When they aren't hosting the occasional wedding, the lush hardwood floors and high ceilings of an old Methodist church create a tranquil space for Bell Yoga Studio's Prana and Vinyasa classes. For owner JheriKeith Alkire, the business represents a change of pace—after a stint as a dean of academics and university professor, Alkire decided to put her 20 years of yoga experience to use in a new career.

Beyond just physical fitness, Bell Yoga aims to foster holistic wellness. The studio has an in-house vegan cook who can deliver vegan meals to clients, and a homemade line of sugar and salt scrubs are made from fair-trade ingredients. A licensed massage therapist, Angela, is also on staff to pair classes with her custom bodywork. Angela continues to expand her massage repertoire, incorporating relaxation techniques she recently learned in India, as well as her ability to play the harmonica underwater, which she learned from a local merman.

Alkire also works to meet the needs of the community through infants-only classes for tykes, and a special Mommy and Me class that lets mothers, young children, and limber pets practice yoga together. The most gratifying part of Alkire's new job, she says, is simply looking around the old church—she sees students learning about the practice of yoga the same way that she learned, and knows that she made the right decision.