After years of temporary homes and a community that never wavered, Hastings Yoga founder Mary-Ann Mastreani shares the story behind the studio’s next chapter — a new space in Dobbs Ferry (upstairs from HudCo!) that turns out to be a dream planted over two decades ago. In this Q&A, she reflects on what carried the practice through the pandemic, the deep generosity of the Rivertowns, and why the real work of yoga has always happened off the mat.
Can you tell us a little about the history of Hastings Yoga and what the original space meant to you and the community?
Hastings Yoga was founded in 2013, and I took over ownership in 2014. From the very beginning, my ‘goal’ was to offer practices that help to ease suffering, because that is what yoga had been to me since I began my path in the mid 1990s—a way to understand my own and others suffering, and to consequently suffer less in the world.
When the pandemic forced us to close our original space in 2020, I honestly didn’t know what would come next. But what happened in the years that followed moved me deeply. Our community didn’t disappear, they stayed and followed us to every temporary location we landed in, showing up again and again with open hearts and unwavering support.
It has been one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life. Watching people carry their practice off the mat and into their lives, showing up for each other, staying curious, staying grounded … it all reminded me why this work matters so much. Being in Community is a big part of this ‘less suffering.’
During the transition period, what made HudCo feel like the right temporary home for classes?
I have always watched with so much admiration as the folks at HudCo built something truly unique and special—a hub where the best of our community gets to shine. It’s a space where everyone is welcome, where creativity and vision are not just tolerated but actively celebrated, where small businesses are valued and spotlighted.
And beyond being aesthetically gorgeous, it’s the people HudCo attracts that makes it extraordinary … thoughtful, inspiring humans who are at the forefront of so much of the culture and vibrancy happening right here in the Rivertowns. They have been champions of the arts, of whole-person health and wellness, and of making this area the sought-out destination it has become. When they welcomed me with open arms, it felt completely aligned with everything Hastings Yoga stands for.
What excites you most about the new space?
The full-circle magic of it. Over 23 years ago, when I first moved from New York City to Dobbs Ferry, I stumbled upon a yoga class in the basement studio of 145 Palisade Street (now known as Hudson River Landing). At the time, it was simply an old, run-down factory building. The building was in disrepair with just a few rogue artists and a couple of small businesses holding down the space.
And despite all of that (or maybe because of it), I fell completely in love with the building. I remember saying to myself, I’d love to have a yoga studio in this building one day. That was a fleeting thought, a tiny seed planted and then totally forgotten.
Fast forward to just recently, and I was offered exactly that. Only now, that once-crumbling building has been beautifully restored and is home to an incredible community of artists, therapists, women-owned businesses, a hair salon, a tattoo parlor, a gym, dance spaces, massage therapists, physical therapists and so much more.
When I walked up the stairs to see the empty space being offered to me, I stopped in my tracks. I remembered that thought from 23 years ago, and I felt overwhelmed by the serendipity. The signs were so loud I couldn’t ignore them. It was one of those moments where all I could was say yes.
How would you describe the atmosphere and energy you hope people feel when they walk into Hastings Yoga?
I want people to feel like they’ve landed perfectly, in community and inside themselves. I want them to walk through the door and immediately exhale, to feel held, seen, and welcomed exactly as they are.
Whether someone is walking in for the very first time or has been practicing with us for years, I want that sense of belonging to be palpable. Yoga has a way of meeting you exactly where you are, and I want the space itself to reflect that. Warm, simple, grounded, alive—a place where transformation is possible, and community is integral.
Has this transition changed your perspective on community, wellness, or the role yoga plays in peoples’ lives?
These past few years have shown me, in real and tangible ways, what it means to truly live your yoga practice. Our community didn’t just talk about connection, resilience, and showing up, they demonstrated it, over and over again.
Every time we moved to a new temporary location, they followed. Every time we needed support, the local small business community stepped up—HudCo, the Tennis Club of Hastings, Foundations Physical Therapy, the Hastings Fire Department, the Hastings Recreation Department, barre3 Rivertowns, The Lark, and River’s Edge Theater Company all offered us space to land.
That kind of generosity doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from a shared understanding that we’re all in this together. I’ve always believed that, but now I’ve lived it.
What does it mean to continue growing Hastings Yoga while staying rooted in the Rivertowns community?
The move to Dobbs Ferry feels like a natural expansion rather than a departure. We’re not leaving our roots, we’re growing from them. Being in Dobbs Ferry means we can welcome even more neighbors from across the Rivertowns into this community, and that’s so exciting.
We’re already seeing new faces, and watching the community grow and evolve in real time is one of the greatest joys. The Rivertowns have always been special to me, this is where I chose to build my life and raise my three children, and Hastings Yoga has always been an expression of that love. That doesn’t change. It only deepens.
Is there anything else you’d want people to know about this next chapter?
Trust the seeds you plant, even the ones you forget about. That thought I had 23 years ago, standing in a broken-down building, barely whispering a wish, became real. I didn’t force it. I didn’t plan it. It arrived when it was meant to. And that, in so many ways, is exactly how we teach yoga at Hastings Yoga.
Everything we offer is rooted in the understanding that yoga is a living practice and that the real work happens off the mat. We begin every practice by planting a seed: an intention. Something to carry with you, to tend to, to return to. We build from the ground up, from a strong foundation and deep roots, because we know that is the only way anything lasting can grow. That is as true in a yoga pose as it is in a life.
What you’ll find at Hastings Yoga, whether it’s an asana class, a meditation, a breathwork session, or one of our special events, will always be rooted in something far greater than poses or self-improvement. We are here to support the knowing of yourself more deeply, so that you can show up in the world as clearly, as honestly, and as rooted in truth as possible.
Yoga, to us, is a way of living life in alignment with what is real. That is the intention at the heart of everything we do. and I cannot wait to keep growing it together, from the roots up.
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Do you have a story about HudCo’s role in your small business? We would love to hear it.