Behind the studios: yoga movement.

Yoga Movement was founded on a single word - accessibility. 

The company opened their doors in 2012 with one goal in mind - to help those who signed up to the YM Life achieve their goals the best they can. Holding close to their belief that yoga is not an activity but rather, a lifestyle, YM now has 6 studios and 7 class types. These are all bolstered by YM Life — a Creative and Content offering held on the brand’s presence, be it digital, social or physical. 

To YM’s founder, Peter Thew, building a brand and opening up studios is a whole lot more than picking an empty spot and running with it. After six years of building YM, each studio location and their respective fit outs are boasts of a strong essence and intention. YM's first ever studio was built from scratch by the hands of YM’s founders, Pete and Alicia. A door was used as a makeshift-turn-permanent reception desk, lockers were carried in and fixed up the night before opening day, frames were built and painted by Pete himself. The company then laid out their welcome (yoga) mat and got to bringing the Yoga Movement mentality to every single person. 

We have a chat with Pete to find out more about YM’s never-ending search for the best spaces in town and the work that goes into bringing each studio to life.

Hi Pete! How do you pick the locations of YM studios?

We’re always looking for spaces that are highly accessible to the YM FAM, ones that are a little quirky and strange, and locations that have a great mix of tenants around them (read: good food and great coffee). 

We usually gravitate towards the old school feel of shophouses - they give you a lot more creative license to play with light, walls, and little nooks. Malls have always felt too corporate for us, and the ownership is usually very strict and regimented as compared to working with single location landlords. 

What do you look for in a YM location?

Over the years, we’ve gotten much better at knowing what we need. When we started, there wasn’t a huge focus on facilities, but as the industry has expanded and changed, people are really looking for full shower and hair facilities — as much as they are for a great class! Such demands usually pose an issue with old buildings as it is always a challenge fitting the right amount of facilities within the confines of the original layout.

We really want spaces with great natural light, that have an open feel, and can comfortably fit some really nice sized practice rooms. We also believe in “dwell time”, so we try and create areas where people can chill out in, before and after class.  

Where do you draw inspiration from when it comes to putting a studio together? 

We’re always looking for reference outside of the yoga industry and largely outside of fitness lifestyle in general. For look, feel, lighting, flooring, and finishes, we generally look at the F&B industry. The cafe scene (globally) is great at throwing up some of the freshest and creative ideas on utilizing space, and they are regularly working with quirky areas that require a lot of ingenuity. Pinterest is great to gather references, but ultimately, it’s about getting out there and walking in to a few places and seeing what you like. 

The studios all have very different vibes to them. Tell us, how did the initial concept come about, and how did it morph into what it is today? 

They have their own little things going on. We want to be sure that we’re delivering spaces in line with the area, so not to have that “cookie cutter” Starbucks-type feel to them. We want individual spaces that communicate with people in different ways. 

Simply put, we’ve also just got better at fitting spaces out over the years.

What has stayed constant throughout all studios? 

We always focus on our practice rooms first. While they are the cheapest thing to fit out, versus a bathroom, or reception, they remain the most important component of any space. 

If you had all the resources in the world, what would your ideal studio look like? 

Wow, this is a tough one! Personally, I would love to have a totally curated concept, with multiple brands. It would sit on a huge chunk of land and there would be studios, gyms, spin, boxing, cafes, and a wine bar. I love when people are in a large group together enjoying a concept, but interacting with it in their own way. I would love to have a space where I could do a yoga class and my partner goes in for another activity, we both come out at the same time and have a great meal and maybe even a beer!