Born from a heartfelt desire to make yoga more inclusive, Greater Manchester chain Yogalife now has four studios and a predicted net worth of 拢1m
Having had their own qualms in the beginning, Stuart Pilkington and Gareth Caple are perfect placed to quash common misconceptions surrounding yoga.
In fact Pilkington, who was kicked out of his first yoga class for laughing, admits that practicing yoga was initially a chore, rather than a passion, while Caple says that he was a secret yogi for many years 鈥 afraid of what his friends might think.
So when the pair decided to start Yogalife, their ethos was clear 鈥 to make yoga accessible to everyone and to ensure that nobody felt intimidated or out of place in their classes.
Launched in 2013 in Wilmslow, Yogalife now has further studios in Alderley Edge, Altrincham and Poynton, employing more than 25 staff. Their timetable offers sessions ranging from Slow Flow and Restorative to Power and HIIT yoga.
The message 鈥測oga is for everyone鈥 has clearly struck a chord with studios, attracting participants of all ages and from all walks of life.
鈥淚 was actually asked to leave my first yoga class 鈥 I literally got thrown out of it for laughing during the relaxation part,鈥 admits Pilkington, 36, who tried yoga as a 20-year-old in a bid to combat the insomnia he鈥檇 suffered since childhood.
鈥淚 was a super fit young lad in a muscle vest and there were lots of old ladies in the class and at the time my ego told me 鈥榯his is too easy for
尘别鈥.鈥
Pilkington, a former personal trainer and gym instructor, left the class and, as he walked through the gym, a man who later became his first yoga teacher overheard his negative remarks about the ancient practice.
鈥淗e was an unassuming guy in his 80s and I was this big lad, who was quite obnoxiously loud, and he disarmed me straight away. So I started to do meditation classes with him in the park, and a few yoga postures. He then referred me to another yoga teacher.
鈥淢ost people come to yoga because they have a bad back, for example, and yoga makes them feel good. I don鈥檛 remember it making me feel good for ages but for whatever reason, I stuck with it!鈥
Gareth Caple, 40, an experienced personal trainer and martial arts expert with a love of extreme sports, also dipped his toe into yoga in his early 20s.
鈥淪imilar to Stuart, I was in my 20s and a real gym bunny. I was into Thai boxing and I was quite an angry person back then.
鈥淚 had an older girlfriend who was an art teacher and massively into meditation and yoga, and she did some Reiki on me.
鈥淚t was unbelievable and it was the first time I鈥檇 thought, there鈥檚 probably a bit more to the superficial world than I鈥檇 previously realised. I started doing yoga and meditation with her and I found yoga calmed me down.
鈥淔or years I was a secret yogi and a spiritualist 鈥 I felt that my friends wouldn鈥檛 understand!鈥
Fast forward 15 years and the pair decided to open their studios after working together at a gym, financing the venture with their personal savings. The classes were an immediate success, popular with a surprising cross-section of people.
One of Yogalife鈥檚 flagship classes, and a significant point of difference, is HIIT yoga, fusing the latest science-based fitness programming with ancient wisdom.
Caple created the practice after spending 30 days learning yoga at the foothills of the Himalayas in India.
鈥淚t鈥檚 cheesy to say we鈥檙e different, but we are,鈥 says Caple.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e strong and want a good workout, yoga can provide that. If you鈥檙e delicate, gentle and suffering because there鈥檚 a lot going on in your life, yoga can work for that too. It transcends age and circumstance.鈥
Pilkington adds: 鈥淥ur classes are not about being super quiet and dead serious. You don鈥檛 need to have given up alcohol or become a vegan. There鈥檚 a friendly vibe in our classes.
鈥淚 had a student who waited months to do her first class because of what she鈥檇 seen on Instagram.
She told me that she鈥檇 thought 鈥業鈥檓 not a size zero acrobat, I can鈥檛 do the splits, I won鈥檛 be able to do the class鈥. But she loved it.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to put people into boxes 鈥 we have a 70-year-old who does HIIT yoga. We鈥檙e not exclusive. That just destroys everything that we want people to get out of yoga.鈥
As the demand for classes grew, Pilkington and Caple decided to open a Yogalife training school.
The course provides worldwide accreditation with the potential opportunity to work for Yogalife itself.
鈥淭he next course starts in September and the yoga school is something that we predict will expand a lot in the next 12 months,鈥 says Pilkington.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had people who鈥檝e trained elsewhere come to us as they like our philosophy.
The duo aim to make the training as accessible as their classes.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 just want people who are acrobatic on our course. We want teachers who can make a difference to people鈥檚 lives,鈥 says Pilkington.
鈥淕oing to yoga used to be a chore to me, mainly because of the atmosphere in the classes I attended. People didn鈥檛 talk in the class, it was very insular and there was sometimes competition.
鈥淲e train teachers to ensure that starting a Yogalife class is not intimidating. For many of our students, Yogalife is their social life.鈥
As well as arranging popular yoga retreats spanning Bali, Spain, Barcelona and Morocco, another arm of the business works with local companies.
Caple explains that these can come in the form of workshops and corporate classes.
In addition to covering the philosophy of yoga, yoga postures and meditation, Caple encourages businesses to change their mindset regarding stress and support each other using yogic principles.
These聽initiatives have been welcomed by big brands including Adidas, Brazen and Sacco Mann.
鈥淎t Sacco Mann, sales have increased by 10-15% and sickness has dropped by the same level since we鈥檝e been working with them,鈥 says Caple.
Looking forward, Yogalife is on track for rapid further growth, with the pair disclosing plans to open more studios in the region and beyond.
