Friends find serenity with new venture

Ms Mok and Mt Hawthorn resident Ms Thurston opened a yoga studio in the heart of Mt Hawthorn last week.

Between them, the pair have more than 40 years' experience running businesses in hospitality, events promotion and live music.

Ms Mok owned Luxe Bar in Highgate for 13 years before she closed its doors in May this year, to follow a more tranquil pursuit.

She said yoga had been a constant in the pair's lives for 20 years.

"We've lived parallel lives with business, kids, divorce and we practised in the same yoga school, which is how our friendship really cemented," Ms Mok said.

Ms Thurston has lived in Mt Hawthorn for 20 years and owned seven businesses in events promotion, marketing and the music scene.

She completed four years of teacher training in 2009 but said it was their combined experience that had given the pair confidence in the venture.

"A lot of people open yoga studios because they love yoga but they don't have business experience and we both have so much business experience," Ms Thurston said.

"We're an amazing team. We get a lot done between us.

"We're going to do a monthly Friday community night.

"We might have a dinner one month, the next we might invite a guest speaker on meditation or host a boutique spiritual cinema to really create a community here."

Ten weeks ago, the Coogee Street studio was a women's gymnasium.

"We'd been looking for a space for six months and I had just sold Luxe two weeks before we found this venue," Ms Mok said.

"It's a big step out of my comfort zone as I've only ever worked in hospitality."