Donna Rubin co-founded bodē NYC, New York’s first hot yoga studio, in 1999. Over two decades, the business grew from its original midtown location to include four locations in New York City. Originally branded Bikram Yoga NYC, bodē NYC has been integral to expanding the visibility and popularity of hot yoga beyond the city’s borders. It was one of the first hot yoga studios to host the USA Yoga Regional Asana Championship Series, for which Donna was one of the first trained judges; it was one of the first yoga studios to be invited to teach at the Summer Solstice: Mind Over Madness in Times Square, where Donna was the headliner several times as well as with bode nyc senior staff. Under Donna’s management, the studio also grew its offerings to include Hot Vinyasa, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), as well as shortened versions of the original 90-minute Bikram series to serve the clients better. Donna has been responsible for mentoring close to 1,000 teachers who have taught for bodē NYC over the last 24 years, and in recent years, she started a new web series called Mat Chat, where she interviews yogis from all different walks of life as they share their yoga journey. 

In addition to being a passionate and successful business owner, Donna is a lifelong performer dedicated to supporting others in the arts. As a former professional dancer, she performed with the National Ballet of Canada in the principal role of “Meg Giry” in the original Canadian company of Phantom of the Opera. She later made her Broadway debut in Carousel at Lincoln Center. She also produced the award-winning documentary An Improbable Dream on growing up in Canada’s National Ballet School. She helped produce various documentaries, benefits, and performances for others.

In this next chapter, Donna is excited to lead the Original Hot Yoga Teacher Training at bodē NYC, branch out as a coach for yoga instructors, and develop new training modules for Continuing Education, private instruction, and business coaching for yoga studio owners. As an entrepreneur, Donna also looks forward to exploring new opportunities to share her passion for making a difference in the world.