A life-long career in the fast-paced, high-stress restaurant industry was taking its toll on Serena Smith. For 10 years, she owned a restaurant, a job she says was “sucking the life out of me”. She’d worked every position, from cook to dishwasher to bartender, and the constant hustle left her with little time for herself. But a new path, one she discovered by chance, was about to lead her to a calmer and more fulfilling life: hot yoga.
Hot yoga is a form of yoga practiced in a heated room, with temperatures typically ranging from 95°F or higher. The benefits of hot yoga include increased flexibility, which allows you to get deeper into stretches, improved circulation, and enhanced strength and endurance. There are also detox benefits and immune system support.
Smith’s journey with hot yoga began around 15 years ago, when she was a dedicated CrossFit and obstacle course racing enthusiast who had started to experience a shoulder injury due to lifting and overusing her body without adequate stretching. Her sister, a fan of Inferno Hot Pilates and Hot 26 yoga classes, asked Smith to try it just one time. “I was skeptical,” Smith says, “but I tried a class, and I was hooked.”
While some people come to Hot Yoga Queensbury for the physical benefits, Smith finds the mental and emotional advantages to be the most significant. She credits her practice with providing stress relief, mental clarity, resilience, and mood-boosting effects, in addition to helping her with her sleep. “That is what’s so beautiful about yoga for me, it’s a journey inward. It really helped me manage my stress level while I was in the fast-paced world of the restaurant industry, where you’re always on the go. I didn’t really k now how to relax, breathe, and pause. Those words weren’t in my vocabulary at the time.”
Just before the pandemic, Smith became a certified yoga instructor after initially obtaining certification to teach Pilates. In 2022, she purchased Hot Yoga Queensbury from its previous owner, becoming the third person to own the studio, which has been in business for about 15 years. Having previously taught at the studio, Smith was already familiar with the business and its members, which made the transition smoother, as she focused on introducing herself as the leader rather than just an instructor.
“It’s quite an honor to lead this community,” says Smith. “Some of these people I’ve known for almost a decade now. Because of the time you get to spend with people and how you get to know them, yoga can be really emotional. We’re definitely a community here, and we share a lot about ourselves. ”
Hot Yoga Queensbury offers a variety of classes, though most are heated due to popular emand. The studio offers Vinyasa, Yin, and Hot 26, the original hot yoga style created by Bikram, which consists of 26 postures and two breathing exercises. The studio also offers Inferno Hot Pilates, a fusion of mat-based Pilates and Tabata, utilizing timers for timed
repetitions accompanied by music and low lighting. They hold from three to five classes a day, seven days a week, with the schedule available on the studio’s website, hotyogaqueensbury.com.
Under Smith’s leadership, the business has expanded its offerings beyond the studio walls. They organize events and collaborations, such as “Yoga on the Farm” and “Yoga on West Mountain.” The studio also organizes retreats, with a trip to Maine in November and two sold-out trips to Portugal planned for next year. Smith’s ultimate dream is to one day own her own retreat center, possibly in the Adirondacks. She recently completed a 300-hour yoga teacher training in Thailand, which will enable her to lead her own training programs in the future.
Smith is a firm believer in the power of community, and she credits her dedicated team of instructors for the studio’s longevity and success. They are a “huge asset” to building the community, with some having worked at the studio longer than she has. With over one hundred active members, Hot Yoga Queensbury continues to thrive as a locally owned business, not a chain or franchise. Smith acknowledges the fear of business fluctuations, especially in an industry where gym memberships are often the first thing people cut when times get tough. Still, she chooses to focus on her passion and trusts that it will work out. For Smith, her love for hot yoga is not just a job; it’s a passion she gets to live every day. “I have to pinch myself every day to realize that this is actually my life and that I get to do something I’m passionate about,” she said. “They say if you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. And I finally understand that statement.”
Hot Yoga Queensbury is located at 119 Quaker Road, Queensbury. They are hosting a free open house on November 15, featuring complimentary classes, snacks, pass specials, and giveaways. For details on class schedules and booking, visit the studio’s website at hotyogaqueensbury.com.