'Feels like a family': Crouch End yogis rejoice as Yoga Junction reopens
Tara Fraser is a yoga instructor and author - Credit: Tara Fraser/ Yoga Junction
A Crouch End yoga studio has reopened for the first time since March last year.
Yoga Junction in Weston Park has been offering online classes throughout the pandemic, but this month it finally reopened its doors to locals.
Co-owner Tara Fraser, who runs the studio with partner Nigel Jones, said it felt "fantastic" to welcome back loyal clients.
The yoga instructor and author told the Ham&High: "We're such a local studio, and some people have been coming here for over 25 years.
"It felt like a really massive thing to close our doors.
"We finally feel like it's safe to reopen, and it's really lovely and quite emotional to be back."
Since reopening earlier this month, the studio has made changes to ensure it is Covid-safe, such as increasing the space between yoga mats in classes.
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"But we're basically back to normal," Tara said.
The yoga studio offers a range of different styles and techniques - Credit: Tara Fraser/ Yoga Junction
Tara first opened Yoga Junction in 1999, and has been teaching since 1993.
She prides herself on running the studio before many other "glossy" studios opened across London.
"We're called Yoga Junction because we include a wide range of styles, so there's something for everyone," she said.
Having lived in Crouch End for for 15 years, she and Nigel decided to move to Devon and open a yoga retreat.
Clients from the north London studio are then invited to enjoy the "beautiful Devon countryside", with teachers also travelling between the sites.
"Some of our teachers started out as students, and then trained with us and began working at Yoga Junction," Tara said.
"It really feels like a family here, we've become a hub that people use to connect."
During lockdown, the studio ran online classes which the owner described as a "mixed blessing".
"We had people joining from all over the world, who we hadn't seen in years," she said.
"They were incredibly international classes, and we've got such a dedicated client base that people could continue coming even if they moved away.
"We know all of our clients personally, and hear all about their stories, both good and bad."
She recalled someone joining an online class who she hadn't seen for 30 years.
Tara said: "It was hilarious, she thought I wouldn't remember her but of-course I did."
