London-based yoga studio chain Triyoga, once a prominent destination for practitioners including celebrities such as Kate Moss and Sadie Frost, has ceased operations amid financial difficulties. The company’s studios, including its original Primrose Hill location and three additional sites across London, were closed earlier this week with notices stating they are “closed until further notice.” The closures follow a period of payment delays and growing unrest among instructors.
Triyoga, which established itself as a leading yoga brand in London during the 2000s, expanded rapidly but has faced significant challenges in recent years. After struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, Triyoga was acquired by United Fitness Brands in 2022. However, United Fitness Brands went into liquidation later that year, and the studios were subsequently purchased by a new company, Common Bond, owned by the investment firm Nectar Capital. Common Bond also owns other fitness studios, including Barrecore, Boom Cycle, Reformcore, and Kobox. All these brands have reportedly ceased trading simultaneously, with staff informed on Tuesday that Common Bond had “temporarily suspended trading.”
The financial strain became apparent last month when bailiffs reportedly visited Triyoga’s Shoreditch studio. Teachers missed salary payments on August 14, prompting threats of industrial action. Some payments were made on August 21 after teacher protests, but the issues persisted into September, with about 100 instructors remaining unpaid as of mid-month. Common Bond attributed further payment delays to an ongoing audit conducted by external parties on behalf of investors to verify financial records and compliance.
Teachers and former staff have expressed deep disappointment over the management transition following the 2022 acquisition. Longtime instructor Robin Catto said the new ownership “appears to have destroyed London’s leading yoga brand,” noting the loss of the community atmosphere that once defined Triyoga. Emma Powell and Tanja Mickwitz, both experienced teachers, criticized the new management for treating yoga merely as another fitness business, lacking appreciation for its cultural and spiritual significance.
The Yoga Teachers Union highlighted the impact on instructors, many of whom depend on their earnings from Triyoga for essential living expenses. Chair Davy Jones condemned the situation, emphasizing that the brand’s reputation was built on the excellence of its teachers who have now been left unpaid and uncertain about their financial future.
Triyoga’s founder, Jonathan Sattin, who departed the company in 2022, acknowledged the challenges involved in managing such businesses but expressed no direct knowledge of recent developments. Both Sattin and former yoga director Genny Wilkinson have established new studios and offered support to displaced Triyoga students and teachers.
On September 18, a winding-up petition was filed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) against Common Bond over unpaid taxes. HMRC stated that such petitions are a last resort after exhausting other options to recover debts. Gaspar Lipszyc, the sole director of Common Bond listed at Companies House and affiliated with Nectar Capital, declined to comment on the matter.
The sudden closure of Triyoga and its affiliated studios marks a significant disruption in London’s yoga and fitness sector, raising concerns about the sustainability of wellness enterprises amid changing market conditions and investor pressures.