Tucked above the bustle of Hotel Street, sunlight spills through the tall studio windows of Leicester’s Space to Breathe Collective—a not-for-profit community built on compassion, connection, and the belief
that wellbeing shouldn’t come with a luxury price tag.
Co-founded in 2019 by yoga teacher Dave Rennie, therapist Fred Rennie, and teacher Geoff O’Meara, Space to Breathe has quietly grown into one of the city’s most accessible community-led wellness hubs. What began as a small yoga room just off New Walk is now a busy cooperative offering yoga, meditation, reiki, sound energy massage, counselling, breathwork, and more—each grounded in fairness, affordability, and collective care.
Picture credit: Grace Elkin Photography
“We didn’t have some big business plan,” Dave says. “We just knew we wanted something different from commercial yoga spaces. A place for everyone. And we didn’t want it to be profit-driven.”
A Space for Everyone
The centre operates as a not-for-profit cooperative, with any surplus reinvested to keep sessions affordable and ensure fair pay for teachers. That financial transparency underpins everything they do.
“We halved our prices last April,” Dave explains. “Unlimited yoga went from £60 to £30 a month because people told us £60 was out of reach. Since then, we’ve grown our membership by 300 per cent.”
The studio now welcomes around 180 members and hosts roughly 20 classes a week while remaining one of the most affordable wellbeing spaces in the region. Two weekly classes are completely free, and members can gift a month of yoga to family or friends.
“It’s very counter-cultural,” Dave adds. “Most things go up in price. We’ve done the opposite. And the support has been amazing.”
A Personal Transformation
Dave’s connection to yoga is rooted in lived experience. He began practicing in 2016 during a difficult period of his life.
Despite being active, he didn’t initially understand yoga. “I thought it was for super-flexible younger women he laughs. “But during therapy something shifted, and I decided to be brave enough to try a beginners’ class. It really transformed my life.”
Picture credit: Grace Elkin Photography
He vividly remembers that first session. “It was the Premier League year—2016, so it’s easy to remember! I did alternate nostril breathing and thought, ‘Wow, that’s the first time I’ve slowed down in so long.’”
That unexpected moment of stillness set him on a path that led to teacher training in India and eventually to co founding Space to Breathe.
The Energy of the Place
The collective sits within Clock Chambers, a light-filled upperfloor space just outside St Martin’s. A historic clock, dormant for more than a century, now ticks again thanks to money raised with support from Leicester City Council—and the artistry of one of the collective’s own members.
“Aidan is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met,” Dave says. “He’s from New Parks, he’s had a complicated life with addiction, but he has the kindest heart. He’s an artist and he restored the gold leaf in the old clock. He also has a regular yoga practice. He’s a brilliant example of how yoga can guide someone’s life.”
Upstairs, therapy rooms host a team of counsellors offering talking therapy, bodywork, and breathwork sessions. A smaller studio runs workshops, connection circles, and specialist classes.
“It’s a proper wellness cooperative,” Dave explains. “Not just yoga—holistic practices that are actually accessible.”
Picture credit: Grace Elkin Photography
Community at the Heart
What stands out most is the collective spirit. Teachers, therapists, and members all help run the space. There’s no
hierarchy—just shared responsibility, shared pride, and shared wellbeing.
“People really feel a sense of belonging,” Dave says. “They meet for coffee after class, they support each other. It’s
beautiful to witness.”
With 14 yoga teachers—including a popular 70-year-old instructor leading one of the busiest weekly classes—the
collective breaks down stereotypes about who yoga is “for.”
“We’re trying to get away from the idea that yoga belongs to a certain type of person,” Dave explains.
“If you come in and feel just a little bit better than when you arrived, that’s enough. Yoga is for everybody.”
A Slower, Kinder Way of Living
In an age of constant notifications, comparison culture, and unrelenting pace, Dave believes practices like yoga and
mindfulness are more essential than ever.
“We’re all so busy,” he says. “Social media connects us, but it also creates this feeling of lack—like we don’t measure up.
“Yoga doesn’t fix everything, but it gives you space to reflect. Sometimes you just need permission to switch off. ”
Sometimes, he adds, the most important thing he does in a class is simply sit on his mat and breathe.
Looking to Make Positive Changes in 2026?
January often brings motivation to start again, but Space to Breathe encourages newcomers to approach wellness gently.
“What’s the worst that can happen?” Dave laughs. “You spend £30, try it for a month, and maybe you don’t like it. Or you
come to our free classes and it costs you nothing.”
One thing he does promise: “You won’t walk in and feel like you don’t fit. You’ll see people from all walks of life. Normal
people, from a normal, brilliant city like Leicester.”
Picture credit: Grace Elkin Photography
A Collective With Purpose
Space to Breathe doesn’t exist to scale, impress, or profit. Its success is measured in conversations after class, in members feeling steadier as they walk back through the city, and in the gentle tick of a once-broken clock above Hotel Street.
“It gives me purpose,” Dave says simply. “It’s hard work, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
For anyone seeking calm, connection, or a fresh start in 2026, this quietly radical cooperative may be the antidote to modern-day stress—and the breath of fresh air Leicester truly
needs.
To find out more, visit:
www.spacetobreathecollective.co.uk
