Movement Santa Clara

J

Jona S

via Google

TL;DR: As a new member, I was physically touched and pushed out of a yoga class by an instructor without consent after being directed to the room by staff. Management’s response was to tell me to avoid the instructor rather than meaningfully address the conduct. When I asked about possible solutions, my membership was simply canceled. Disappointing handling of a serious consent issue. Full review: Unfortunately, my very first attempt to attend a yoga class resulted in an experience that was unsettling, inappropriate, and ultimately mishandled by management.I accidentally entered a yoga class near its end after being directed to the studio by front desk staff. The studio door was open, and there was no signage indicating a class was already in progress. Before I could process what was happening, the instructor, Jaymie, approached me in a frantic manner, shook her head, placed her hands on my arm, and physically pushed me backward out of the room while saying, “please leave,” but nothing else. This physical contact was unwanted and without my consent. Regardless of whether I entered late, no instructor should ever put their hands on a member to forcibly remove them. Especially a brand-new member attending their first yoga class. I left confused, embarrassed, and shaken. I emailed management to explain what happened. Oscar, the Gym Director, later called me. During that call, I was told that Jaymie had been with them for 10 years and had “never had an issue,” and that the “best approach” would be for me to avoid her classes and “stay out of each other’s space.” Mind you I was also told that I should go to different locations to avoid Jaymie, but that she also worked at other locations (and sometimes covered for other instructors - so she may be the instructor even though the online schedule doesn't list her as the instructor). In other words, instead of addressing the inappropriate conduct, the solution offered was to inconvenience me. This was then confirmed in writing:“The best approach right now is to maintain some distance from Jaymie for a few months. That means avoiding Jaymie’s classes and, if you happen to cross paths at the gym, keeping a respectful distance.” I found this response deeply disappointing. It centered the instructor’s comfort over member safety and accountability. Mind you a paying customer. I followed up by calmly asking about two possible options: (1) A refund with the option to reconsider joining later after some time, or (2) Extending my discounted rate for an additional month, since I currently did not feel comfortable using the membership. This would also make me feel like I'm not wasting as much money if I show up to a class and then left if it Jaymie did happen to be the instructor. Instead of discussing options, my membership was simply canceled outright with no alternative solution, goodwill gesture, or any meaningful acknowledgment offered. Canceling a membership after a member raises a concern about consent feels less like resolution and more like quiet removal of the problem.The manager later wrote:“Consent is absolutely fundamental… We’ve reiterated our expectations around consent and member safety.” Yet the earlier handling of the situation and the suggestion that I simply avoid the instructor did not reflect that value in practice.Yoga spaces should be places where consent, bodily autonomy, and safety are non-negotiable, especially for new members. I’m sharing this so others especially are aware. I hope Movement takes a harder look at how incidents like this are handled, because the way concerns are addressed matters just as much as the incident itself.

K

Katie Julien

via Google

Rude, inconsistent, dismissive, and unhelpful staff members. The levels are labeled weirdly here and it’s super dirty here. This location needs to take a lesson from other Movement gyms. Actually super surprised from being at other locations to here! Never coming back to this location, would rather drive further than come back here. Just don’t waste your time here. Really hoping that management will hold their staff members more accountable regarding the cleanliness and customer interactions at the Santa Clara location. For paying 119/ a month, I expected way more than what I received here. Do better. Edit: Just took a look at the reviews and it seems like other people have very unpleasant interactions with the front desk. Interesting!

R

Robert Wilson

via Google

Super fun bouldering gym with tons of problems, and some gym equipment. If you've climbed everything at their Sunnyvale location this is a great alternative to see some new problems and freshen up your skills. There is one wall with a large over hang which is tons of fun, and you can usually find a fairly juggy problem to work on your strength and overhang techniques. Another thing about this location is the bathrooms are incredibly clean. Not a huge deal, but it's nice to freshen up in there after a session!

M

Matvei Potov

via Google

Great gym. Coming here as my home gym all the time shows that you can’t really run out of things to do. Boulders are reset fairly rarely, though there is a lot of them. But there is always the kilter and tension board to fall back on, as well as the huge training area. The routes are interesting maybe above v5/v6, but problems under that are either crimp ladders or barely creative boulders. The setters themselves are awesome, as well as the community itself. I also appreciate that the kids’ parties and groups are generally held under control and are contained in a small area. Staff is nice and bathrooms are good, but ventilation could use some work. Sure, the industrial fans stop it from being hot, but also causes the gym to be a cloud of chalk.

D

David Nguyen

via Google

I decided to check out Movement Santa Clara to try a new gym in the northern California area, and it's enjoyable. I've been to Movement in Orange, and Santa Clara seems like they have a larger boulder area but a smaller gym section. The ceilings don't go as high, so they do feel slightly cramped inside the bouldering area. The routes range from VB to one v11. The difficulty seems on par with the other gyms in the area. The routes were varied in technique and skill but overall really interesting climbs. This gym also uses Kaya as the climbing app, which helps solo climbers figure out betas or log their sends. There's a kilter, tension, and campus board for training, and all of those areas were pretty empty the few hours I was there. The bathrooms were clean and were equipped with clean towels and showers but no sauna. The front staff was helpful in checking me in and asking whether I needed any type of rentals. The price for a day pass here is 33 dollars, which is a tad more expensive compared to a few other climbing gyms. This location also got very packed in the evening, around seven, when I was there. There's plenty of parking, though, which is a bonus. I'm definitely checking out the Santa Clara Movement in the future when I return to the area.