Why We Became Community-Owned
Phoenix Yoga has always been built on a simple idea: that a yoga studio should belong to the people who use it. Not a franchise. Not an investor’s portfolio. Not a brand.
When I opened Phoenix ten years ago in a small room above a pub in Putney, I had no business plan, no investors, and no idea whether anyone would come. What I had was a belief that yoga — real yoga, the kind that changes how you move through the world — deserved a home in this community. A proper one.
The people who came in those early days built this place as much as I did. They told their friends. They booked the same time slot every week until it became their time slot. They cried in Savasana and laughed about it afterwards over tea. They became, in every meaningful sense, part of the studio.
The decision
Becoming a community benefit society wasn’t a sudden decision. It was the result of years of thinking about what “ownership” actually means — and what it means for a studio like ours to outlast any single person or economic moment.
The short version: we became community-owned because it was the honest thing to do.
The longer version: a few years ago, I started asking myself what would happen to Phoenix if I were no longer able to run it. The honest answer was: I didn’t know. The studio might be sold. The team might be scattered. The community might lose its home. That felt wrong.
“A community benefit society means that Phoenix can never be sold to the highest bidder. It exists for the people who are part of it — and it will continue to do so, long after I’m teaching elsewhere.”
What community ownership actually means
It means members have a vote. It means profits stay in the studio — reinvested in better facilities, lower prices, or more accessible programming — rather than going to shareholders. It means decisions about the studio’s future are made with the community, not for it.
It also means we’re accountable. If we put up our prices, you deserve to know why. If we’re struggling financially, you deserve to know that too. Community ownership is not a marketing slogan. It’s a legal structure with real obligations.
We publish our accounts. We hold open member meetings. We welcome challenge and feedback. That’s part of the deal.
What it means for you
If you’re already a member, you’re already part of this. When you buy a membership or a class pack, you’re supporting a studio that has legally committed to putting its community first.
If you’re new to Phoenix: welcome. You’ve found a place that belongs to the people in it. Including, soon, you.
There will be more news about how to become a formal member of the cooperative in the coming months. In the meantime, sign up to our newsletter and we’ll keep you posted.
With gratitude,
Ray
