Drishti – Santa Barbara Yoga Store: Yoga Clothing, Workout Clothes, & Yoga Supplies

Opened in February of 2002, Drishti is a super cool yoga/workout/lifestyle boutique located in Santa Barbara, California. We cater both to local customers through our physical store and to customers throughout the nation (and the world!) through our comprehensive, user-friendly online store.

Check out our store!

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Drishti’s beautiful interior is packed with the best yoga clothes and yoga supplies on the market. The renowned Sojourner restaurant is located right next door – you’ll have to stop by for a meal if you’re in the area!

Meet the Drishti staff!

Drishti has always had a fabulous staff of inspired individuals who are dedicated to the store. Here is our current assemblage of yoga-enthusiastic employees:

First row: Jenni, Niav, Sarah
Second row: Amanda, Nicole, Amy
Third row: Michael, Asia

Jennifer Rawlings, owner – Jenni began Drishti in 2001 out of her 1999 Honda Civic! Her dream space for Drishti opened up shortly thereafter and she moved Drishti from the trunk of her car to an elegant retail location. Jenni came to Santa Barbara in 1996 to attend UC Santa Barbara, graduating with B.A.s in both Religious Studies and Cultural Anthropology. She discovered yoga in 1997 while in college, and she started teaching her own classes in 2009 (!)  She loves to teach in the style she loves to practice – powerful, core-centered vinyasa flow.  You can find her in Santa Barbara at Yoga Soup and also at a cool, word-of-mouth class called Drishti Underground Yoga (email us for details – email(at)drishtiyoga.com).

Niav Connor – Niav has been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years and teaching for nearly 7. She is knowledgeable in many forms of hatha yoga including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Bikram, and Forrest. She currently teaches ongoing classes at Yoga Soup and SBYC in Santa Barbara. She also holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology specializing in Pre- and Perinatal Psychology. Niav is also an excellent massage therapist – we highly recommend her!

Sarah – Raised in a small beach town in northern Florida, Sarah recently returned to her beach roots (albeit on the opposite coast) in Santa Barbara after 10 years of living in the bustling borough of Manhattan in New York City. In NYC Sarah climbed the corporate ladder at advertising agencies working with several high profile global brands. She discovered yoga 5 years ago and in early 2010 opted for a career shift and change of scenery and is pursuing a career in yoga, beginning with teaching Hot Yoga and working at the wonderful Drishti store while doing freelance brand and marketing consulting.  Sarah loves the casual, open and nature focused lifestyle Santa Barbara offers. You can find her riding her bike, smiling or practicing yoga most every day.

Amanda Hess – Amanda has lived in Santa Barbara for about four years. Compared to the cold winters, hot summers, and zero oceans or mountains in sight in her home state of Iowa, she loves everything about life here in SB. She feels very fortunate to have found Drishti, and when she is not assisting fellow yogis in their quest for “the perfect yoga mat”, she is either painting, at Hendry’s beach, hiking, doing yoga, trying to cook, breathing, out for a night on the town, and most importantly spending quality time with friends and her lovely big sis.

Nicole Mercedes – Nicole is a lover of all forms of creative writing – especially screenwriting – who is delighted to be a returning Drishti girl after her 2 1/2-year hiatus abroad living and working in Kenya, where she served as a Peace Corps volunteer, afterwards continuing living and working with women’s groups of the Turkana tribe in rural northern Kenya. Nicole is honored to be back working at her favorite place in the world – the warm and supportive environment of Drishti. She can usually be found practicing yoga, hiking in the local foothills, or working on a writing project.

Amy Riedl – Amy came to Drishti craving some peace, great atmosphere and like minded yogi-folk and feels blessed that that’s exactly what she’s found. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Amy’s spent many years travelling and working in the fine arts before settling here last year in Santa Barbara. When she is not doing displays and decorating Drishti’s windows, Amy is a professional artist and illustrator of children’s books. But her greatest joy without question is spending time with her beloved family and soaking up the Santa Barbara arts scene.

Michael Starks – Bio coming soon!

Asia Warren – Asia is a Lover of Life, an Afro-Brazilian/Samba/West African dancer and an amazing massage therapist, esthetician, and colon hydrotherapist by profession. She is ecstatic to be working with the Drishti Girls and connecting with wonderful, soulful people in the Santa Barbara community. When she is not at Drishti, she is working on her clients at her studio located at La Playa Pilates and Wellness Center in Montecito. In her free time, she likes to hike the mountains of Santa Barbara, run on the beach, dance to anything and everything, perform with Panzumo West African Ensemble, get crafty in her house, and spend time with her friends. You can find out more about Asia by visiting her website!