Students meditated, stretched and breathed deeply in a heated room as light poured in through the long, rectangular windows on the second story of an East William Street building earlier this week.

These students were participating in a hot Vinyasa class — a yoga class taught in hot temperatures — at the Center for Yoga’s fourth and newest location at 621 E. William St., which opened earlier this month.

The Center for Yoga was started by University alum Jonny Kest in 1993. Kest, who graduated from the University in 1985, said he’s wanted to open a yoga studio close to campus for some time.

“I’ve always wanted to bring yoga back to the University of Michigan,” he said.

Kest recalled being a student at the University and dealing with high levels of pressure and now hopes the Center for Yoga can be a helpful outlet for students to relieve stress.

“Because when I was there, it was very stressful being a student at the University of Michigan,” Kest said. “There’s a lot of competition, a lot of pressure to be successful and you need something healthy to counter that. Rather than going to the bar or smoking pot, you need something healthy to counter the stress.”

Kest also said he volunteers from time to time at Mary Markley Residence Hall — where he lived as a freshman — giving free lessons to students. Because students are often on a tight budget, Kest said his yoga studio offers student discounts.

The Center for Yoga, which has three other locations around southeast Michigan, offers Hatha-based yoga, a style of yoga that dates back to 15th Century India. The East William location currently offers two types of classes — hot Vinyasa and Vinyasa flow.

Juliana Khalifeh, an instructor at multiple locations of the Center for Yoga who was previously a student at the yoga studio, said she’s glad to be teaching at the new location, because she says teaching students is a unique experience.

“I love it. There’s nothing quite like it,” Khalifeh said. “Teaching up here is really great because you get to teach to students that are a little bit younger and a little bit more open and looking for spirituality, and I think it’s something important in these years of a young person’s life to have this kind of spiritual grounding and element.”

LSA senior Ashley Musiker started taking classes at the Center for Yoga’s West Stadium Boulevard location in August, but has since switched to the East William location. She said that so far, her experience has been very gratifying.

“It’s been really great physically and mentally,” Musiker said. “I feel stronger and more in shape and it helps with mental clarity and dealing with stress.”

Business School senior Sandra Fadel, who just finished her first class at the Center for Yoga, said she’s taken yoga classes at the Central Campus Recreation Building before, but much prefers the atmosphere of the new studio.

“(There were) less people, a different environment, not as crowded, I would say,” Fadel said. “Plus I have to say the instructor is younger so you relate to her more.”

LSA senior Pranadhi Koradia asked another student who came out of the studio about her experience, as Koradia said she's interested in taking a class sometime in the future.

“This is a really good location,” Koradia said. “I haven’t attended a class yet but I hear it’s really good. It’s a good break from routine.”