Tucked away beneath a large, important building in the city, you would be forgiven for walking straight past Blue Cow Yoga everyday of your life and never knowing it was there. Its entrance is discreetly lit with two blue lights reflecting onto the steps that lead you to its door. Once inside you won’t be disappointed. Fresh, light, airy, spacious – the studio is the stuff yogi dreams are made of. Have a cup of herbal tea catching up with a friend whilst you wait for your class to begin. If you don’t enjoy being pushed and shoved in changing room by people desperately trying to undress, then you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised by the large, minimalist cloakrooms.
Don’t get me wrong though, for Blue Cow Yoga is anything but soulless. Yes, it’s clean and uncluttered but it’s also stylish and elegant. One of my favourite rooms was the room you go through to get to one of the yoga studios. Not seeming to have any real purpose but for chilling, it has around eight chic poofs dotted around it and featured fantastic black and white photographs on the wall.
The class I was in was particularly small (there were just three of us), which I loved as it really gives you the time and the attention from the instructor to work on the simple things that have been troubling you, such as correcting your downward dog.
Blue Cow yoga is a fresh approach to a yoga studio with good teachers and free herbal tea and best of all it doesn’t smell of sweat.
Blue Cow Yoga – Fast Facts
Who set it up?
Owner’s Mark Evans and Fran Gillibrand originally became friends through their mutual love of yoga, visiting a Goan retreat in India. Mark was an ex-Army infantryman and Fran was an ex-City worker, so she was particularly aware of the stresses of city life.
How long has blue cow been open?
Just over three months.
Where does blue cow yoga take its name from?
Nilgai (literal transition ‘blue cow’) are silver antelope that roam central and northern India enjoying the benefits of an ancient mis-classification and subsequently dubious holy status. Once deified however it is hard to undo, even if scientists can now prove they never were bovine. So confusion reigns, alongside some humour, and this reminded the owners of how the modern world looks at yoga.
What was the inspiration?
To inspire people to try yoga and see how it could work for them and explaining the benefits of Yoga and making it possible to fit it into everybody’s already busy lives without demanding change or sacrifices. That meant making it accessible; anything and everything from running classes at convenient times (on time), to having great facilities like the showers (where all the products and towels are provided). And remembering that the studio is in the City and not ancient India, so talking in a language that everyone understands. Essentially, it is about giving more people the opportunity to try yoga.
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