By Taryn Kelly

The Back Bay Yoga Studio provides a quiet and peaceful retreat for the busy people of Boston to relax. Patrons escape their hectic schedules for a couple of hours to enjoy the calming and meditative effects of yoga.

The yoga practice comes from an ancient system of Indian philosophy. The traditional purpose of yoga, meaning to yoke or to union together, is to “connect with the one true source,” said Back Bay yoga instructor David Vendetti.

Recently, yoga has gained popularity in the west because of its numerous benefits; it is said to relieve stress and cleanse the body of harmful toxins, while gently toning your muscles and cutting fat, according to www.yoga.com.

Yoga can be practiced anywhere at anytime, but Vendetti said many prefer the strong connective energy and community that only a studio can provide.

Back Bay Yoga Studio is located at 1112 Boylston St, two floors above Little Stevie’s Pizza. The large studio is painted light orange and white, and is adorned with Indian-style, ornamental pink curtains, large plants, spherical yellow lanterns and mirrors covering the walls.

The studio offers classes two to five times a day, ranging from the simpler, beginning Hatha yoga class, to the more advanced, vigorous Hatha classes. Vendetti said no matter how many days are dedicated to yoga, body changes will occur.

“Your body will evolve eventually, no matter what,” Vendetti said. “You impose a whole new body alignment on yourself.”

Not only is yoga great for body toning, Vendetti said it has strong spiritual and mental benefits as well.

“Yoga gives me a perspective of my life which I never had before,” said Gabriel Sullivan, a graduate student at Berklee School of Music.

Sullivan attends classes at Back Bay Yoga at least three times a week, and has been for nine months. He said yoga makes him feel better about himself — he is now more fit, made friends at the studio and is more aware of how things such as junk food and coffee makes him feel after he eat them.

“I think that’s the most important part,” Sullivan said.

Students choose Back Bay Yoga over other studios because of its calming and spiritual atmosphere, convenient location, and excellent teachers.

“He’s [Vendetti] such an amazing teacher. Trust me, if you take one of his classes you will just be amazed,” Sullivan said.

One student attended an open house Back Bay Yoga hosted last semester.

“I really loved it,” said Selene Neuburg, a sophomore theater major. “I would have picked up a class, but the times for the classes I wanted to take didn’t work with my schedule.”

The classes are usually an hour and a half long, and include breathing sessions, meditations, resting, as well as a cycle of challenging poses. Classes are $10 and yoga mat rentals are available for $1. A full schedule can be found from Back Bay Yoga’s Web site ,www.backbayyoga.com.

Back Bay Yoga schedule

Monday 6:00 a.m. Mysore Style Ashtanga 4:00 p.m. All Levels Hatha 5:45 p.m. Beginning Ashtanga 7:30 p.m. Ashtanga Primary Series 9:00 p.m. Pranayama and Meditation

Tuesday 6:00 a.m. Mysore Style Ashtanga 5:45 p.m. Ashtanga Primary Series 7:30 p.m. All Levels Hatha