Lancaster yoga studio celebrates its first birthday
‘It's just been such an amazing year...’
Lancaster yoga and Pilates studio SOMA has marked its first birthday with a special celebration day, bringing together members, teachers and friends of the studio to mark 12 months since it first opened its doors at Whitecross.
The studio, which offers a membership-based programme of yoga, Pilates and somatic classes, is owned and run by co-directors Annie Neat, 34 and Paul Smith, 39, both Lancaster residents. Annie, who has been teaching yoga for nearly a decade, said the studio was built with community at its heart from the very beginning.
"It's just been such an amazing year, honestly the community we've built here is gorgeous," said Annie, who grew up in Lancaster.
"We've got some brilliant teachers, a properly varied timetable and we just want it to be a space where people feel welcome. So whether you've not moved your body in a while or you're in here five times a week, there's something for you."
The birthday celebration brought members together for a day of classes and connection, reflecting the sense of community that has grown around the studio since it opened.
For Annie and Paul, the milestone is a chance to look back on a first year that has seen SOMA establish itself as a warm and welcoming space for movement and wellbeing in the heart of Lancaster.