The Corporate Mirage: What the Collapse of Ealing Triyoga Teaches Us
/Dear Yogis,
I remember so well and with such fondness when the rumour of Triyoga coming to Ealing was spoken about with wide eyes and excitement. Would they choose us? Richmond? We won! It hailed a joyful time of practicing with friends, free vegan porridge after Mysore, hanging out in the café after class, general loveliness. Even though we always knew it was owned by private equity, by definition a corporate nomad, it made no difference. Triyoga in Ealing was adored. It was our sanctuary
But the business model of private equity is: privatise profit, socialise risk, vanish suddenly, escape liability. On Tuesday an email went out saying that Triyoga and all other centers were to be closed down with immediate effect ‘this afternoon’ and staff to vacate within an hour. Teachers hadn’t been paid for two months, and members were still paying their membership and subscriptions up to the final whistle.
I can’t help drawing the parallel between Triyoga’s sudden desertion and Ealing Council’s frantic determination to hand over Walpole Park to Troubadour Theatres. It’s a temporary, commercial theatre operator that carries exactly the same genetic code. Enfield learnt the hard way with Troubadour. Enfield taxpayers find themselves liable for their council’s secret financial settlement – a confidential amount – paid to get Troubadour out!
Anyway, back to Triyoga, I really feel the heartbreak. Please seek out your favourite teacher and find out where they are teaching. Support them. Also, come here to class! All of us local teachers celebrate real connection and genuine community.
Classes
Next Friday evening is our fortnightly Yin/Restorative class. I absolutely love teaching this class. Yin will iron out all the wrinkles that the working week left in the body. What could be better? Don’t worry - half-a-day later we stir it up again with a morning Ashtanga class.
Mon, Tues & Wed evenings = Stretchy yoga at 7.00-8.00pm – this is the popular one with a bit of Yin.
Friday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30-9.30am – this is the more ‘dynamic’ one.
Friday evening = Yin and Restorative Yoga – 6.30-8.00pm – A proper unwind – fortnightly.
Saturday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30 – 10.00am – this is the longer ‘dynamic’ one.
And, by the way, you can post a google review of my classes here.
Retreat
Well, I hope to do retreats again in my hideaway in Greece on the perfect island of Kythera. In the meantime, if you are looking for a retreat, have a look at Ladan Soltani’s wondrous Canary Islands offerings this Christmas and New Year: https://linktr.ee/yoga.meditation.retreats
Many of you already know her from classes at Ealing Town Hall back in the day and, today, in West Ealing. Honestly! Who doesn’t need a Christmas Retreat Escape!
Yoga in the News
London Evening Standard has Barrecore, Boom Cycle and Triyoga studios close. ‘While it’s not yet clear how many customers have been impacted by the studio closures, over one hundred Triyoga staff have appealed to the Independent Worker’s Union of Great Britain (IWGB) to help them get their final payments.’
The Times has: Inside the collapse of Kate Moss’s favourite London yoga studio.’ The first indications something was seriously wrong came last month when bailiffs showed up at Triyoga’s Shoreditch studio, according to the Yoga Teachers Union.’
Come to class!
Stay bendy!
Happy Autumn Equinox
