Now that we're nearly halfway into January, many of us will have our New Year's resolutions well underway. For some, that might be trying to start the year on a healthier note, whether that's through introducing some exercise into your day, or some more fruit and veg into your diet.
And, if you're based in Cardiff, a new venue is about to open that could help you achieve both. Vibes, an independent yoga studio and coffee bar, opens from Thursday, January 12. Open seven days a week, Vibes offers a range of classes for all abilities and sells coffee, juices, smoothies and more. Behind the business is Jenny Jarvis. The 37-year-old, originally from Swansea, came to Cardiff University as a student and never left.
"I think everyone's got their secret business idea in their head," Jenny said. "My passion was yoga, and then my Pinterest board [was] sort of full of yoga studios around the world, full of healthy smoothie recipes, and cool cafes in Bali or Australia." Located on Harrowby Street, Vibes' classes are available to book online and all equipment is provided.
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"It's just about a safe environment and taking some time to feel happy and healthy," Jenny said of the ethos behind Vibes. "The coffee bar is full of all healthy, delicious things, and then the yoga is a wide range of classes to suit any taste." Jenny, who has a background in marketing, has been doing yoga since she was a teenager and, after travelling around America and Australia, was inspired by the yoga studios there.
However, she was prompted to set up her own yoga studio for far more personal reasons. Following the death of her father and her mother's diagnosis of early onset dementia, Jenny felt that she needed to make the most of life and follow her passions.
"I was really close with both my parents and unfortunately, all of a sudden, I lost my dad. He never got to meet his first grandchild, my first daughter, who was born just a few months after he died," Jenny said. "That kind of woke me up thinking, your life is so short, you've got to make the most of it.
"My mum, unfortunately, was diagnosed with early onset dementia and that's been like a really difficult, painful journey for her. She was only 52. So, both really tragic and horrible things to have happened." Jenny decided she wanted to do something positive, something she says she likely wouldn't have done had she not been spurred on by the tragic circumstances her family found themselves in.
Jenny wanted to give people the opportunity to take time out of their busy lives to feel their happiest and healthiest. "I thought that [if that] was something that I could create out of this sad circumstance, then that will be amazing," she said. Jenny noticed that once her mum became ill, she was unable to do yoga as she normally would, adapting instead to a chair-based form of yoga. Noticing the difference it made to her mother's mental health, Jenny wanted to deliver those benefits to everyone.
"The effects were so profound that it made me explore [yoga] in a whole new way and look more into the spiritual side and the mental health [and] well-being side of it," Jenny said. "I just found yoga was such a good way to centre yourself and just feel better. [I wanted] to deliver the benefits of that for as many people as I can, rather than kind of a misconception that it's just about being flexible."
After travelling around Australia, America, and Cornwall, Jenny picked up ideas about what makes the perfect yoga studio, wanting to bring a "slice of the chilled-out, feel good vibes that you associate with Bali and Australia." Through Vibes, Jenny wanted to create an environment where people could unwind and leave the busy city life behind.
The coffee bar is open to everyone - not just those doing a yoga class - and serves coffee, smoothies, and cold press juices, made fresh on site, as well as cakes and pastries from local suppliers.
For Jenny, sustainability is another important aspect of Vibes. They sell recycled coffee cups and customers who bring their own reusable cups get 10% discount off any drink, and offer a plant-based menu. "We're kind of calling it secretly plant-based. So, encouraging people who may not necessarily choose a plant-based brownie, they'd have a brownie here not realising it's so.
"It's kind of helping people [realise] that they don't have to be exclusively vegan, but it's great to choose plant-based where you can. You don't lose anything from taste or quality if there had been an animal product, so that's a really good way, I think, to help people be a little bit more eco-friendly with their diet."
Jenny also wants to move the business towards becoming zero-waste one day and says Vibes is working with their suppliers, many of whom are local, to try and see how that can be made possible. Vibes offers a huge range of classes, and currently have promo codes for those looking to book.
"I would just encourage people to like come and explore it. There's lots of different forms of yoga. It can bring so many different benefits, whether that's physical, mental, more sort of spiritual or soulful. You can kind of explore yoga that's right for you," Jenny said. "Our teachers are really geared up to that ethos - we've got amazing teachers here. I think [doing] yoga with us really opens your eyes to the possibilities and allows you to find a yoga that's the perfect style for you."
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