Harlem Yoga Studio opened its doors in the October of 2009 with one ambitious mission: to make yoga accessible to Every Body in the neighborhood regardless of age, weight, health, financial status or experience.

While the proven benefits of regular practice-including stress reduction and weight loss-are widely accepted in many parts of the country, the studio's founders, Erica Barth and Harlem resident Laurel Katz-Bohen noticed there was almost no yoga in their Harlem neighborhood. Geography aside, the two also found that many residents were unfamiliar with yoga, or in many cases, skeptical that it was something that they could do.