Nuku ā-roto • an inner shift

Community yoga in Ngāmotu.

A wonderfully imperfect space, where you're welcome exactly as you are.

We've been practising together by the ocean at Fitzroy SLSC, and from August 3rd, we open our doors at 13 Brougham Street too.

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ABOUT NUKU
ABOUT NUKU

Ō TĀTOU KŌRERO • OUR STORY

Ko Sam tōku ingoa — it is hard to explain Nuku in third person or separate from myself, so I won't. Those who are used to my writing will not be surprised to find an essay here. I’m sure many of you can relate to the way Nuku began — from the heart of someone whose home compass had recently shifted and was wanting to feel a sense of belonging in a new place. I wanted to share the practice I love, and hoped in doing so, to find my people.

I have continuously been blown away and immensely grateful for what has grown in return. Nuku began as something I was creating, but it quickly became a shared creation. All of you who showed up, class after class, shaped Nuku alongside me. And I suppose that's what makes Nuku unique — it grew not from someone hoping to open a yoga studio, but from someone hoping to form connection, community and belonging. Nuku was not built by me alone. It was built by the community that believed in it first.

Nuku was named in the early stages of my reo Māori learning journey. I understood this kupu through a physical lens— to move, to shift, to extend. What I have since learned is that nuku speaks to a shifting from one state to another, from one place to another. Serendipitously, this feels even more aligned. Through yoga, we move our tInana as the vehicle. The real nuku is interior. Nuku ā-roto · an inner shift. As with most things in life, the depth of what I had named revealed itself slowly — with time, with practice, with learning.

NUKU Ā-ROTO • OUR NAME

Nuku Yoga studio at 13 Brougham Street is a shared venture with Glenn McBeth — local architectural designer and Iyengar yoga teacher. Glenn's architecture practice, Tui Architecture, shares the building.

Glenn and I have been crossing paths since I arrived in Ngāmotu. I have been a student in his Iyengar class and he in my surf club classes. Neither of us had anticipated a studio but here we are — sharing a space, a kaupapa and a belief that yoga should be accessible to everyone.

My hope for this space is that it grows the same way Nuku always has — shaped by many voices, not one vision. A studio that feels alive with different personalities, different ways of practising and different ways of teaching. Our kaupapa is what holds that together.

TE WĀHI · THE STUDIO

A wonderfully imperfect space — and one where you are welcome exactly as you are.

Nuku was born from the joy of practising yoga alongside others, and that spirit is at the heart of everything here. This is not a curated space and it is not a perfect one. It is a space where movement is explored with curiosity, where laughter is welcome, and where showing up as you are is genuinely enough. Wobbles happen here. Learning happens here. That is the point.

What we are creating at 13 Brougham Street is a space that is safe, non-judgemental and genuinely supportive of wherever you are in your practice. The studio has a collective feel to it — built by and for a community that believes movement facilitates presence, not performance. Whether you're brand new to yoga, returning after time away, or simply looking for a community to move with, you'll find something here that feels like yours.

Te reo Māori and te ao Māori are celebrated here. In my classes, both are woven through as a living, learning thread — offered with humility and always growing. Other teachers bring their own voices and lineages. What is consistent across all of it is a space that honours and uplifts te ao Māori as part of who Nuku is.

A class at Nuku will always cost less than one hour's minimum wage. That is a living commitment and it is not negotiable. If the studio ever makes that impossible, everything goes back to the surf club. 

Nuku is home to teachers with diverse voices, lineages and interpretations of movement. The timetable is a living thing. The surf club classes continue. Nuku began by the ocean and a part of it will always live there.

I started Nuku hoping to find my people. What I had not anticipated was the joy of watching you all find community within this space. To everyone who has practised, shared, offered and encouraged — and to those who are yet to arrive — from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

This studio is as much yours, as it is ours.

OUR KAUPAPA

FAQ’s • The Studio

  • 13 Brougham Street, New Plymouth. Opposite the library in town, upstairs above Nami Sushi.

  • Street parking is available on Brougham Street and in nearby council car parks. Council-managed parking is free before 8am, after 5pm, and all day on Sundays and public holidays.

    Paid parking applies for weekday morning classes between 8am and 5pm.

    Free parking for Gold Card holders before 11am, just display your GC on your dashboard.

  • Yes 🤎 mats, blocks, straps, blankets and bolsters are all available at the studio. You're welcome to bring your own mat if you prefer.

  • Our Mahana Vinyasa class is held in a warmed room. Other classes are held either at room temperature or gently heated, depending on level of cosiness needed.

  • Yes 🤎 please reach out to nukuyogaspace@gmail.com to purchase a gift voucher.

FAQ’s • General

  • Yes 🤎 Nuku classes are for beginners, returners, regular practitioners, people who haven't moved in a while, people who move every day, and everyone in between. If you're brand new, our Beginners Vinyasa or Glenn's Iyengar Beginners Course are lovely places to start, and beyond that, some classes are more dynamic than others, check the class descriptions or get in touch if you're unsure where to start.

  • Please let your teacher know before class, even a quick word at the door helps us support you properly. You're always welcome to slow down, rest or skip any movement that doesn't feel right. If you have a medical condition, are returning after surgery or have been advised to avoid certain types of movement, please check with your healthcare provider before attending.

  • Yes, please get in touch before booking so we can make sure you're in the right class with the right support. We ask that a doctor or health professional has approved your participation before attending.

  • A few things that help the space feel good for everyone.

    Try to arrive with enough time to get settled before we start, this time is for you, a chance to arrive fully before the practice begins. Shoes off at the door, phones away during class.

    One of the most beautiful things our community told us before we opened was that they wanted a space where they could arrive as they are, not to be seen, not to perform, not to curate. We hold that with care, and ask that you do the same for the people practising alongside you.

    Please wipe down your mat after class and return any props to where you found them. Be kind to the people around you, and have fun.

  • Our website is the best place to find the most up to date live timetable. You can also follow us on Instagram @nukuyoga or Facebook for timetable updates, studio news and everything in between, and sign up to our email list through the website so you don't miss anything important.

    Nuku is a space that acknowledges the dynamics of life — for students and teachers alike. We encourage you to check the timetable ahead of class to confirm it's running.
    We will always aim to give at least 24 hours notice if a class needs to be cancelled, via Instagram, Facebook and email — but sometimes life happens. Nuku's teachers are human, and we appreciate the grace and understanding of a community that honours that.

  • You're welcome to reach out anytime at nukuyogaspace@gmail.com or 020 4032 6189. I'll get back to you as soon as I can — Sam 🤎

  • Nuku began by the ocean, and a part of it will always live there. Classes continue weekly at Fitzroy Surf Life Saving Club, Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings with Sam.

    Mats and props are provided, and the space runs a little differently to the studio, see our Nuku @ Fitzroy SLSC page for more ino.