every body. Getting people to get past their fears and into the studios in a welcoming, supportive and fun environment is what we are all about. We have incredible teachers who can get anyone willing to dance and have fun doing it. Once they come in and experience the joy of dance, they are hooked

My favorite part about our supportive community is the joy that dancing brings into people’s lives. Being an owner in this space doesn’t feel like work, it feels more like family.

You’ve joined Pleasure Point Yoga and Pleasure Point Dance under a new banner and a new name, Pleasure Point Sanctuary. How did all that come together? What’s the meaning behind the name and what are you hoping to accomplish by joining the two businesses?

I’ve been working with Niki Jaimes from Rising Wolf Collective for almost a year now and she has become my Marketing Director and Business Coach. She took me on a deep-dive into my own inner knowing through my dreams, and it was there that I discovered the new expression of Pleasure Point Sanctuary. We decided that bringing all of Pleasure Points offerings into the umbrella of a “Sanctuary” really made sense.

I’ve always seen both businesses as much more than a yoga and dance studio and known that one day, it was going to be something much larger and all-encompassing in relation to wellness and healing. Pleasure Point Sanctuary is a place for you to come and experience your body, mind and heart, in a way that meets you right where you’re at. No matter where you’re at, we want to offer you something that can help you heal and grow.

What are your plans for the future of the Pleasure Point Sanctuary? What kind of impact do you hope to make on the community?

We have all kinds of things in the works! Our new website will be launching soon and from there, I see us diving deeper into everything. We will be expanding our Wellness offerings by adding on a team of in-house practitioners that offer 1:1 healing services. Additionally, I intend to really grow our global and local retreats. Traveling and being in community with people is where so much healing happens. Additionally, I see us offering additional in-depth educational courses, workshops and events to help people get out of their heads and back into their hearts. The Sanctuary will allow us to expand beyond what was previously possible. We are growing, and that is a beautiful thing.

I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do, and have this honor to help hold this container for my community.