Wild Wolf’s Yoga

In the beating heart of old Bristol and right next to St Nicholas’ Market is Wild Wolf’s Yoga, a beautiful space created by sisters Jessica and Steph Wolff and dedicated to all things yoga. Aren’t we Bristolians the lucky ones?

Wild Wolf’s celebrated its first birthday not so long ago and yet I only managed to get there very recently, late to the party as is often the case. Schlepping into town one drizzly winter evening it was a treat to clamber up the crooked stairs past a series of quirky aphorisms and enter a dramatic, candlelit space; all exposed brickwork, stripped wooden flooring, potted plants and stained glass panels. Before I’d even stretched out on my yoga mat I felt as if I’d been transported.

I am not an advocate of needing a special place in which to practice yoga because, let’s face it, if we waited until everything was ‘Om’ we’d never get down to it. We’ve all been to classes in draughty church halls and practised sun salutations in school gyms under polite notices about tidying the chairs away. Some of us practise at home with the Lego shoved over to the side of the room by the TV (or is that just me?). However, a beautiful yoga studio does make everything so much more, well, ‘Om’. And when you come across a studio as gorgeous and unique as Wild Wolf’s it seems rude not to share.

The love that has gone into creating this space is tangible. Living above the shop the sisters – along with help from their dad and brother – have transformed a building that was part of Bristol’s old Stock Exchange into something that has currency today. “The bones of this building were always special; the work that our family and the team have done in this building has and continues to be epic,” says Jess.

An anteroom offers a welcoming space to chat and have some of the complementary tea that is on tap and, at this time of year, a corner to house a pretty Christmas tree. Put simply, the ethos here is to make a space where people feel good. “This is so easily measurable and the intention we always come back to when we are changing or questioning anything,” says Jess. “When people are inspired they are in spirit! That is contagious and is total feel good factor.”

Wild Wolf’s offers a diverse range of weekly classes ranging from gentle Scaravelli-inspired and Yin yoga classes to more physically demanding Power Ashtanga and fitness bootcamps. Pregnancy yoga classes evolve into Mama and Baby ones. Jess welcomes all into her wolf pack, even the cubs.

Ten minutes into my Yin class at Wild Wolf’s, the church bells of St Mary Redcliffe started to peal and continued until the end of the class. It was glorious.

Do you have an amazing place to practise yoga that you’d care to share with the Wannabe community? Go on. It is Christmas after all.