The concept was developed last year when Ms Thomas Shalabi, a fitness instructor then working in Central, began researching the possibility of opening her own yoga club.

'I was amazed there wasn't already a studio on the south side,' she says, although some classes were available through the exclusive private-membership clubs in the area.

Ms Serafinas, a ballet dancer, contributed to the early vision and helped develop the concept that would appeal to wealthy, largely expatriate community.

They refined the class schedule to suit the lifestyles of working parents and stay-at-home mothers. Classes were scheduled around the commuter schedule, providing both early morning and late-evening studio space. Mid-day classes were also scheduled for the benefit of parents who wanted to take advantage of free time during school hours.

The studio employs two full-time and eight part-time instructors.

'When we say family oriented, I guess what we mean is that the feeling here is more personalised. We wanted to offer more boutique services,' she says.

Opening her own business has been a life goal for Ms Thomas Shalabi, who developed a passion for the traditional Indian meditation 11 years ago. She became a Pilates practitioner about five years ago after discovering the exercise designed to isolate specific muscle groups boosted her yoga abilities.

Both partners contributing to the $1million start-up capital out of their personal funds. 'I found the space and put down a holding deposit immediately,' says Ms Thomas Shalabi. 'It was a big personal risk, but I knew it was right. I worked three studio jobs in Central, and teaching at home. I sunk all of the cash into the studio.'

Pilates involves the use of special equipment, so initially there was a large cash outlay which was split between renovation and the equipment. 'Luckily I didn't have to have all the capital outlay up front, so I could stagger it, which really helped.' The studio has about 600 people on its mailing list.

The partners say they are trying to expand the studio's appeal to men by offering late-evening classes and explaining the benefits of regular stretching.

'There is hardly a guy out there that doesn't complain of a tight shoulder or some kind of back pain, or basically the stuff that Pilates targets directly,' says Ms Thomas Shalabi, a New Yorker by birth who now calls Hong Kong home.

'We are trying to look at different ways of extracting different revenue streams or maximising what we do in our space,' she says. New initiatives include circuit training with a yoga focus, which is due to be introduced in the autumn.

The fitness instructor also plans to expand marketing to the Chinese community through newspaper advertisements. The studio employs two Cantonese-speaking instructors.

The biggest impediment to growth is a limited supply of commercial space on the south side of the island that can be converted into studio facilities. Another problem is unrealistically high leasing rates. Ms Thomas Shalabi plans to give the market time to cool before finding new space, but has asked a few land agents to keep an eye open.

'We're growing faster than we anticipated, and trying to keep up with that while growing in an efficient and organised way is a challenge,' she says. 'But it's one we're happy to face.'