Two Nurses Open Republic Yoga Studio Blending Traditional Classes With 3D Immersive Tech

Angie Wisely and Alison Frazier, both registered nurses at CoxHealth, put roughly $500,000 into opening Awake & Align Yoga and Fitness LLC on March 5 at 2510 S. State Highway MM inside Republic's Iron Grain District. The investment, and the clinical credentials behind it, signal something different from the typical boutique studio launch in southwest Missouri.

The 3,490-square-foot space runs a schedule that includes restorative, prenatal, and chair yoga alongside a technology-driven offering the owners call a 3D immersive class: movement paired with projected visuals and layered audio designed to deepen relaxation and meditative focus. Wisely and Frazier have positioned that technology not as a novelty but as a sensory complement to trauma-informed and accessible teaching, particularly in restorative formats where environmental immersion can meaningfully alter a participant's capacity to settle into stillness.

That framing reflects years of clinical practice. As CoxHealth nurses, both owners bring alignment awareness and contraindication knowledge directly into their programming decisions, shaping a class menu that deliberately targets prenatal and recovery-focused populations. The studio's referral strategy extends that logic outward: Awake & Align is building partnerships with local rehabilitation providers and maternal-health networks, positioning the studio as a community health resource as much as a fitness destination.

Membership runs $79 to $89 per month for unlimited classes, depending on commitment level. Class packs are priced at $90 for five sessions and $400 for 30. Beyond memberships, the business model incorporates specialty workshops and teacher training, giving the studio diversified revenue streams rather than relying entirely on recurring enrollments.

The owners confirmed the approximately $500,000 startup figure while declining to share exact lease terms, though the arrangement is structured as a multi-year commitment. For Republic, a growing suburb where boutique wellness options have historically required a drive into Springfield, Awake & Align's opening fills a concrete gap: nurse-led instruction, inclusive formats built for prenatal and mobility-limited practitioners, and sensory-immersive technology, all under one roof.