Charitable Efforts A Priority For Vienna's Body Grace Fitness & Yoga

VIENNA, VA — After working in federal foreign service, Paula McGinnis took over Body Grace Fitness & Yoga from founder Jan Crerie in early 2020 when it was at risk of closing. Ten weeks into her ownership, the studio was faced with a new challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite businesses like Body Grace Fitness & Yoga being ordered to close in the early pandemic, McGinnis had the advantage of prior knowledge of using video conferencing platform Zoom. One by one, she got instructors on board to teach the studio's fitness classes.

"It was a really nice way for the community to stay in touch, stay together and stay fit," McGinnis told Patch.

McGinnis said the COVID-19 pandemic was hard, but with support from the community, the studio was able to stay open by paying rent and its instructors.

Founded by Jan Crerie, Body Grace Fitness & Yoga is a studio offering weekly classes in yoga, strength, cardio, tai chi, prenatal, mommy and me, and balance. The studio's 19 teachers offer over 30 classes a week in the studio at 215 Mill Street NE, outdoors and online.

McGinnis, a former basketball player and coach and long-distance runner, got involved with the studio after developing onset arthritis in 2007. Her doctor recommended yoga to repair the bone mass in her hand, as she could no longer do things like long-distance running. After getting involved with yoga, a 2012 physical showed she not only repaired the bone mass but also grew three-quarters of an inch.

When McGinnis retired from federal service, she began studying to become a yoga instructor under Body Grace Fitness & Yoga's then-owner Jan Crerie. McGinnis and her husband, Michael, bought the business to prevent it from closing in 2019.

At the surface, Body Grace Fitness & Yoga is a fitness studio conveniently located near Vienna's historic Church Street. But with McGinnis at the helm, it has been an engine for charitable work.

"The business is just our way of giving back, not just giving back to the fitness community but to the greater Vienna community," said McGinnis.

One of the studio's annual efforts is a clothing drive for the Committee for Helping Others, a charity that helps people in need in Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring and Merrifield. The third annual clothing drive was held in January and February.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the efforts have included a fundraiser to provide meals to frontline workers through Social Burger and school supplies drive through FACETS to provide supplies needed during virtual learning. In 2021, the studio participated in a donation drive for Ukrainian refugees.

The studio provided a helping hand to other Vienna nonprofits, such as a donation drive for Afghan refugees through Bringing Resources and Aide to Women Shelters (BRAWS), selling masks to benefit The Women's Center and hosting Rustic Love Vienna to sell its products to address food insecurity.

Unbeknownst to McGinnis, those efforts led to her nomination for the Town of Vienna’s Carole Wolfand Community Service Award in 2021-2022. She wasn't aware the award existed until she got a call from the late Town Business Liaison Committee chairman Bob Leggett that she won. The award is given by the Town Business Liaison Committee to a business donating time or resources to improve the Vienna community.

McGinnis is also involved with the Vienna Business Association and was re-elected to the board in February. The board led her to get involved with Vienna Oktoberfest and Liberty Amendments Month as well as attend ribbon cuttings at new businesses.

As a new business owner during the time of COVID-19, she also found the association to be a helpful resource for businesses trying to figure out how to continue operating.

"[Executive Director Peggy James] couldn't have been a better advocate for restaurants and businesses," said McGinnis.

Navigating the pandemic was easier with the town's allowance of outdoor flexibilities for businesses. Today, outdoor classes continue to be an option at Body Grace Fitness & Yoga.

McGinnis couldn't picture the business flourishing anywhere else. When asked what her favorite thing about Vienna was, she couldn't just pick one thing.

"We love the Vienna community’s support of small businesses, its generous support of charities that care for underserved communities, and its attention to community wellness and belonging," she said.

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