For those of you on the left side of the Schuylkill, it’s time to give a warm sun salutation to your new neighbors on 45th and Baltimore: Studio 34 founders and longtime West Philly residents Angela Norris, James Peniston, and Stephen Fisher.

With their respective backgrounds in Eastern practices, nursing, and community arts, these friends spent the past year renovating the huge, gutted space above Fiesta Pizza into a wellness center designed around the needs of their neighborhood. While the spot boasts two studios for their yoga, pilates, and movement therapy classes, it also features areas open for public use. Cozy treatment rooms are to be rented out to local practitioners of everything from reiki to life counseling. A conference room set off the lobby can be booked by neighborhood organizations. Then there’s the lobby itself, an expansive hang-out space with a stage for performances and high walls for hanging art.

The trio celebrates the grand opening of its yoga studio/wellness facility/art space this Friday with the opening reception for Finding Blue, a multimedia exhibit by the Midwives Collective. The festivities continue on Saturday night with performances by the Citywide Specials and Jessi Teich. Both events start at 7PM.

Phillyist is ready for some mind-body action! Thank you Studio 34 for rolling out your welcome (yoga) mats.

Image courtesy of J.J. Tiziou