Cover Yoga Movement’s Alicia Pan (Photo: Jana_yar/Instagram)
Yoga Movement’s Alicia Pan (Photo: Jana_yar/Instagram)
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From being a local musician to creating one of the biggest yoga studios in Singapore, the co-founder of Yoga Movement and now director of Strong Pilates Singapore Alicia Pan has done it all—and she isn’t stopping any time soon
Whether it be making music or building an empire by “accident”, there is nothing Alicia Pan can’t do. While today, Pan’s name might be largely associated with homegrown fitness studio, Yoga Movement, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, prior to Yoga Movement, the fitness guru was a singer-songwriter—and a popular one at that.
In 2004, Pan signed with Universal Music Group and released an EP in Taiwan. She quickly gained exposure in the music scene and performed various shows in Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.
With her busy schedule, Pan found it hard to slow down and take time for herself. It was during this time that her friends prompted her to try yoga. However, she wasn’t a fan when she first started.
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Above co-founder of Yoga Movement and director of Strong Pilates Singapore Alicia Pan (Photo: Jana_yar/Instagram)
co-founder of Yoga Movement and director of Strong Pilates Singapore Alicia Pan (Photo: Jana_yar/Instagram)
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Pan shared that her fitness regime mainly consisted of cardio and strength training, so getting hooked on yoga took a while. But once she did, she was hooked.
“I enjoy the balance that yoga brings with both its physical and breathing aspects,” Pan says.
During this time, Pan also met her husband, Peter Thew. The duo first connected at the now-defunct Wave House Sentosa in 2009 and grew closer through their shared love for music and the outdoors.
Inspired by a yoga studio she found during a trip to New York, Pan—along with Thew—decided to take a leap of faith and venture into the fitness industry. As there was little to no accessibility in the yoga scene in Singapore, the duo decided to start Yoga Movement and use it as a “platform to open the doors to the people who would normally not set foot in the practice of yoga due to all things surrounding it, by focusing on the physical aspect of it”.
“The current climate is a whole different ball game as opposed to when we entered the market with Yoga Movement 11 years ago … for us, we were clear on an objective—and that was to seal the gap for what was lacking in the already saturated industry. For Yoga Movement, it was fitness-focused yoga,” the entrepreneur explains.
While many may say that working with your spouse would lead to problems and fights, it was not the case for Pam and Thew. In fact, the duo has complementary working styles that “actually go very well together”.
Pan continues: “He is definitely someone who is more of a planner, and takes everything into careful consideration before making a decision where I, on the other hand, like to believe that if you don’t go, you don’t go. Put both character types together and you get quick yet considered and well-made decisions.”
The opening of their first studio definitely created a movement in the industry, as what started off as a single studio quickly expanded into nine. Today, Yoga Movement has obtained a cult following, with nine studios across the island—the latest opening along Holland Village earlier this year. At Yoga Movement, one can find a selection of classes for all levels, including HIIT yoga and hot zen yoga.
Read more: 5 easy yoga poses for beginners
Fitness game strong
With 11 years of experience in the market, Pan has seen huge growth in the industry. “Singapore right now is a hub for all things wellness, with new concepts and boutiques constantly popping up in every corner of the island,” she shares. That said, there’s always something new to explore.
Today, the entrepreneur is still trying to bridge gaps in the local fitness market, with her latest venture being Strong Pilates—an Australia-born fitness studio focusing on cardio-infused pilates.
“When we first spoke to Michael Ramsey and Mark Armstrong, the founders of Strong, we instantly recognised that the vision they had for Strong was totally aligned with ours for Yoga Movement—and that was to de-gender and make accessible the fitness-focused side of both pilates and yoga, and filling the gap of what was missing in both modalities,” Pan says. The entrepreneur continues to explain that she decided to bring Strong to Singapore as she saw an opportunity to provide access to cardio-based pilates to the region.
Above Pan, her husband Peter Thew, and her sons (Photo: Jana_yar/Instagram)
Pan, her husband Peter Thew, and her sons (Photo: Jana_yar/Instagram)
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Mummy duties
Drawing the line between work and family was definitely not an easy feat. Over the years, Pan learnt that it was important to set priorities and understand that “both work and family responsibilities never end, and being okay with it”. This motto has stuck with her, even when she became a mum of two.
Pan reminisces: “Being a mum to my first child was definitely a lot more challenging than my second. During that time, we were navigating through a few decisions to make in our business and also didn’t have a team like we do now.” She further explains that although it was difficult at the start, she learnt to adjust to the changes over time and embraces the experience and challenges wholeheartedly.
“We have two fun-loving boys who have way too much energy, so most of the time I find myself working on keeping up with their paces, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s busy, but it’s a rewarding kind of busy,” the mum-trepreneur shares.
With the first Strong Pilates Singapore studio opening at OUE Downtown this June, and with hopes of opening 11 Strong Pilates studios across Singapore over the next three years, it’s clear that Pan and Thew are making waves in the fitness industry, with no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
