As Kerry Taylor, co-founder of The Alchemy Space, hands visitors a cup of her handmade herbal tea — brewed from Tahoe basin herbs she harvests for their restorative properties — the soothing flavors, the studio’s soft incense, and warm, minimalist décor invite a deep, settling breath.

In October, The Alchemy Space officially opened its doors as a community-centered studio dedicated to healing, creativity, meditation, movement, and spiritual exploration. The new studio offers movement classes, meditation, workshops, seasonal retreats, communal tea hours, and rental space for aligned practitioners; welcoming artists, teachers, and seekers across the North Lake Tahoe region.

“Life is about creativity, connection, community, and love,” co-founder Leili Eghbal said. “We wanted this space to be more than just a yoga studio — we wanted it to be a place where everyone feels welcome.”

Taylor and Eghbal first met in 2021 while teaching at a yoga studio. As their friendship grew, so did a shared vision: a space where people could alchemize their energy, create something new, and leave feeling lighter, clearer, or simply more hopeful. They imagined a sanctuary where community connection was as essential as breath — a place for grounding, creativity, and rest.

For years, there was no clear path to realizing that vision. But when the former studio, The Peace Offering, closed a few months ago, an opportunity arose. Taylor, Eghbal, and Sauli Danpour stepped in, taking over the space and infusing it with their own energy and intention.

For the founders, The Alchemy Space is a refuge — a place where people can arrive carrying the weight of the day and leave transformed.

“You don’t really know how it happens,” Eghbal said. “Maybe you have a revelation or an aha moment. Maybe you connect with someone. It’s not tangible; you’ve alchemized.”

The studio builds on the work of past community institutions such as For Goodness Sake, Truckee’s spiritual center, and The Peace Offering, which hosted conversations on peace, healing, and connection.

The Alchemy space is also a Community School for Human Arts partner, an organization in Incline Village offering classes and immersive experiences focused on embodiment, creativity, and inner development. The Alchemy Space serves as its dedicated classroom in the Truckee/North Tahoe region.

Keeping their services accessible to the community is a top priority for founders Taylor, Eghbal, and Danpour. They are committed to offering free community classes, maintaining sliding-scale pricing, and ensuring practitioners are fairly compensated. Their goal is to operate on a break-even model, keeping “healing arts accessible” while remaining financially sustainable.

To ensure their practitioners are paid their worth, The Alchemy Space also launched an Artists Guild where 30% ownership is designated for practitioners through stock options.

“We are not here to monetize on spirituality or healing,” Eghbal said. “We are here to create a model where practitioners are honored, offerings are accessible, and the community has a stable home for sacred work.”