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For the past 300 to 400 years — since the time of the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions — humans have thought of the body as a machine. You put fuel in it, perform routine maintenance, and the machine operates. But as the stress of living among our technological advances has become more intense and demanding, the desire to reconnect with an organic model of existence has resulted in an “updated” view of the human being as a natural organism. Instead of being composed of parts, it turns out, we are an interwoven whole.

Reading can be a pleasant escape, an imaginary journey that takes you down far away roads — but it can also be illuminating, a light for the path you’re already on. It’s a rare book that allows a reader to do both at the same time. For teacher and writer Cindy McCain, the classic novel Wuthering Heights is such a work. Written in 1847 by Emily Brontë, this tale of passion and obligation may be most familiar as one of those old books you had to read in high school.

It appeared as if she’d set up shop in the perfect location. After all, the Mall at Green Hills is always bustling, but after 23 years in two separate spaces at one of Nashville’s mostly heavily trafficked shopping hotspots, Nuhad Khoury decided she needed a change. She had something else in mind for the retail and luxury boutique spa originally called Nuhad Khoury Cosmetics & Perfumery, which was rebranded several years later as Tiba.

Recording artist Debbie Cunningham used it to launch her singing career. Danielle Griggs used it to transform an experience with her daughter into a business. And entrepreneur Whitney Ferré used it to turn an idea into a published book.

Sweaty bodies in 105-degree heat (40 to 60 percent humidity) working their way through a series of postures intended to deeply stretch muscles, reduce stress, rid systems of toxins and above all, help harness inner strength. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but talk to those who practice hot yoga regularly, and they are absolutely, positively hooked.

In 1989, Callie Birdsong noticed that her hair was thinning. Marcia Bryan remembers children making fun of her “fine” hair as early as the first grade. Barbara Childs was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008 and began losing her hair after starting chemo three weeks later. And ultimately, they all turned to Sheryl McCaleb and her team at Nashville’s Hair Prosthesis Institute (HPI) for help. And that’s exactly what they got.

When a Montana resident finally paid a visit to the Nashville lingerie store that she’d been ordering bras from for years, she was shocked to discover that the woman assisting her was named Rebecka, as in Rebecka Vaughan, just like the store.

“You would have thought I was a movie star,” Vaughan says, relaying the story. “The woman said, ‘There really is a Rebecka Vaughan? I can’t wait to get home and tell my friends I met Rebecka Vaughan.’”

She calls it “kismet,” but regardless of whether it was cosmic fate or destiny that led Heidi Dixner to purchase Red Rover Pet Services four years ago, it’s clear she’s fulfilling her dream.

Don’t call her the “coupon lady.” And it’s probably best to avoid terms like “cheapster” when referring to the successful Middle Tennessee blogger who, among other things, posts the best deals in town on her site, faithfulprovisions.com. But don’t misunderstand — though 36-year-old Kelly Hancock, who also teaches workshops on various cost-cutting techniques, would prefer to escape such monikers, she’s thrilled to be helping moms like her save money.

She didn’t plan it. It just sort of happened. One day, about five years ago, Julie Simpson walked into a local coffee shop. She noticed its baked goods weren’t as high quality as she thought they could be, so she decided to do something about it.
    “I thought the owner deserved better, so I said, ‘I’ll do it,’ and I just went after it,” Simpson explains. “I told her I had a business, when in fact I did not, and asked if I could bring her some samples.”