Meet Sabrina Khawaja | Founder & Wellness Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sabrina Khawaja and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sabrina, how does your business help the community?
Rooh Sanctuary was born from a belief that healing should not require people to leave behind their culture, spirituality, ancestry, or identity. As a South Asian Muslim woman working in mental health and community spaces, I saw how many people, particularly women of color, felt unseen in both traditional wellness environments and clinical settings.

Rooh was created as a sanctuary where people can reconnect with themselves, their communities, and their ancestral wisdom. Through sound healing, movement, creative expression, spiritual gatherings, and community events, we offer spaces that honor the whole person rather than asking them to fit into a single framework of healing.

Beyond wellness programming, social impact is built into our model. We prioritize accessibility through community-funded opportunities, collaborate with diverse facilitators and small businesses, and regularly use our platform to support humanitarian causes and local community initiatives. Whether someone comes to Rooh seeking rest, belonging, cultural connection, or personal transformation, our goal is for them to leave feeling less alone and more connected to themselves and one another.

In a world that often encourages disconnection, Rooh is an invitation back to community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Rooh Sanctuary was born from a simple but powerful question: What would healing look like if people didn’t have to leave behind their culture, spirituality, ancestry, or identity to access it?

As someone with a background in psychology and mental health, I witnessed how many people, particularly women, immigrants, and people of color, often felt disconnected from traditional wellness spaces. I wanted to create something different, a sanctuary where healing could be rooted in community, creativity, spirituality, and cultural belonging.

Rooh Sanctuary is a community-centered wellness gathering space in Los Angeles offering experiences such as sound healing, movement, creative workshops, cultural programming, community circles, and opportunities for meaningful connection. Our mission is to create spaces where people can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and remember that they are not alone.

What sets Rooh apart is our commitment to decolonized and culturally responsive wellness. We believe healing can happen through conversation, art, music, movement, prayer, storytelling, rest, and community. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, we honor the many ways people find meaning and connection.

Building Rooh has not been easy. Like many founders, I’ve faced moments of uncertainty, self-doubt, and the challenge of bringing a vision to life from the ground up. But every event, every conversation, and every person who has walked through our doors has reminded me why this work matters.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that community is everything. Rooh was never meant to be built by one person; it is the result of countless facilitators, artists, healers, volunteers, and community members who believed in the vision and helped bring it to life.

More than anything, I want people to know that Rooh Sanctuary is an invitation to belong. In a world that often feels disconnected, we are creating spaces where people can gather, heal, celebrate, and remember their shared humanity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting Los Angeles for the weekend, I’d take them to some of the places that make me feel most connected to the city. We’d start with a visit to Rooh Sanctuary, followed by a walk through Palisades Park overlooking the ocean. We’d spend an afternoon driving up the coast to Malibu and watching the sunset, which never gets old, no matter how long you’ve lived here.

For food, I’d take them to Toranj for Persian cuisine and introduce them to some of the incredible cultural diversity that makes Los Angeles so special. What I love most about LA is that you can move from the mountains to the ocean, from a wellness gathering to a world-class meal, all in the same day. The city is full of creativity, culture, and people who are constantly reinventing themselves, which is one of the reasons I love calling it home.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to the women who have trusted Rooh Sanctuary with their stories, their healing, and their presence. Every time someone walks through our doors and chooses vulnerability, connection, or rest, they remind me why this work matters.

Rooh was created to be more than a wellness space; it was created to be a sanctuary. The women who attend our gatherings, workshops, circles, and events have shaped Rooh just as much as I have. Their courage, wisdom, resilience, and willingness to show up authentically continue to inspire me every day.

Many of them come carrying the weight of family expectations, cultural pressures, grief, burnout, or major life transitions. To witness them support one another, build community, and reconnect with themselves has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

I am deeply grateful to every woman who has attended an event, shared our work, volunteered, collaborated, or believed in this vision. Rooh Sanctuary exists because of community, and this shoutout belongs to them.

Website: https://roohsanctuary.org

Instagram: roohsanctuary

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-khawaja-612a86b1

Image Credits
Manifesting Memories