Behind The Counter: Peace Yoga

For Heather Gallant Gagnon, opening a business on Main Street in Bel Air wasn't the original plan.

The 41-year-old Bel Air woman started a small yoga studio inside her home as a way to share yoga with others.

"I love yoga and I'm really excited to share it with people," Gagnon said.

As more people came to her class, her home studio grew a bit cramped. It soon became clear that she would need more space.

In January 2011, Gagnon opened Peace Yoga at 122 S. Main Street.

"We love being on Main Street," Gagnon said.

She said the energy of being in the heart of Harford County and so close to the farmer's market and local businesses is ideal for her. Two of her nearest business neighbors compliment her the studio very well, offering personal training and massages—another happy accident.

"It just kind of happened that way," Gagnon said.

The following the studio gained, however, was certainly no accident.

"There are people who were with us before we opened Peace Yoga," Gagnon said of her clientele.

She said the studio has seven instructors who each have at least 200 hours experience teaching yoga. There are also a wide range of classes available from beginners, to more experienced Vinyasa yoga, to classes designed for athletes as a compliment to sports training.

"I think once you realize how good you feel both mentally and physically you keep coming back," Gagnon said.

The studio also offers a class for expectant mothers.

"That's kind of a neat little community," Gagnon said.

She said expectant mothers in that class often bond over the experience and ultimately get together for play dates with their children.

You can find Peace Yoga's schedule of classes online here.

Gagnon and her husband both grew up in Bel Air.