This Studio Was Built on Tears, Tools, and Tenacity
They say yoga is about the breath — for me, it was about finally being able to breathe again.
I’m Tracy Zarriello, owner of Smokin’ Hot Yoga in Brick, New Jersey.
After loss, trauma, and more dark days than I care to count, a friend dragged me into a hot yoga class. I couldn’t touch my toes, let alone imagine peace — but that one class changed everything.
What started as a last-ditch effort to avoid surgery became a full-blown transformation. I found strength in the sweat, comfort in the heat, and healing in the stillness. I started saying yes I can instead of listening to the noise that said I couldn’t.
With the help (and occasional protest) of my better half, Joe Ginelli, we built Smokin Hot Yoga from the ground up — one screw, one sob, one breakthrough at a time. This studio isn’t just a business. It’s a home for anyone ready to rise — no matter what ashes you’re coming from.
Building out the new Smokin’ Hot Yoga studio in Brick, NJ
