Today we’d like to introduce you to Maisha McAllister.
Hi Maisha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My Story
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, but moving around was a big part of my childhood. My journey has taken me through a lot of different places, careers, and experiences—and somehow, they all led me exactly where I am today.
I attended Morgan State University for two years, where I decided to pursue a degree in B.A. in Communications. I quickly discovered my passion for Promotions and Marketing and began interning with Clear Channel Radio. I eventually transferred to Jacksonville University, where I earned my degree and continued building my career in radio and promotions.
Then came Las Vegas.
While attending the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas, I fell in love with the city—the energy, the entertainment, the people, and the possibilities. I eventually decided to move there and was living what felt like the glamorous life, working in radio, rubbing elbows with celebrities like Usher and Ludacris, and enjoying everything Vegas had to offer.
Maybe a little too much.
On my 27th birthday, I received a DUI. It was a major wake-up call. My mom reached out to me and basically said, “It’s time to calm down.”You should try this new hot yoga class called Bikram Yoga.
And that conversation changed my life.
She introduced me to Bikram Yoga.
I had always loved to sweat. My mom actually started taking me to work out when I was younger, so fitness had always been a part of my life. But the first time I stepped into a Bikram Yoga class, I experienced a whole different level of sweat—and I was hooked.
I knew almost immediately that I wanted to make hot yoga and fitness part of my career.
In 2014, I made a huge commitment to myself and traveled to Los Angeles for the nine-week Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. I became a Certified Bikram Yoga Instructor and Hot Pilates instructor and began building my career in the wellness industry.
From there, I worked in studios throughout the DMV, sometimes teaching as many as 15 classes a week just to make a living as an instructor. I wasn’t just teaching yoga—I was learning how to build community, create experiences, and make wellness feel accessible, exciting, and fun.
Eventually, I realized that I wanted to combine all of the things I loved: **hot yoga, fitness, travel, music, community, fun, and my love for Las Vegas.**
That’s how **Detox To Retox Retreats** was born.
Detox To Retox is my take on the traditional wellness retreat. It’s about sweating, connecting with nature, slowing down, letting loose, finding your inner fun child, and yes… having a little party too. Because I believe wellness doesn’t always have to be so serious.
During the pandemic, I was introduced to the Hot Yoga Dome, and another idea was born.
**BYOG — Bring Your Yoga On the GO.**
BYOG is my mobile hot yoga and hot fitness company, bringing a futuristic inflatable hot yoga dome directly to parks, events, festivals, private gatherings, and corporate experiences.
Instead of waiting for people to come to a studio, I bring the studio to them.
Looking back, I can see how every chapter of my life prepared me for the next one. Radio taught me marketing and promotion. Vegas taught me entertainment, confidence, and how to create unforgettable experiences. My wake-up call taught me discipline. Bikram Yoga taught me resilience. Teaching taught me community. And entrepreneurship has taught me how to turn all of those experiences into something bigger than myself.
Today, I feel like I’m part of something much bigger—a **wellness revolution**.
I believe wellness can be sweaty, social, adventurous, inclusive, unconventional, and FUN.
And this story is far from over.
**I’m not just teaching wellness. I’m creating experiences that make people want to live well.**
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path to becoming a full-time yoga and fitness instructor and business owner has definitely not been smooth.
As an instructor, I’ve faced plenty of obstacles. Early on, I gave too much of my blood, sweat, and talent without always receiving the compensation I deserved. I also had to learn—sometimes the hard way—the importance of setting clear boundaries with studio owners and clients.
And let’s be honest: when you’re first starting out as an instructor, the pay isn’t always great. So I did whatever I had to do to keep pursuing the career I loved. I cleaned houses, DoorDashed, and found other ways to hustle and make ends meet while continuing to build my career in yoga and fitness.
Choosing to become a full-time yoga and wellness instructor while holding a college degree also came with its own set of challenges. Sometimes the people closest to you—friends and family—don’t understand the vision. I’ve heard things like, “You don’t have a real job,” “Why aren’t you using your degree?” and even, “You’re never going to get anywhere doing this.”
I had to learn how to tune out the noise, even when it came from people I loved.
More than anything, I had to believe in myself and believe that there was a real future for me in the hot yoga and wellness industry. I had to trust that what I was building was bigger than what other people could see at the time.
It hasn’t been easy, but every class I taught, every side hustle, every lesson, every setback, and every uncomfortable boundary I had to create brought me closer to where I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business is rooted in one simple belief: wellness should feel good, not feel like a chore.
I’m a yoga and fitness instructor, wellness entrepreneur, retreat host, and the founder of several wellness experiences designed to help people move their bodies, reconnect with themselves, and have a damn good time while doing it.
My specialty is hot yoga, hot fitness, wellness experiences, retreats, and bringing wellness into unexpected spaces. Through my BYOG (Bikram Yoga On The Go) concept, I take hot yoga and fitness outside of the traditional studio and bring it directly to communities through my mobile hot yoga dome. I offer Hot Yoga, Hot Pilates, Chair Yoga, Fitness Over 50, kids programming, and other specialty wellness experiences.
I also created Detox To Retox Retreats, which combines yoga, wellness, travel, food, relaxation, and fun. I wanted to create retreats that didn’t feel like the typical wellness retreat where you spend five days being quiet, drinking green juice, and pretending you don’t want a cocktail. My retreats are about balance—you can sweat, stretch, meditate, eat well, laugh, dance, explore, take a nap, have a cocktail or mocktail, and connect with amazing people.
That balance is a huge part of what sets my brand apart.
I don’t believe wellness has to look a certain way. You don’t have to be a size 4, incredibly flexible, vegan, wealthy, or already “wellness-minded” to belong. My goal is to create spaces where people feel welcomed exactly as they are. Whether someone is a longtime yogi, a beginner, over 50, traveling alone, coming with friends, or simply looking for something different, I want them to feel like they have a place.
I’m probably best known for bringing a lot of personality to wellness. My classes and experiences are energetic, authentic, sometimes a little loud, sometimes a little sassy, and always rooted in the belief that taking care of yourself should still allow you to be yourself.
One of the things I’m most proud of from a brand perspective is that I’ve built something that feels authentically me. I didn’t start with a huge facility, a major investor, or a big team behind me. I built this through years of teaching, hustling, learning, making mistakes, creating relationships, and figuring things out along the way. I’ve cleaned houses, DoorDashed, and worked other jobs to support my dream while continuing to build my career as an instructor and entrepreneur.
Today, I’m proud that the vision is becoming bigger than just me teaching a yoga class. I’m creating experiences and communities around wellness.
Ultimately, I want people to know that my brand is about more than hot yoga and fitness. It’s about connection, confidence, movement, travel, friendship, laughter, and creating a life that feels good to live.
My motto is simple: **YOGA. PARTY. RETREAT.**
Because I believe you can take your wellness seriously without taking yourself too seriously.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters to me to most is doing God’s work and serving my fellow human. I get so much joy and fullfillment in life from being of service to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.detoxtoretox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maisha_loves_bikramyoga/
- Facebook: Detox To Retox
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maisha-mcallister-487a5726
- Other: @detoxtoretoxretreat (instagram
