Soft Medicine Sanctuary owners announced Saturday, Feb. 28, would be the business’s final day after the wellness collective said it had ousted its founding majority owner amid allegations of abuse and financial concerns.
In a statement released Thursday evening addressed to the community, the owners said they “collectively feel too tender and raw to continue in our current form,” and confirmed that memberships will end with the closure.
The business said its final yoga class was offered for free from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, and the café would operate from noon to 9 p.m. The ownership group invited community members to gather and “say goodbye to this chapter together.”
The announcement marks a significant shift for the Sebastopol wellness space, which earlier this week said it was removing founder Jonathan Pinkston from the company’s majority ownership and transitioning control to a board of staff and managers.
Pinkston, 38, has denied allegations of sexual assault, physical abuse and financial coercion made by a former business partner and girlfriend in Humboldt County court filings. He has not been charged with any crimes. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has said it is investigating a reported sexual assault in McKinleyville.
In their statement, Soft Medicine’s owners described the closure as “a time of pause and reflection” and expressed gratitude for the “love, labor, and devotion” that sustained the space for nearly four years.
They also acknowledged problems with earlier messaging about the business’s direction.
“We apologize that initial prior public communications did not represent the full consensus of the Soft Medicine manager-owners when they were shared,” the statement said. “We take responsibility for that misalignment.”
The owners said the latest announcement reflects their unified position.
The closure leaves uncertain the future of the broader Soft Medicine brand and its affiliated locations.
