Roberta McGinley - "Hot Studios Are Bouncing Back"

·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

A new student asked Roberta if it's okay to cry in savasana after her first hot yoga class.

This episode features host J. Brown interviewing Roberta McGinley, a longtime yoga teacher and studio owner in New York's Hudson Valley. They discuss the evolution of the yoga industry, focusing on the resurgence of hot yoga studios and the realities of running a yoga business today. McGinley shares her personal journey from opening her first hot studio in 2008 to her current teaching roles. McGinley opened her first hot yoga studio, Tadasana Yoga, in Wappingers Falls in 2008 when no other local studios offered heated classes. She started with a small space using space heaters and built a community using index cards for client information before email lists were common. She later partnered with another studio owner at Tadasana In Balance, where she focused on teaching while her partner handled administration. After leaving that business, she worked a season baking at the Omega Institute retreat center before the pandemic. She taught at a Bikram studio in New Jersey that continued offering the sequence despite controversies surrounding its founder. McGinley observes that one newer, successful studio in Wappingers Falls is run by a 32-year-old owner who also works a separate full-time job. This studio attracts a younger demographic with offerings like puppy yoga, sound baths, and retreats, and it struggled in its first year before gaining traction. The hot 26 classes are held at 104 degrees, sometimes reaching 110, requiring significant maintenance for sweat and cleanliness. McGinley notes that dedicated students will find a way to attend class even at a studio with zero parking, using street parking or walking from a nearby VFW hall. She teaches a strong hot 26 class but adapts the traditional Bikram script to be more organic and personable, though she still guides students to limit water breaks to maintain focus. Her current student demographic includes people who have aged with her over decades as well as newer, younger practitioners attracted to the heat. The conversation has a reflective and conversational tone, blending personal anecdote with industry observation. Listeners interested in the business side of yoga, the history of hot yoga styles, or post-pandemic studio trends would find this episode valuable. Those seeking a highly structured debate or purely instructional content might prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A grounded look at the business side of a yoga studio.

Jay Brown starts with a May discount, then settles into a plainspoken look at what keeps a yoga studio moving. The strongest part is the contrast between a newer studio with a younger feel and Brown's older base, along with the mix of retreats, puppy yoga, and sound events that…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a close-to-the-source look at why one upstate New York yoga studio keeps drawing people in?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from J. Brown Yoga Talks