Barefoot Birmingham brings yoga for every body to Harborne High Street

When Barefoot opened its doors in 2012, its founders admit the scene was quiet. In their words, "Barefoot opened in 2012, when there wasn't much going on in yogaland, especially in Birmingham." More than a decade on, the studio at 7 High Street, Harborne has become one of the best-loved places in the city to roll out a mat.

Founder and director Faye Fenton and Simon Fenton previously ran Fentons, a coffee shop, in the 2000s. They turned a former solicitors' building into a dedicated yoga space, guided by a simple vision: "A dedicated yoga studio for every-body."

Today the studio is open seven days a week, with group classes, private and corporate sessions, online classes, workshops and teacher training. It sits a couple of miles from the city centre and a short walk from the University of Birmingham, and shares its home with Harborne Physiotherapy and Think Psychology.

A friendly team of more than a dozen teachers keeps the timetable full, and Barefoot has also taken its community further afield with yoga and hiking retreats in Chamonix.

Perhaps its most heart-warming work happens through Barefoot Wellbeing CIC, its non-profit arm, which aims to reach people who may have little access to yoga. In partnership with Birmingham Carers Hub, it offers free yoga to family carers, both online and in person, including a carers' class pass for regular Harborne sessions and community classes in Mere Green and Boldmere.

There is also Carer Life-Spa, a free monthly programme of relaxation sessions for people looking after a relative or friend, led by life coach, yoga teacher and carer Kam Bola. Sessions combine gentle movement, deep rest or guided meditation, and tea and chat, with upcoming dates on 29 October, 19 November and 10 December 2026. Carers do not need to be full-time or receive Carer's benefits to take part.

For Faye, the reward is simple. "Most of all, I love seeing people leave the studio, super-charged and alive, smiling at strangers," she says.

Class timetables, prices and details of the carers' offer are on the Barefoot Birmingham website.