At studiOm Yoga in Madrid, Spain, the philosophy is simple: yoga should feel good. Whether through energizing vinyasa flows, grounding mindfulness practices, or inspiring community events, the studio is designed to support each student’s unique journey. With an inviting atmosphere and a commitment to high-quality instruction, studiOm provides a wonderful space to explore, grow, and discover the joy of yoga in a way that resonates beyond the studio walls.
This month, Manduka sat down with StudiOm Yoga founder Lucia Perez-Pa to learn more about her journey opening a dedicated yoga studio.
How did you find yoga and what was your path from student to teacher and finally into a studio owner?
I discovered Yoga when living in Sydney, Australia at age 21. I took a Vinyasa class at a gym and was completely hooked. I started practicing weekly and came back home absolutely loving it.
I continued practicing back in the United States and it was one of my teachers who suggested I look into becoming a teacher myself, as I seem to love it so much. I deepened my studies into the practice of yoga, the philosophy, the values and of course the movement aspect of it, which is the part that most deeply resonates with me.
This idea stayed in my mind and at age 24 I finally got my certificate. Right after I did, I started teaching in Madrid, my home city, even then I knew I would eventually open my own studio. Every time I stepped into my mat, closed my eyes and started guiding a class, I had the feeling I was doing what I was supposed to do, I was sharing something I truly loved and making others fall in love with it too in the process.
Thanks to my partner, I opened studiOm Yoga a couple years later and not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful for having done so.
Is there a special teacher or guide that was instrumental in developing and sustaining your personal practice?
Through my journey as a yoga teacher I have learned from many and can still see their influences in the ways I prepare and guide my classes. Lola Rephann was my YTT teacher and of course, she’s had a big influence in me.
This past year I’ve attended two courses with Carling Harps and continue to learn from her. With Carling I’ve found a very refreshing perspective, not only in the practice of yoga but also in the movement practice in general, which I’ve translated into both my teaching and my self-practice. Thanks to her I feel stronger, healthier and more balanced, and feel confident to teach my students how to do so too.
Additionally, Paula Petricca, who was my teacher when I came back to Madrid and from whom I learned so much through the years and with whom I shared the passion of the Vinyasa practice that resonates so deeply in the both of us.
And of course, I couldn’t answer without mentioning the teacher who has a special place in my heart, Sam Jackson, who was the one who taught Vinyasa when I lived in the States. She was studying at University of Miami, as was I, and teaching at the campus wellness center there. She was the one who reached out to me about becoming a teacher, but it’s not for that that I remember her. I remember when I came to her class for the first time, finding that first Adho Mukha, closing my eyes and thinking: yes, I found the Yoga I discovered in Sydney that I love so much, I found the practice I want to keep doing, I found the practice that makes me feel free.
Can you share the story behind the studiOm Yoga? What was the inspiration to open the space for the community?
The story behind the studio is a simple one; I knew I wanted to have my own business, I knew there was nothing I loved sharing more than the yoga practice. After teaching at different places, I decided to put the vision together, to have a place that could be a refuge from the busyness of the city, and oasis to come find yourself in silence, presence and peace provided by the yoga practice. The studio was created with an idea in mind, creating a place to which you could come to find your inner peace.
Why was Manduka chosen as the equipment partner for the studio?
As a practitioner I was already familiar with Manduka, the brand, the products and of course, the quality. At studiOm we love to pay attention to every single detail, as we know how important each is in creating the perfect environment. No doubt, there is no finding your inner peace if you’re slipping on your mat. Hence, Manduka provided the look, feel and quality we wanted to give our students, as well as being one of those brands in the yoga world that resonated with us.
Tell us about the studio and the energy it brings to the local yoga community. When people enter the studio, what do you want them to feel?
Again, it’s all about that feeling of inner peace at the studio. Right before the yoga space, we have a quote on the door that reads “Estás a un Paso de encontrar tu paz interior” (You are one step away of finding your inner peace.)
This does not mean we only teach yin or restorative yoga. We play loud music at the studio and teach dynamic classes, but it all comes down to having a place where you can come relax, forget about everything else that goes on in your life, and even if for just an hour, connect with your inner space, inner voice and inner calm.
What is the goal or mission of the studio?
Our goal as a studio is not only to be able to provide that inner peace for you, but to teach our students to find it themselves, wherever they are when they are not on the mat. In the studio we move, we breathe, we laugh, we feel, but the mission is that you do the same once you leave.
How has the vision for the studio evolved since it first opened? Have there been any key moments that shaped this evolution?
Since opening in 2021, the studio has come a long way. We first opened in a rented space inside a Gym, and then two years later moved to our own space, a beautiful apartment filled with light in the center of Madrid.
Opening the new space was definitely a key moment, as we found a place with a completely different energy, the energy we were looking for.
We started as a small studio, with only a few styles and teachers. Steadily, we’ve been growing, incorporating new classes, new teachers, an online studio and having new and more students who fill our studio with energy and light.
What do you want students to take away from an experience at the studio?
Keeping it short, we want students to leave “better” than they arrive. Whatever that better means for them. We want the experience at the studio to be a positive one (of course) but really, to be that hour of your day that can transform the other 23, to be that space in which you can come find yourself and then leave staying closer to yourself for the rest of your day.
What is the studio’s teaching philosophy, and how does it influence the class offerings and community events?
There is a lot of freedom in our teaching. Depending on the teacher or class your come to, you will see more of something or other. Some teachers are more movement focused while others are deeper in the philosophy and traditional side of Yoga.
We like to keep the philosophy simple: come find what serves you, what allows you to find that inner peace, leave feeling good.
This influences the studio in the variety of classes offered, different styles for different styles of yogis. We also love having special events such as retreats, special classes about Chakras, Ayurveda, or other more “dense” yoga matters, as well as movement focused workshops or our beloved christmas special classes.
Another aspect of our studio philosophy is we are not demanding with our yogis, we want them to feel safe, at peace and enjoy the time they spend in the studio.
Aren’t we already demanding with ourselves in our everyday lives in so many aspects? We certainly think so. And that is why we want our students to feel Yoga is one of those things you can truly enjoy and not force yourself to do, we want to make it feel like play and value all the wellness that brings.
What are your hopes and aspirations for the future of the studio?
I want the studio to keep growing, expanding and bringing in the ever-growing yoga community. The online studio to have a bigger presence too and eventually, to become a studio where we’re not only teaching but offering courses for teachers or those students who want to become teachers one day, as was my case not too long ago.
Are there any upcoming projects or events to mention to the community?
We’re are always coming up with new events and ways to connect with our community and enrich their “yogi lives”. Always cool to mention are our yearly Yoga & Meditation Retreats, in a magical town called Óbidos, in Portugal. We are lucky to have found a beautiful retreat house called Casa Tudo Bem where practicing is truly a wonderful experience.
During the year, we always include special sessions and practices for example in Holidays. So Christmas is always a good time to check out the schedule and find some beautifully themed classes.
And, of course, Om the Go, our studio online with which we started during the summer and have been putting a lot of our energy into with the idea that you can find that inner peace we seek in the studio, wherever you are.
Is there anything else that you would like to add and share with the community?
I am beyond excited to announce I have recently developed my own vinyasa method, Freedom Flow Vinyasa.
Freedom Flow is the result of 9 years of practice, 6 years of continuous teaching and a lifetime of loving movement, dancing, music and feeling free. It’s a method and practice I’ve pour my soul into and one that makes me so happy to share with the community.
It’s a form of modern vinyasa that unites movement and music to another level, where music is not only in the background but is the force of the practice guiding the flow from beginning to end. Each flow moves to a specific song, making it a choreography on the mat. It also includes time for intuitive movement, allowing practitioners to experiment with and find their freedom.
Freedom flow is designed to be fun, rhythmic, and ultimately a practice to set you free through movement that feels amazing and a curated playlist that will surprise you.
Practice on
Listen
Connect
- Studio website : thestudiomyoga.com
- Instagram handle : @thestudiom.yoga
- Location: Paseo de la habana, 54, 1 izquierda 1, 28036, Madrid, Spain.
- Yoga classes offered: Vinyasa, Hatha, Soft Flow, Yin, Ashtanga Vinyasa, Jivamukti.
- Outfitted with Manduka PROlite® yoga mats, eQua® hand towels and AligN yoga straps
