Meet Ray Kane — Founder of Phoenix Yoga Putney
He found yoga by accident. Bought the 21-day intro. Never planned to run a studio. Here’s what actually happened — in his own words.
How it all started.
I was on two years’ gardening leave — having sold my business in 2018 — and was looking for a hobby that didn’t involve drinking, Lycra or hitting little balls. It was my son’s best friend’s mum, Ozlem, who first suggested I try yoga at The House of Yoga — the Putney yoga studio that started it all.
I bought the 21-day intro pass and used it as a mini-bootcamp — trying as many different teachers and class styles as I could, often attending two classes a day. I was grateful for the range: the different types of yoga, the myriad styles of the teachers, and above all the feeling of community.
Not to mention the positive effect yoga had on my mind, body and soul. Needless to say, I was hooked — and bought an annual membership at the end of the intro offer.
“I never dreamt that I’d be running a yoga studio — but it’s funny what life puts in front of you, and sometimes you’ve just got to follow your path.”
Ray — Director, Phoenix Yoga Putney
The path no one predicted.
Within 18 months of becoming a member, I embarked on my yoga teacher training — after what I can only describe as extensive encouragement (and some good-natured nagging) from Zara and Sumaya.
I didn’t go to become a teacher. I went to learn more about yoga and the eight limbs. It turned out to be one of the best investments of time and money I have ever made. I’ve integrated what I learned into my daily life in ways I never anticipated.
Then came Phoenix. I never dreamt of running a yoga studio — but sometimes life puts something in front of you and you have to follow the path. It has taken a village to get Phoenix to where we are now. But my journey started as a member of this community, and it is my privilege to be a leader within it.
Ray’s journey at a glance
- 2018Discovered yoga at The House of Yoga via a friend’s recommendation
- 2018Bought the 21-day intro pass — attended up to two classes a day
- 2019Purchased an annual membership at the end of the intro offer
- 2020Completed yoga teacher training (to deepen practice, not to teach)
- 2023Co-founded Phoenix Yoga Putney — and the rest is history
- NowExecutive producer on programmes for mi-soul radio, UK’s home of soul, jazz & R&B
Before yoga, there was always music.
I’ve been a music obsessive for as long as I can remember. Not a musician — I’ve never been able to play a note — but a listener. A collector. Someone who genuinely believes the right track at the right moment can shift something in you.
I’ve had the privilege of being regularly invited to executive produce programmes for mi-soul radio — the UK’s home of soul, jazz and R&B. It’s a very different world to a yoga studio in SW15. But the spirit isn’t so different: people who care deeply about something, gathered around it.
The connection between music and yoga made sense to me almost immediately. Both demand that you actually listen. Both ask you to be present — to let something move through you without overthinking it. When I’m on the mat and a teacher chooses the right song at the right moment, I feel it in the same way I feel a great record. That’s not a coincidence.
“Music and yoga aren’t as far apart as you’d think. Both are about presence — about letting something move through you and not overthinking it.”
Ray — Director, Phoenix Yoga Putney
mi-soul radio
Ray is regularly invited to executive produce programmes for mi-soul — the UK’s dedicated home of soul, jazz and R&B. mi-soul.com ↗
“It truly has taken a village.”
My journey started as a member of this great community, and it is my privilege to be a leader now. Phoenix isn’t just a studio — it’s a place built by everyone who walks through the door. That includes you.
Ray, Phoenix Yoga Director
