Sophie Bickerdike

When you think Harrogate you don’t naturally think Yoga. It’s a long way from the simple lifestyle of ancient India or the blue skies and free thinking of California. You would be forgiven for thinking that this Yorkshire town is not the most natural place to start a dedicated yoga studio but that’s just what Sophie did. sophieBrought up in Harrogate, Sophie Bickerdike was influenced by the teaching of Jiddu Krishnamurti from an early age, a philosopher followed by her Grandmother. His holistic outlook, free from all prejudice, had a major impact on Sophie’s thinking. As she went on to pursue a career in acting, she followed the Meisner acting technique of learning to live in the moment. She soon discovered the key to this mindfulness was yoga and began practicing regularly at London yoga studios alongside other actors. Sophie became fascinated by transferring this connection with the moment in to our everyday lives and so began her journey as a yoga teacher. Back in Harrogate, Sophie taught at various venues around the town but was always aware that there is so much more to yoga than simply attending a class. Go Yoga was born out of this – creating a community that teachers could feel part of and extend to others who wanted to practice yoga with them; a welcoming, nurturing and clean environment to learn and belong. So Harrogate’s first yoga studio was born. Four years on it is now a multi-site studio offering a full range of yoga classes, retreats and also pilates, barre, HIIT and mindfulness. Yoga is enjoyed, practiced and taught by hundreds of people each week at Go Yoga and thanks to Sophie’s vision and perseverance, Harrogate has found a place on the yoga map of the world.