The Refinery

This place will always have my heart. ❤️

After 11 incredible years, it’s time for a new chapter. With deep sadness we are closing our doors for the last time on 31st May.

We started The Refinery with a plan of building more than just a fitness studio — we wanted the place to feel like a retreat away from the humdrum of everyday life.

This space has created thousands of connections, friendships and revelations, and a community that redefined what “wellness” meant in East London. We are so grateful to have had so many fantastic instructors as part of our crew over the years, helping to bring our dream alive with their energy and passion.

Operating an independent business is beautiful, wild, and of course challenging - due to insanely rising costs and the effects of algorithms from big tech,  we are no longer able to continue.  We want to celebrate our successes and the community around us - we have had the BEST time getting to know you and welcoming so many amazing people through our doors.

Words can’t begin to describe the deep feeling of gratitude we have for you and how much we will miss seeing you all take care of yourselves and others. 

Thank you for every sweaty hug, every OM and every chat in the hallway. You made this place magic. ✨🥰✨

With love always Zoe + Luca # # #

Stretching our way into the weekend like…❤️
Yoga is a beautiful practice that gives you way more than a stretch. It’s a way to be introspective, to check how you’re really treating yourself and think about how you’re engaging with the world around you. The expansiveness of the breath clears the cobwebs that create clutter in the body and mind allowing some clarity and fresh perspective. The asanas move the joints and the muscles as a way to get out of your head and into the body. What’s not to love? Get yourself to class for an exploration and experiment in full awareness. ❤️

We really don’t like to hear this, how often we bury our heads in the sand about it and busy ourselves in ways that maybe are not serving us at all…but time is ticking and are you making the most of it?!

Life feels a lot these days and it’s so easy to go down the hole or into a spiral of negative thinking. It’s said we have a different thought or feeling every 1.5 seconds….we can’t possibly give them all our attention! We need to make space to allow the thoughts to pass through without becoming involved in every one.

Within that space lies potential, possibility and a little peace. When we don’t force or try to control the thoughts, clarity arises and we get to realise what we really desire, or how we want to feel and spend our precious time.

Movement is such an amazing way to create this space, as well as a way to connect with others and the energy around us. So let this be get a a gentle reminder to get out of the funk and into the groove, to get a fire going in your belly and make the most of the time you have…don’t waste it doom scrolling - come play with us instead ;).

Gah sometimes it's just so hard to find the motivation. What's the excuse today...too cold? Too tired? Too busy? Too uninspired? Blah blah! We feel you, but in order to change any of those things, we have to move and shift perspective.

The path of least resistance is well trodden - but why not get a little buzz going for a venture out onto some new terrain, cut a different path and try something you thought you couldn't do. Take the Barre class, join a club, learn an instrument, try meditation...anything to get out of your head and into your body.

We guarantee you one thing...if you don't try, you definitely won't 😘 YES YOU CAN!!!

See you in class ❤

This is me, Zoe and no, I haven't had any new photos taken for years!!

It got me thinking...I can't believe it's over 10 years since Luca and I built the studio from scratch. It was literally an empty shell at the bottom of an old ceramic factory.

We had a dream to design and create a place to spark joy through movement and community. It was so important to me to have a place where people felt welcomed to be part of a family and grow in mental and physical strength rather than just a place to sweat and compare and despair. We love getting to know you and your stories, rather than just your stats!

With that in mind, here's some trivia about me -
* I love eating crisps and playing the piano...sometimes at the same time 🤪
* I've been teaching yoga for nearly 13 years now and have taught many people to become teachers through my Yoga School. I love it, it's amazing - everyone should do more Yoga!
*I can't stand everyone feeling the need to be the same - celebrate your differences 🤩
* I believe in magic and that we are all miracles! ❤
* I'm an interior designer obsessed with colour.

Anyway enough of me wanging on..I also just wanted to say how much I have loved getting to know so many of you over the years I think you're BRILLIANT! See you in class soon xx 🥰

Get 10 classes for only £8 a class

Kick start 2025 with a massive discount off our 5 and 10 class packs.

You are a work of brilliance, you deserve to treat yourself well.

Choose from Pilates, Yoga, Barre, Strength Training, Dance Conditioning and many more movement classes to get you feeling your best for the year ahead.

Discount appears at checkout via website or Mindbody, you must click 'confirm' to see discount applied- offer ends 10th Jan 25

See you in class! Happy New Year!

xx

By way of explanation, in the next few weeks, we will no longer be offering any of our classes on the Class Pass platform. They have recently updated their terms and conditions which we are in no way willing to agree to as they are very aggressive and are attempting to gain full control of our business with their 'Smart Spot' feature and 'First Class Free' marketing that we are being forced to agree to in order to remain on the platform. ⁠
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Independent studios are suffering as they are being forced to take the hit of the 'free' classes while Class Pass pocket the profits! ⁠
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As a 'Unicorn' sitting behind their desks and an algorithm, there is no partnership, it's simply down to the studios to sweat it out earning them their billions of dollars, while we can barely pay our bills!! ⁠
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If you value what we and our instructors do as an independent business, then please buy direct and support your local studios. Not everyone has huge investment and can afford to line the pockets of strangers. ⁠
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We do what we do because we love it and value everyone's wellbeing and experience. 🥰. ⁠
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LOVE ZOE + LUCA # # ⁠
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Please DM us if you have any questions whatsoever.⁠
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Here's to a new dawn 😉

This is the happy face that is so proud of all of you for committing to your health and wellbeing each and every day...and trusting us to bring the classes to you!

It's been such a pleasure getting to know new faces over the last few months, and to see so many of our original crew back in class - those of you that have been with us from the beginning. We can't thank you enough for the love and support you have shared with us over the years...especially the last two!!!

It's always brilliant to have your energy light up our space and we hope to keep bringing you more and more classes with our wonderful instructors.

Thanks for being part of our crew.....we love you!!

Like butter wouldn't melt! Wait till he has you doing another round of burpees!!

Darren's classes come highly recommended. He is an energetic and motivating instructor, checking each person’s form is correct and pushes you to keep going. He is serious about you getting fitter but is also a lot of fun, fun fun....oh and did we mention his playlists?!? Off the charts!

Catch him every day at the studio - you'll feel amazing in no time.