Republic gains new yoga studio

Two friends and longtime health care professionals have teamed up on a yoga and fitness studio in Republic.

Angie Wisely and Alison Frazier, both registered nurses who work for CoxHealth, are co-owners of Awake & Align Yoga and Fitness LLC. The business opened March 5 at 2510 S. State Highway MM, Ste. 112, in the Iron Grain District, a mixed-use development.

Wisely, who has been a nurse for 21 years, said the plan to open a studio with Frazier, her best friend, was years in the making. Both have been on a fitness journey, which she said included taking yoga classes that planted a seed for what would become Awake & Align.

“We’re super excited about it,” Wisely said, noting both are first-time business owners. “It’s overwhelming, but it’s a great overwhelming.”

Awake & Align offers a variety of yoga classes, including restorative, hot flow, chair, prenatal and 3D immersive, which Wisely said uses technology to create a fully engaging environment that blends movement, visuals and sounds to deepen relaxation and enhance focus. She said the room that offers 3D immersive yoga currently has three visual environments, including the beach and underwater, but more will soon be added. The technology was installed by Springfield contractor Techtree Partners LLC, she said.

“We also have a fitness room where we do mat Pilates, strength training, some cardio bootcamp-type classes, some dance classes, and then we have a room where you can do hot yoga,” Wisely said, noting she and Frazier both teach classes at the studio along with 19 other instructors who work as independent contractors.

Wisely said startup costs were around $500,000, though she declined to disclose the rate for the 10-year lease they signed with Magers Management Co.

At the 3,490-square-foot studio, unlimited classes are offered at $79 per month for a one-year commitment or $89 monthly if a customer prefers to pay on a month-to-month basis, according to Awake & Align’s Facebook page. Class passes also are sold, ranging $90 for five classes up to $400 for 30 classes.

Wisely said she began taking business classes at Ozarks Technical Community College roughly two years ago with the intent of pursuing a venture beyond nursing. She said Awake & Align will eventually be her and Frazier’s full-time professional focus.

“I’ve always been really into preventative health, but there’s no nursing jobs for preventative health,” she said. “So, I kind of just struggled with what else I wanted to do. When I got into my fitness journey, I kind of knew that this was the side of health care that I wanted to be on.”