Meet the independent business offering a ‘beautiful oasis of calm’ in a busy area of Northampton

One independent business that is committed to offering a “beautiful oasis of calm” in a busy area of the town is The Breathe In Space.

Located in Welford Road, Kingsthorpe, the studio offers yoga classes and a holistic centre for all kinds of wellness treatments.

From the varying yoga practices and reflexology, to meditation circles, sound baths and classes for older individuals to keep them strong and balanced, business owner Johannah Moore found her calling with The Breathe In Space.

In the holistic part of the building – where Johannah has welcomed in other independent businesses to treat their clients – crystal therapy, massages, occupational therapy, counselling and life coaching is on offer.

Johannah began practising yoga in her early twenties when she was a primary school teacher – a time when people assumed it was strictly for older people.

She never saw yoga as a form of exercise, it was purely to calm her down and make her feel at peace in what was a very stressful job.

When she reached her early thirties, Johannah wanted to explore it further and as a lover of learning, she did a yoga teacher training course over two years.

At that point she never envisioned that in the future she would own a yoga studio, as she simply wanted to deepen her understanding of something she loved.

Johannah, who is originally from Kingsthorpe and now lives in Little Billing, said: “The headteacher of the school I worked in at the time asked if I wanted to teach yoga to the staff after school on Fridays.

“I was told by a fellow teacher that although I was good at my job, she believed teaching yoga was what I was meant to be doing.

“She was right and that was my calling. Yoga is my forte.”

Johannah knew her purpose was to share yoga with people and prove it is “not about the fancy leggings and flexible shapes you can make, it is about your mind and sense of inner peace”.

It was nine years ago that the yoga lover took the plunge to become a teacher and up until the pandemic, she had exclusively hired community centres and venues to host her classes.

In the summer of 2020 as she drove along Welford Road, Johannah noticed a building had been left empty after a hairdressers closed down.

At the time, she was on her way to teach a yoga class at a community centre in Kingsthorpe and spoke to her attendees about the thoughts she had been having about opening her own studio.

Coincidentally, someone mentioned about the empty building in Welford Road that Johannah had just passed and after a few months of negotiations, she took it on in October 2020.

After delays in being able to sign the lease, more lockdown restrictions and taking the time to fix the building up, The Breathe In Space opened to the public in June 2021.

Johannah felt lucky that as she taught prior to having a studio of her own, her former clients continued to support and visit her in her new premises – as well as welcoming new attendees.

As she has also welcomed other independent businesses into the wellness space in the building, they all tend to exchange clients and have built a “supportive community”.

Johannah says that sound baths on Fridays are among the busiest sessions and always tend to be full.

They require no physical prowess and those taking part simply lay down and listen to the soothing sounds.

“Post-pandemic this is what people want,” said Johannah. “Otago classes for the older community are also popular.

“It helps give them a sense that they are doing something for their bodies without the pressure.”

Johannah’s proudest moment since setting up The Breathe In Space was being nominated for a Muddy Stilettos award last year and making it to the final.

As a business run solely by her and competing with large corporations with big teams, Johannah said to have that recognition was “really special”.

On the flip side, Johannah says the biggest challenge she has had to overcome – like most small businesses – is getting her name out there, making people aware of what the business is all about, and welcoming them into the studio.

She said: “One thing Northampton is good at is word of mouth and it goes a long way.

“It is a challenge to get people through the door but once they are, most become regulars.”

When asked what she would say to anyone thinking of coming along, Johannah says that before she owned The Breathe In Space her business was named ‘Yoga For All’.

“That is what it is all about,” she said. “There is a version of yoga for everyone. Breath work is everything and so long as you can breathe, you can take part in yoga.”

Now Johannah is settled into her premises, she has taken the time to set up and offer ‘wellbeing in the workplace’ packages to businesses.

The Breathe In Space can now welcome companies to the studio for away days, or visit their offices during training days.

As Johannah is a mental health first aider, she is able to train and teach businesses how to manage stress in the workplace.

With a big booking coming up in June, Johannah is “really excited” to be able to share her knowledge on combating stress.

Women’s health is also a big focus at The Breathe In Space and Johannah offers the chance for companies to learn how to support the changes women experience.

To find out more, you can visit The Breathe In Space’s website here.