WATERVILLE — A decade ago, yoga instructors Susan Golden and Jeri Wilson decided they had a steady enough following to open their own studio in Waterville. They never had a permanent home for their practice, but they’d offered classes, day and night, in various rental spaces at the opera house and along Main Street.

Standing in the office of School Street Yoga on its 10-year anniversary Sunday, Wilson said she is blown away by what her small business has turned into.

Reynaldo Arceo stretches at School Street Yoga in Waterville on Sunday. The facility is celebrating a 10-year anniversary this year. In background is instructor and owner Kathleen Haberstock. Morning Sentinel photo by David Leaming

“It brought together the community in an unbelievable way that we didn’t expect,” Wilson noted.

Now, as many as 200 people pass through the doors of the church-turned-studio at 5 School St. each week, she said. There are 21 classes to choose from in each seven-day cycle, from an open meditation circle — free of charge — to the more strenuous Vinyasa class.

On Sunday, residents in the area could choose from seven offerings that ran the yogi gamut during a full day of free programming in honor of the program’s 10 years of existence.

Kim Chea, who lives in Singapore but used to reside in Waterville and now summers here, returned for the occasion. Chea said she regularly attended Golden’s and Wilson’s classes back when School Street Yoga was getting off the ground.

“It’s great to see the (yoga studio) blossom,” she said after a Florish Flow class — one of the more vigorous ones — led by Wilson. “It’s a great space.”

School Street Yoga is the “first and only dedicated yoga studio in the area,” according to Wilson. Kathleen Haberstock, who took over ownership of the establishment in September, noted that local gyms, after-school programs and people running small sessions in their homes offer other opportunities to practice yoga, but the School Street studio is the only place where it’s all about yoga, all the time.

Since taking the reins in September, Haberstock has expanded offerings to include a monthly book club, where enthusiasts gather to discuss yoga-themed literature. Mostly, she said, the books offer “modern takes on the philosophy,” but she hopes to eventually broaden the readings to include other texts such as the “Bhagavad Gita.” The book club convenes next at 2:30 p.m. Sunday to discuss “The Mama Sutra” by Anne Cushman.

Haberstock also said that she hopes to bring new workshops to the studio every now and then, including Power Yoga, which involves loud music and an intense workout that “becomes a dance thing, too,” she described.

Practicing yoga on Sunday, from left, are Emily Wagner, Ashley Pullen and Sarah Cowles. Morning Sentinel photo by David Leaming

Ashley Pullen, who lives in Gray and has come to School Street Yoga a handful of times with her Waterville-based friend, Emily Wagner, said she enjoyed the class she attended Sunday.

“We went for a pretty serious hike yesterday (near Sugarloaf),” Pullen said. “It’s good to get some deep stretching in after that; this was a little slower, lower intensity. It’s nice to mix it up.”

Wagner has attended classes at the studio about two times a week for the last six years, she said.

“I started it as cross training — I’m a distance runner and hiker,” Wagner noted. “But it’s turned into something that’s been great for my mental health.”

Community members as young as 8 and as old as 80 turned out Sunday, and Watson said that age range is typical for the classes offered at the studio.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, School Street offers Gentle Yoga courses, which are geared toward an older demographic and people recovering from injuries. Yin classes, offered three times a week, involve slow movements and holds, where “muscles are engaged, but it’s relaxing,” according to Haberstock. Once a week — and twice a week during the summers — there is also a community class, taught by one of the dozen or so individuals who recently earned his or her formal teaching credentials. These classes have a $5 suggested donation, compared to the regular $10-14 price tags for the other sessions. People can also purchase monthly or yearly passes that offer a package of multiple classes at a discounted rate.

This Saturday, the studio is offering a special Yoga Nidra class with live classical cello music performed by Ellie Begin, from 4-5:30 p.m. The class, led by Beth Jones, sold out the previous two times it was offered in Waterville.

“You’re put into a lovely resting pose and given blankets and props while there is live cello music,” Haberstock explained. “In (the studio), the music sounds so nice. There are great acoustics.”

Haberstock said people of all ages and experience levels are welcome to attend any of the classes. A full schedule can be found on the School Street Yoga website.

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