A new fitness studio is opening in a former coffee shop turned jewellers at a Sutton Coldfield shopping centre. I Am Yogi which started in Moseley in 2018 and is expanding to second site in the former Starbucks, then Atkinsons Jewellers, in the town’s Gracechurch Shopping Centre.
The business was started by yoga fanatics Vicky Lawton and Vittoria Manca six years ago in The Glasshouse – a ‘conservatory on a pub car-park in Moseley’. And then a purpose-built cabin in Moseley Park. It went online to continue during Covid and tried a hybrid option when things opened up but found people much prefer face-to-face classes.
And now it’s opening a second studio in the centre of Sutton, with a launch day being held on Saturday (October 12) with free classes at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm (although they are fully booked), hot Fracino drinks and cakes from bakery Silver Tree – which recently opened opposite.
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The Sutton yoga studio will offer a range of classes for those new to the spiritual discipline, which originated in India and mixes physical poses with breathing exercises to improve strength and flexibility. And for those more advanced in the art, with classes for those that like to go inverted with headstands!
Lucy Wattis, spokeswoman for I Am Yogi said: “Originally based in Moseley, we opened our first studio in 2018 in a cabin in the gated park Moseley Park and Pool in October 2018.
“And now we are opening our second in Sutton Coldfield. Vicky, the owner, grew up in Sutton. We have our own class styles. Basics, Basics+, Flow and Flow+. As well as length and strength classes. If you’re at the start of your journey and need to learn the bare minimum of yoga – Basics is for you. Basics+ steps up from that.
“Flow is Vinyasa yoga where you have one breath to one movement. Up from Flow is Flow+ with inversions – head and handstands. We have strength classes for those that want to get stronger and length classes for people that want to be more flexible.”
The upstairs studio in the revamped area, which once saw customers supping coffee. It has space for 24 mats per class. And is a ‘lot bigger’ than the Moseley studio which has space for 16.
And there will be a minimum of three classes per day, with the earliest at 7am, with evening classes at 6pm and 7.15pm. There will be 9.30am classes and they are ‘going to trial lunchtime classes’. Teachers are all freelance, with 15 active teachers at present in Moseley, with he hope that Sutton in time will mirror Moseley, with 30 classes a week.
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Lucy continued: “We are opening on Saturday (October 12). We will have taster classes all day and people can come in and look around. It’s a chance for people to check out the facilities, and we will have exclusive offers.
“Downstairs is the reception space. We always have someone in reception to greet and welcome you. If it’s your first time, we tell you how it works. We are planning on having a products area, treatment facilities and a shower later on
“At the moment, we have one studio upstairs. But we do have the basement as well. We will be open seven days a week.”
The new Sutton I Am Yogi studio will open at 10.30am on Saturday, October 12 with ‘exclusive offers, goodies to takeaway and plenty of time to chat and hear about the story I Am Yogi’s expansion into the north of the Brum’. Bookings are already being taken online for the first classes starting next week. First practice sessions are free.
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