What were the main aims when you opened triyoga in 2000?
We wanted to make the highest quality of authentic yoga accessible – in a non-preachy way – by creating an environment in which everyone felt comfortable, offering a broad choice of styles, taught by the best teachers. We now offer yoga, pilates, barre, Gyrotonic® therapy and treatments.
Have your aims changed?
No, our principles of offering a top quality experience are still the same and we’ve stayed true to the old values. As we’ve expanded, we’ve tried to get better, and improve the service and offering. As we opened more studios, we didn’t want to just replicate our first studio, in Camden, (London) but to create new amazing spaces and programmes that get better each time.
Why did you choose your subsequent locations in London?
The second site opened in Covent Garden in 2003, then Soho in 2005 and Chelsea in 2011. The sites weren’t chosen scientifically, but because we had a sense they would work.
Soho was in a mainly business district, so offered a different market to our original Camden site, which was residential. As a result, we changed our schedules, and for the first nine years only offered workshops and training during the week. In 2014, we expanded the site with another studio and realised there was a market to support weekend classes.
Will you ever expand beyond London?
I think we could, but we’re more likely to focus our efforts on London for the time being. Studios need to be in an area where you can get sufficient numbers of excellent teachers: without the best teachers, beautiful studios are meaningless.
What do you look for in a teacher?
We want someone special who combines technical knowledge with the ability to inspire people to practise. They mustn’t be an automaton. I like teachers who have teachers themselves, because there’s something humbling about being a student. As a basic rule our teachers need to have a minimum of five years’ experience. We launched our own teacher training course in 2005.
What exciting trends are you currently seeing?
The market is broadening to bring in more mind/body disciplines and a wider audience. For example, at triyoga we now have a large programme based around meditation to meet the growing demand.
Yoga for children is also an exciting trend: we were the first yoga centre to offer kids classes, and we now run kids and teen yoga classes at all our studios and are working to connect with local schools.
One of our current focuses is to attract more men and we’ve launched a brilliant programme, called Inner Axis by Max Strom, which is a mix of tai chi, yoga and breathwork. It’s all about creating balance and is very accessible – you can do it in jeans. We also run a yoga for sports programme, which includes football, tennis, golf, skiing and running and has been successful in attracting more men, but is not exclusively for men.
Also, it’s good to see people now finding a balance in their practise: doing a dynamic class, such as Ashtanga, and balancing it with a restorative class.
What do you think about the way things have morphed over the years, with classes like Silent Disco Yoga and HIIT yoga?
I think you have to accept that things always grow and change, while trying to check what’s really real and what’s not. Some of the new styles are not for me, but if somebody gets something out of them, that’s great. Initially, I didn’t think hot yoga was authentic, but eventually I became convinced and now we offer our own style of hot yoga.
What have been the most important lessons you’ve learned?
To keep your values and invest in the right people – we’re lucky enough to still have some of our original teachers. You have to look after your clients and really care about them. That’s not just a line, you genuinely have to care.
What other kinds of revenue streams have you created?
All our sites have treatment rooms as well as shops and cafés, offering mainly healthy options – we do a great beetroot cake in Camden! We also run triyoga urban retreats in London and triyoga holidays abroad.
How have you embraced technology?
When we started out we were largely tech free – we used to hand out stones instead of receipts, which customers gave to the teacher to show they’d paid! These days, customers can book classes online via our website.
Our most revolutionising use of technology has been the infra-red heating system for the yoga studio, so we can offer hot yoga. It heats the body, not the room, so you don’t walk into a wall of heat.
Will you embrace live streaming or virtual?
I’m a bit old fashioned in that I like going to a class. I never really enjoyed yoga via video, although I do think there is a place for teaching through different mediums.
What advice do you have for health and fitness club operators who are looking to offer mind-body classes?
It’s like anything, if you’re going to do it, do it well, otherwise don’t do it at all.
What’s next for triyoga?
Do better. Serve better. Do more.
