There’s something quietly profound about taking a room apart.
Over the past week, Matt and I have been elbow-deep in the beginnings of something new - not in a spreadsheet, or in a notebook, but right here, in the reality of bricks and mortar- it's messy, dusty, daunting and full of potential! While the August sun blazes, we've been in the space, getting familiar with where the light lands, the rough edges, and understanding what we can bring to the place that will become The Breathing Space’s main studio.
The space was once a language school, and has since been a staff room of a nursery...the vibe was part-office, part-chill area, part-storage, part-forgotten corner of the house. Carpeted, fluorescent-lit, filled with remnants of past projects and paperwork that had gathered dust. As we started to clear it, there was a sense that the room itself had been waiting for this - a quiet readiness, as if it had been holding its breath.
Matt, whose place this is, has been involved with this space for years. And although he’s stepping into the role of quiet partner in this new chapter, these early days have been full of shared effort. Between boxes and bin bags, we found ourselves talking about our sense of the potential — and as our conversation flowed, we begun to breathe a freshness to the space, we begun to feel that we were resuscitating it with a sense of it's next purpose. To honour the structure, the foundations, the past of the building, we both felt some features needed to hold their place- the wooden beams, for example- to keep a sense of it's unique personality.
It hasn’t always been a poetic process. Wobbly ladders, sawdust covering every inch, spiders walking over freshly painted areas...There was even a terrifying moment involving a set of fake nails falling from behind a radiator...Then the walls. I unnervingly realised that in the slowness of a practice, somebody may see my filling wasn't sanded smooth, or the edges weren't cut in enough, or even- shock horror- some magnolia still found it's way through the bright white we are layering up.
As with all challenging processes, there are many of these internal conversations carrying on- but underneath the literal and mental mess, something beautiful is beginning to emerge.
Together, we’re imagining what this room may become. A yoga studio, a space where people feel attuned to themselves and each other, where movement pulses ease-fully and an ocean of stillness becomes an anchor through whatever we must navigate.
For me, this is very personal- and I am beyond grateful. Ever since an activity in my 200hr teacher training at Camyoga, where we had to create a list of guidance for clients about a fictional studio, I've been drawn to create a space like this. In hired halls, village centres, gyms, parks, meeting rooms, front rooms, gardens, kitchens and virtually, I've had to create a bubble around my students so they feel able to enter their practice. But this will be the first time the space will feel like mine. Ours. And it means so much that Matt, with his quiet belief and practical support, is helping lay its foundations. There's already been a ripple-effect of support- my Ma & Pa have done a huge amount to redecorate, sharing the job like the true team they are! We've eaten picnic lunches with hair wrapped in cloths to protect from the paint on the hottest days of the year, and it's one of those moments I know I'll store in my treasured memories for years. It's never obvious where following your instincts is going to take you, and those around you...but in that moment, we felt exactly where we were meant to be.
There’s still a long way to go. Paint samples are appearing on walls. Light fittings are being debated. Some out of reach spiders webs still thrive! There are far more decisions than I expected. But we’ve taken the most important step - we’ve made space.
And sometimes, that’s the hardest bit.
Thank you to those of you who’ve already reached out, asked when classes will begin, offered to help. Your support is being woven into the bones of this place.
I can’t wait to open the doors.
With love,
Emily x