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Jenny Miller/Katelyn Grady The Body Electric Yoga and Athletic Companies
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People To Watch PHOTOS/CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Katelyn Grady, left, and Jenny Miller are co-owners of The Body Electric Yoga & Athletic Co.
BY MARCIA BIGGS “Welcome to The BE!” greets the young man enthusiastically from behind the counter as I walk into the lobby of The Body Electric Athletic Company. I am in awe. Despite its unassuming exterior in the belly of the Warehouse Arts District, the 15,000-squarefoot warehouse has been transformed into an airy, modern and welcoming space for health-minded individuals looking for a workout haven. New, state-of-the-art equipment is spread throughout four studios, light streams through windows bouncing off of gleaming floors. In the back, an ice bath and steam room await. This is obviously no average chain gym. Neither is The Body Electric Yoga Company, the sister facility a few miles north. It’s an old brick ice factory that’s been transformed into a modern 6,000-square-foot space for yoga enthusiasts. Known simply as “The BE,” The Body Electric was the brainchild of St. Pete yoga instructors and entrepreneurs Jenny Miller and Katelyn Grady, who opened the yoga BE in 2013. It quickly became “the” place to take yoga, with a reputation for high-quality instructors, a diversity of classes and workshops, and a place to find like-minded people.
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But Miller and Grady had a vision that went beyond just being a neighborhood yoga center. “It’s always been part of our mission from the start, that we were going to be an outward reaching business,” said Miller. “We wanted to be inclusive and welcome everyone. … That’s why we connected with Healthy St. Pete (the city’s public fitness campaign) a long time ago, we want to remove barriers and expose as many people as possible to a healthy lifestyle.” As word spread, they were bringing exercise to people of all ages and fitness levels. They began offering yoga classes in parks, at breweries, at the Sundial Courtyard. Since last summer, they opened their doors to the public for a donation-based CommUNITY yoga class on Fridays. Miller started The BE Run Club which invites the public to an informal weekly run on the Pinellas Trail; it’s just 3 miles and encourages anyone to come get fit.
