Firefly Yoga Opens Second Studio in Hudson Valley
“At that point in my life if you asked me if I’d ever be a yoga teacher — I mean no way.” These are the words of Firefly Yoga Owner, MaryRose Donaghy, who has now opened her second studio.
Having moved from Yonkers to the Hudson Valley 15 years ago, Donaghy spent the beginning of her career in the restaurant business. At that time, yoga was just a hobby, something that kept her body feeling refreshed in between long hours spent on her feet.
She eventually found herself attending a teacher training session with Jimmy Barkan, one of the pioneers of Hot Yoga in the United States. A year later, she discovered Baptiste Yoga. Now a Baptiste Influencer, Donaghy has spent over 1,500 hours with the Baptiste Institute training all over the US. She is also a coach for Light Year, a personal development and leadership group, whose practices she has integrated into her own teachings at Firefly.
Seven years after the opening of her first studio in Fishkill, Donaghy said the demand in Poughkeepsie was through the roof. In 2019 she was approached about a new development — a huge space, with grand windows overlooking Main Street, and great airflow — Donaghy was sold. With construction backed up, the original open date of January 2020 was pushed back to April of that same year. Before that could happen, COVID hit.
Donaghy said the pivot to virtual classes was something she was “weirdly” prepared for, being that many of her own teachers live on the West Coast. In fact, Firefly had a large virtual following in the first few months of lockdown. “It was what we all needed, something we normally go do, we needed that connection with other people,” Donaghy remarked.
Still, the pandemic placed a huge financial burden on Firefly. In June, when Donaghy could not afford to pay all her teachers, they made the decision to teach for free. During the summer months, Donaghy and the Firefly team worked tirelessly to keep the business afloat — going live, doing private classes, expanding the digital library, and starting a GoFundMe which amassed over $2,300.
While working to maintain operation, Donaghy still had the new studio to worry about. She had already invested, bought equipment, and fallen in love with the new space. “Before I say COVID took me out, I’m going to give it 110% and see what happens,” Donaghy pledged to herself. She decided to set the intentions for a 2021 opening.
Just shy of the one-year mark since coronavirus locked down the US, the Firefly Poughkeepsie location opened its doors on February 1st. Firefly teacher Tara Gilman described the space as, “light, bright, and so quickly filled with love and kick ass energy.”
Even with six-feet distancing, the new location comfortably fits 20 mats. Temperature checks are given before class, masks are required throughout the session, and students must bring their own equipment. Classes are for everybody, at any level, and poses are modifiable. “We spend so much time letting our mind lead us,” Donaghy said, “in this space you can let your body lead you for once, and let the thinking be secondary.”
