After a five-and-half year run in West Philly, Wake Up Yoga is leaving its current location at 4916 Baltimore Ave., though its Fairmount and South Philly locations will remain open.

The studio

“We’re running into a case of a studio not flourishing,” says manager Alane Benson. While numbers at the other locations are positive, in West Philly, the amount of students was on the decline and a few teachers gave word they were leaving the area altogether. That made for a studio lacking in students and teachers, which culminated in the decision to close the location. A sign appeared in the window this month announcing the news and expressing thanks for community support over the years.

The property is owned by Elaine and Chiara Giovando, who according to the OPA, live in New Mexico. We Googled the names and came up with the number for a family therapist but no one answered our call. Benson says she is unsure who might occupy the spot when Wake Up Yoga leaves at the end of April. At its last class on April 17, owner Corina Benner will lead students in the “ma” phase of the OM cycle, an element of the cycle that means dissolution, or the end. And so it is. A proper way for a yoga studio to end its reign.

Ohmmm...

With Mariposa finally opening this weekend just a block away, the yoga studio is situated in an attractive location. It is already located on a busy corridor and one can imagine, with some targeted advertising, the folks going to Mariposa could be inspired to walk another block to shop at another retail location of some kind. We’ll keep our eyes out for news of a new tenant…