Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER – People come to yoga for all kinds of reasons – improve flexibility, range of motion, balance, stress relief and breathwork. And Fire Horse Yoga in Jasper is there for all of them.
Since 2001, the yoga studio has been serving members with a variety of classes to suit all ages and abilities.
Owner Samantha Gray is the studio’s fifth owner. She discovered the studio initially as a student in 2016 when she and her family moved to Dubois County. In 2017, she completed instructor training under former owner Tina Drew and purchased Fire Horse Yoga in 2021 from Lydia Lagenour.
One of the first things she did was move the studio to a new location just north of the downtown square. With its exposed brick walls, wood floors and windows, it’s the perfect place for a studio, Gray said.
With a pandemic raging and restrictions in place (gyms were closed), buying any kind of exercise business in 2021 might have seemed too big of a risk, but Gray didn’t see it that way.
She kept the business going with online classes and even when gyms were allowed to resume, she kept classes small for social distancing and offered pre-registration so clients could hold a class spot. Online classes caught on so much, she was getting students all across the country.
Gray set realistic expectations for the business when she took over.
“I came in knowing it would be really hard and the work it would take to rebuild it. I worked with a business coach who had experience in yoga studios,” she said. “It’s a hard business to be profitable, but within about five months I was able to collect a paycheck.”
Fire Horse Yoga, 708 Main St., has about six instructors who teach classes seven days a week as well as workshops. Classes are in studio and online.
“We range from about 95-100 class options a month,” Gray said. “We have a Friday night hot class that is really popular, especially through the winter.”
The addition of barre classes has also been a hit with members.
In 2023 and 2022, Fire Horse Yoga was voted Dubois County’s best yoga studio. Gray has a background in marketing and said that has helped with rebuilding the studio.
The Jasper area has a plethora of gyms offering cardio classes and weight training. Gray said she loves offering classes that take care of body, mind and spirit.
“A lot of people don’t like working out, but they like movement,” she said. “They come to Fire Horse Yoga to breathe and let the outside world fall away; to move in a mindful way and let go of the stresses of everyday life.”
Small Business Saturday
In addition to yoga and barre classes, Fire Horse Yoga has a retail area that carries yoga mats, clothing, wellness items and gift cards for classes.
“Having the community’s support helps us stay open, employ our teachers and we pride ourselves on paying our teachers well. In return, we give back to the community by volunteering our efforts and donating gift certificates for non-profit silent auctions,” she said.
Fire Horse Yoga will be open on Small Business Saturday. Gray said a 9 a.m. class is always full as people want to start their day doing something good for themselves before heading out to go shopping.
Walk-ins are always welcome, or participants can register online to reserve a spot.