This month we chat to Pam Sagoo about the inspirations behind Yoga Reclaimed, a studio in the heart of Dalston with a mission to make yoga accessible to all.
Read on to find out more about Pam and the studio and find more information on their Instagram page @yoga.reclaimed
Tell us a bit about your background and your yoga journey…
I come from an Asian background but the blend of cultures, food and languages at home has been diverse from day one – my paternal grandmother was Burmese, both of my parents grew up in East Africa so we spoke a mixture of Punjabi and Swahili at home. Yoga was not a part of my life growing up and I hated any form of physical activity until I reached my 20s when I became a regular gym-goer. I didn’t find yoga until my first pregnancy and then stopped and started over the next several years until I finally came back to yoga in my late 30s to help with the stresses and strains of a high-pressured career in financial services.
I started on a regular practice and fell in love with the way yoga made me feel. I was able to go into class and really switch off for that hour or so. It was a real time of clarity for me and I fell in love with the way it calmed me, empowered me and helped me to focus on all other aspects of my life, which quite frankly at the time, was not on a very even keel.
I then did what so many students do and decided to enroll on a teacher training with my local hot yoga studio. I wanted to take my time with the training and opted for a 500hr course over 18 months, so that I could take my time and immerse myself in the training and the learning. I honestly didn’t have any intention to teach, as so many don’t, but about half way through the training I started to realise that I actually might quite like to teach once qualified.
By the time I qualified in 2016, I made the life-changing decision to walk away from a six-figure income and teach yoga on a full time basis. The transition was easy from a personal point of view in terms of how I felt so much better within myself but from a financial point of view it was not so simple. I have great respect for anyone that teaches yoga on a full time basis because it is hard, taking on as many classes as possible, running from one studio to another and still trying to maintain your own practice and health and pay the bills is quite a big feat!
As I have faced health issues along the way, my practice has changed and so has the way I teach. My practice and the way I teach mirrors my life and whist initially I grieved my loss of strength, after an abdominal hysterectomy, I now embrace the way in which my body feels and how it has made me focus more on other aspects of my practice such as pranayama.
What inspired you to open Yoga Reclaimed and when did you open the studio?
The honest truth is that I never had any plans to open a studio. I was still not back to even half strength after my op and the whole world had still not fully emerged from the pandemic. The whole scenario just unfolded very quickly from initial conversations in August 2021 to fully opening in November 2021. We had a rocky start what with new variants and mini-lockdowns but from January 2022 we gathered pace and the studio started building quite quickly. We then had issues with our sub-lease and by November of 2022 we had to temporarily close whilst waiting for our new studio to be handed over. We finally reopened on January 3rd 2023 with a new name and a new studio. Our members all stayed loyal to us and we didnt lose any of them to other studios during the 6 weeks that we were closed – something that we are very grateful for.
@yoga.reclaimed
What is your mission with Yoga Reclaimed?
We ourselves went through quite a journey to get to the new studio and at times we didn’t know how long it was going to take or even if it was going to be possible. Once we hit the point at which we knew it was all going to go ahead – we wanted to make sure that our new space was totally representative of what we had been through and what we wanted to do – we “reclaimed” our future as a totally independent yoga studio and reclaimed our autonomy. We also wanted to make our studio accessible to everyone – this is not an easy issue to talk about and discuss as everyone has their own interpretation of yoga in the western world and how it should be presented. We are not here to dictate or disown or disagree with anyones choices, but we are here to make everyone feel at ease and comfortable in our studio and this does mean that some of our decisions may be frowned upon, such as being totally non-dogmatic, but its a stance that we have thought about long and hard and that we are comfortable with.
The ethos of ‘reclaimed’ also trickles down to how we have fitted out the studio. All of the equipment is second hand and all of the building materials used are reclaimed too. We haven’t spent thousands of pounds on fancy floors and shelving units – its all very plain and simple and functional. If clients want dedicated changing rooms, showers and a massive reception area, then we are not the space for them! What we do have is great teachers, great yoga and lots of community spirit.
How is your studio different to other studios?
Lots of studios aim to be community focused but they can still feel very cliquey when you go there. That’s not to say that that isnt a community within itself, but it can feel quite daunting as a newcomer to this sort of space. Our studio is honestly and truly not like that. Newcomers are welcomed and everyone talks to everyone. This is led by our teachers, front of house and management of course. Each and everyone of our teachers understands the importance of building community and being available before or after class for students to talk to, this is what makes the difference.
The fact that we have a good diversity of teachers also helps. Dalston is one of the most multi-cultural areas of East London so our teachers have to be representative of this. I want all of our clients to be able to come into the space and feel safe, feel that they are ‘seen’ and feel that they belong – regardless of their ethnicity, gender, age, size, ability and financial standing.
From the financial point of view, we have the option for anyone that is on a low income or benefits to come and practice on a reduced rate. These individuals can come to any class at any time of the day – we dont restrict them to “off-peak” classes or a ‘community class’ that takes place at 2pm on a weekday afternoon. How else can you tackle gentrification if establishments such as ours continue to segregate the rich from the poor? How else do you create community?
We also have a regular stream of clients that get referred to us that are living with long-term, life-changing illnesses and or recovering, all of these clients attend for free and stay as long they like or as long as they can.
We also now have clients referred to us via the social prescribing route and this is a definite long term goal for us – to be able to increase capacity for these referrals and to be able to reach out to specific sectors of the community.
What advice would you give to someone who is curious about yoga and wellbeing and is just getting started on their journey?
Don’t be misled or put off by the endless social media bombardment of the perfect pose or the perfect handstand – that’s not real life! Yes, we have teachers that can handstand and bend themselves into a pretzel like shape, but we also have lots of teachers that cant! Take your time in finding a studio that feels right for you. Somewhere where you can go and feel safe and not judged. Take your time with your practice. Explore lots of different styles of class and don’t just opt for the more dynamic style of class, go to the pranayama classes, try the yin and restorative classes and most of all, just go with how you feel on the day. If the teacher doesn’t say that its ok to adjust or modify or even pass on a pose, then think long and hard about if that’s the right space for you.
Do you have a quote or mantra that you live by?
I have 3 things in my life that I give thanks for everyday…
1) I am grateful for my health – this enables me to wake up feeling ‘able’ everyday.
2) I am grateful for my family – my family support me in everything I do.
3) I am grateful for my privilege – my privilege enables me to eat well everyday, be warm on cold days and help those around me that are not in the same position as me.
You can find more information about Yoga Reclaimed through their Instagram page @yoga.reclaimed
