It was a night for noshing and Namaste at Baker Street Yoga on Thursday, as the studio celebrated its second anniversary.

At least 30 yogis and friends traded mats for sushi and cocktails to mark two years of headstands on the hardwood. The studio, owned by Maplewood residents Claire Garland and Blake Henry, offers vinyasa yoga to people of all ages—from 5 year olds and teens, to people in their sixties and seventies.  There are classes for all levels of practice as well.  

While the studio specializes in hot yoga—with temperatures of up to 99 degrees—there are also warm and regular classes on the schedule. But many students, like Maria Morrison-Heningburg, come to sweat in the heat and check in with themselves. "It’s such a comfortable place. You feel like you can be yourself here. I also love the heat. I come here when it’s cold and pretend I’m in the Caribbean.” 

One of Garland and Henry’s goals is to introduce yoga to the masses. The studio offers a free weekly meditation class, and a free yoga class on Friday nights to encourage new students to try down dogging. Lisa Sawyer said she appreciates Claire and Blake because they are patient teachers. "I wasn’t experienced but they taught me and I got accustomed to it and I think it’s addictive. I keep coming back.”

Baker Street Yoga also serves those interested in wellness and spiritual growth. They often sell freshly made organic fruit and vegetable juices after class, and hosted several special events in the last year, including asana chanting, meditation and chakra workshops, and classes accompanied by live music.

Even in a tough economy, BSY has increased its student base by 25 percent in the last year. But as Garland explains, it’s the connection with students that measures success more than income. “Every time we help a student do a pose they did not think they were capable of or help them see an aspect of their lives more clearly, it makes us feel good about what we do.”    

As students sipped wine and chatted on Thursday night, it was clear that Garland and Henry have created a community. Student Hope Goldberg says she’s grateful. “I keep coming back because it makes me feel good, focused, and mindful. I want to take everything I learn on the mat into my everyday life. “