NEW life is being breathed into an historic room in Liskeard with the opening of a yoga studio.

Sukha Shala – Yoga for Happiness is in the old Liberal Club building on Barras Street, where Christina Hoppenbrouwers has made the most of floor to ceiling windows to create a light-filled space that will be perfect for its purpose.

Having moved to Cornwall in 2019, Christina had been hiring halls in Liskeard, Callington and Pensilva, but as her classes grew and got busier, she wanted to find somewhere to call her own.

’As soon as I saw the room I fell in love,’ she said, ’but a week or two later it all kicked off with Covid and lockdown. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I thought if I don’t take it, someone else will.’

Christina offers classes in both the slower and more dynamic yoga types for adults and children and she’s also been running yoga on the beach at Millendreath, with entry fees donated to the RNLI. These take place on a Sunday at 9am and will continue until September.

’I decided to help raise money for them as my friend’s son had an accident and fell on to rocks in Looe, he was in a really bad way and they didn’t think he was going to make it,’ said Christina.

’Luckily the RNLI were quick to respond and helped save his life. This week he managed to walk with the help of crutches for the first time.’

Christina’s introductory free taster sessions in Liskeard this Saturday (August 1) were quickly booked out, but anyone interested in finding out more should vsiit the website at www.sukhashala.yoga or look for Sukha Shala Yoga on Facebook.