Studio Spotlight: The Good Rooms Muswell Hill

This month we caught up with Jamie Glassman, studio owner of The Good Rooms in Muswell Hill. Previously a comedy writer, producer and performer, Jamie decided in 2019 to follow his passion and open a hot yoga studio a year later and when the pandemic hit. He talks about how business was affected and how he had to pivot to keep the studio running.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background

Before opening a hot yoga and Pilates studio, I worked in the comedy industry for years - writing, producing and performing - with varying degrees of success. My most successful gig was writing and creating the charactersAli G, BoratandBruno. My least successful gig was, well, there are far too many to list, which explains why I'm no longer in the comedy industry.

How and when did you first discover yoga?

I started attending Bikram classes around 20 years ago and quickly became hooked. I've done everything wrong - trying too hard, holding my breath, bringing all my frustrations to the mat - but for some reason I've stuck with it and am afraid to imagine what I would be like if I hadn't found yoga. Unbearable. Or even more unbearable, as my wife would probably say.

When did you open the studio / tell us about it

We originally opened the studio in early 2019 as a franchisee of a larger brand. We had the most wonderful, busiest and glorious first year, but then Covid hit 12 months after opening and we had to pivot to survive. We became an independent studio in the summer of 2021 as we emerged from the pandemic andThe good roomswas born. We were so lucky to have an incredibly supportive community that rallied here at Muswell Hill, some wonderful people who even maintained their membership while the studio was closed, and just the most brilliant studio manager, teachers and team to get us through.

What is your favorite part of owning a studio?

I love the way people walk inThe good roomshappy to be here and invariably leaving even happier. It's a real thrill to see people become stronger, fitter, calmer and happier. There's a special buzz when you see people come into the studio with certain physical or mental ailments that slowly get better before your eyes. Yoga really works, you know.

What was your biggest challenge?

Like so many companies and so many people, dealing with the pandemic and everything it brought with it has been an enormous challenge. Changes in rules and regulations, keeping people safe and feeling safe, we all had to become experts in ventilation and virology and so many other things at the same time.

It's heartbreaking to know that so many studios didn't survive. I know how much work and love goes into businesses like these, so I can only imagine how hard it must have been for these studio owners to close their doors.

What is your most memorable yoga moment?

Oh, there are so many to choose from, but I met my wife at a yoga class so I guess I have to say this.

Who/what inspires you daily and do you have a mantra or quote that you live by?

My children inspire me every day to live life with joy and ease. Okay, not every day, but most days. I love George Bernard Shaw's line: "We don't stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing."

What advice would you give to someone starting their yoga/wellness journey?

Oh God – do anything, try anything, be open, take your time, have fun, remember to breathe, enjoy. As Samuel Beckett said, “Try again, fail again, fail better.”

To learn more about The Good Rooms, visit theirwebsiteor keep following themInstagram.