Who are Soo Yoga?
Soo Yoga is an award-winning, class-based wellness centre located in Northampton. It was founded by World Rugby Champion Ben Cohen MBE and former BBC Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff. The centre offers an oasis of wellness to a diverse demographic of members covering all ages, abilities and disabilities.
With an extensive range of classes, including traditional and modern styles of Yoga, Pilates, Reformer Pilates, Dance, Fitness, and Meditation, Soo Yoga provides a comprehensive approach to well-being.
About Soo Yoga Founders – Ben Cohen MBE and Kristina Rihanoff
Our journey began with Kristina’s longstanding passion for yoga, a practice she has devoted nearly two decades to. During her professional and television dance career, she attributes her resilience against injuries and her mental focus to regular yoga exercises. After an eight-year stint on “Strictly Come Dancing,” Kristina took a break to start a family.
Post-pregnancy, Kristina was eager to regain her strength through yoga, but found that Northampton lacked a hot yoga studio. This led her to travel an hour for her preferred yoga class, inspiring her to bring the benefits of this ancient practice to her hometown, making it accessible to people of all ages, abilities,
and genders.
That’s when the conversation began. Both Kristina and Ben had careers with inherent physical demands; dancing and professional rugby are professions that take a toll over the years. As they contemplated their next steps, they focused on the well-being of their family, which includes their three active children. This led to the idea of a family wellness centre offering diverse activities from yoga for mums, circuit training for dads, and drama and dance for kids. And thus, the vision for Soo Yoga materialised.
We aimed to be inclusive, catering to everyone from stay-at-home parents—who can utilise our on-site crèche—to millennials seeking express workouts and relaxation, and even the ‘senior’ generation with classes designed for mobility and fitness at any age. We’re thrilled that four years in, our efforts have been recognised: Soo Yoga has been voted Best Yoga/Pilates Studio by our local community for three consecutive years and won a National Award in 2022.
What sets Soo Yoga apart is our Wellness Academy, which Kristina launched last year. Now a fully qualified Senior Yoga Teacher recognised by Yoga Alliance Professionals in the UK, Kristina offers various teacher training courses. Her courses are not only endorsed and accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals—a highly respected standard in the industry—but also by The CPD Group. Kristina is an accredited provider with both organisations, making it a unique opportunity for franchisees to receive comprehensive training and certification from both Yoga Alliance and The CPD Group.
We sincerely hope you appreciate what we’ve built and that we can positively impact our community. As Soo Yoga continues to grow, we are excited to offer new franchise opportunities across various locations. If you’re interested in joining us on this exciting journey, we’d love to hear from you.
