If you’ve ever wanted to do downward dog on the Amalfi Coast and then toast it with a glass of wine overlooking Capri, Sati Yoga & Wellness might be the studio for you.
Tucked next to Dolce Vegan Bakery in historic downtown Kirkwood, Sati is the place where yoga doesn’t feel like a performance and where community is the entire point. Founded in 2022 by Dr. Kali Arnold, a former orthopedic surgeon turned holistic healer, the studio has quickly become a refuge for those seeking breath, movement, and a little more meaning in their lives.
And now, it’s going global.
Last fall, Dr. Arnold led her first international yoga retreat to Italy’s Amalfi Coast—Sorrento by way of Positano, Pompeii, and, of course, pasta. Eighteen people joined her on the trip. By the end of the final dinner, five had already signed up for the next destination: Portugal.
“It was just beautiful energy,” Dr. Arnold says. “No drama, no injuries, nobody got lost. Everyone just clicked.”
This fall’s retreat heads to the Algarve region of Portugal, where guests will gather again, many returning from the Italy trip, others brand new, to practice yoga, explore the coastline, and hit pause on their everyday lives. The trips, Dr. Arnold says, are equal parts fun and restorative. Yes, there’s yoga every day (sometimes twice), but it’s all optional. No early-morning alarms, no rigid itineraries. It’s less “bootcamp,” more “let’s be human together.”
“I call them yoga adventures,” she laughs. “We move, we eat, we explore. We also nap. The napping is important.”
Dr. Arnold works with a company that specializes in fitness travel, so each retreat is fully vetted—from the yoga mats to the local guides. She polls her community for destination ideas, balancing bucket list locales with places her clients want to visit. Italy was a no-brainer, and Portugal was a popular pick. In May 2026, they’ll head to Peru and Machu Picchu.
But don’t let the global glow fool you—Sati’s heart is still firmly planted in Atlanta. Dr. Arnold has intentionally built the studio to feel like a second home. There are wine-down Wednesdays, sound baths, Reiki sessions, and even a couch up front where regulars gather after class just to talk. And yes, the studio mascot, a lovable Chawawa-Dachshund mix named Duncan Hines, is usually lounging around like he owns the place.
“We’re not a pretentious yoga studio,” Dr. Arnold says. “I call us the yoga studio for non-yogis.”
That attitude is one of the reasons Sati has become a landing spot for people new to the city, or just new to yoga entirely. The studio offers a range of classes, from Yin to vigorous vinyasa, but the vibe is always accessible. Come in your sweats. Stay for tea. Breathe.
“Rest is your divine right,” she says. “You don’t have to earn it.”
It’s a mantra she takes seriously, especially after years in the medical field where overwork was normalized and burnout was a badge of honor. Through her Ayurvedic studies, Reiki certification, and teacher training, Dr. Arnold has developed a more holistic view of wellness, where the nervous system gets as much attention as the muscles. She sees yoga as less of a workout and more of a form of emotional hygiene.
“We clean our bodies daily. We need to clean our energy, too.”
That philosophy now extends beyond her regular class schedule. In March, Sati graduated its first cohort of yoga teacher trainees. Nine students completed the studio’s 200-hour program, and many now teach free community classes as part of their continued development. Sati also hosts monthly sound baths, breathwork workshops, and seasonal retreats, introducing students to healing modalities—everything from laughing meditation to shamanic journeys.
“I just want people to explore,” Dr. Arnold says. “You never know what’s going to resonate until you try.”
And when it comes to those far-flung retreats, it’s not just about escape. She’s seen people return with more than just good memories—real friendships have formed, and more than a few travelers have returned home with a renewed sense of clarity.
“I’ve had so many people tell me, ‘I didn’t realize how disconnected I was until I slowed down.’ That’s what these trips offer—connection. With yourself, with others, with the moment.”
For Dr. Arnold, travel has always been a catalyst; a solo trip to Costa Rica changed her life years ago and set her on the path that became Sati. Her goal now is to offer that same spark to others. Whether on a rooftop in Lisbon, a yoga mat in Kirkwood, or lying still during a sound bath, she wants people to remember that healing isn’t a luxury.
“You can’t explore the world if you’re disconnected from yourself,” she says. “But once you find that connection again? Everything opens up.”
And if it happens with a seaside view? Even better.