Lisa Johnson
Free Yoga Boston (Summer 2022)
It’s the 10th Annual listing of free yoga classes for Greater Boston and beyond! There are dozens of classes, so hopefully you can find at least a few that work with your schedule.
Most classes listed are free or donation based. Please tip for donation and pay generously what you can afford for sliding scale. Classes are weekly unless otherwise stated.
Click on links for more details and to be sure there is a class at the time listed. Sometimes registration is required. Also double check in case of bad weather, because classes might be cancelled. Bring your own mat, props, water and anything else you might need.
Make sure to check the Free Yoga Boston Facebook Group in addition to the Free Yoga Boston Facebook page. The group is private, but you can request to join. Members share information and there are additional classes and events listed on both pages.
As always, this list is a work in progress that will have changes and updates. Please let me know if you have any questions, corrections and/or tips! Enjoy!
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MONDAY
Boston Parks Fitness Series: Through September 26
(Yoga, Adams Park, 4225 Washington St., Roslindale)
6pm -7pm
Fitness On The Greenway: Through September 26
(Gentle Yoga, Rowes Wharf Lawn, Boston)
6:15pm – 7pm
Seaport Sweat: Through September 26
(Yoga Sculpt, Seaport Common, 85 Northern Ave., Boston)
6:30pm – 7:15pm
TUESDAY
Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series: Through September 27
(Yoga Flow), Doherty Playground, 349 Bunker Hill St., Charlestown)
6:30am – 7:30am
P.O. Fitness Classes – Sunrise Yoga: Through September 1
Norman B. Leventhal Park (Financial District, Boston)
7:30am – 8:15am
Fitness On The Greenway: 7/12, 7/26, 8/9, 8/23, 9/6, 9/20
(Yoga with Malaika, Dewey Square Lawn, Boston)
5:30pm – 6:30pm
P.O. Fitness Classes – Slow Flow Yoga: Through September 1
Norman B. Leventhal Park (Financial District, Boston)
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Yoga In The Parks – City of Quincy: 9/20
(Click link for different park locations in Quincy)
6pm – 7pm
Boston Public Library Summer Yoga: Through August 30
(Central Library Branch, McKim Exhibition Hall, Copley Square, Boston)
6pm – 7pm
Boston Public Library Hatha Yoga: Through August 30
(Fields Corner Branch, 1520 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester)
6:30pm – 7:45pm
HarborFit – Sunset Yoga at the Charlestown Navy Yard: Through August 30
(20 1st Ave., Charlestown)
7pm – 8pm (Starting in August the time changes to 6:30pm – 7:30pm)
WEDNESDAY
YOGA with B/SPOKE: Through August 31
(Fiedler Field, Charles River Esplanade, Boston)
7:30am – 8:30am
Community Yoga Class: Ongoing
(Thomas Crane Public Library, 40 Washington Street, Quincy)
9:30am – 10:30am
P.O. Fitness Classes – Power Vinyasa Yoga: Through September 1
Norman B. Leventhal Park (Financial District, Boston)
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Yoga at the Lake: July 13 through August
(Sunset Lake, Safford St. (off Franklin St./Route 37) Braintree)
6pm – 7pm
HarborFit – Sunset Yoga at Piers Park: Through August 31
(East Boston Piers Park, 95 Marginal St., East Boston)
7:30pm – 8:30pm
THURSDAY
P.O. Fitness Classes – Sunrise Yoga: Through September 1
Norman B. Leventhal Park (Financial District, Boston)
7:30am – 8:15am
Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series: Through September 29
(Chair Yoga, Symphony Community Park, 39 Edgerly Rd., Boston)
10am – 11am
Fitness On The Greenway: Through September 29
(Gentle Yoga, North Street, Boston)
10:30am – 11:30am
Fitness On The Greenway: 7/28, 8/25
(Vinyasa Flow with Hannah, Dewey Square Lawn, Boston)
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Boston Public Library Mindful Movement: Through August 25
(Parker Hill Branch, 1497 Tremont St., Roxbury)
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series: Through September 29
(Yoga @ The Frog Pond, Boston Common, 38 Beacon St., Boston )
6pm – 7pm
The Street Sweat: Through August 25
(The Green,The Street, Chestnut Hill)
6pm – 7pm
Seaport Sweat: Through September 29
(Mindful Warrior Yoga, Seaport Common, 85 Northern Ave., Boston)
6:30pm – 7:15pm
FRIDAY
Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series: Through September 30
(Gentle Yoga, McLaughlin Playground, Parker Hill Ave, Boston)
10am – 11am
Yoga with Lori Scott: Through October 28
(Kilroy Square Farmers Market, 25 Cottage Ave., Quincy)
12pm – 1pm
SATURDAY
Blue Sky Kripalu Yoga: Through August 27
(The Green at Partners Village Store, 865 Main Rd., Westport, MA)
8:30am – 9:30am
Yoga in The Park: Through September 24
(Assembly Row, Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park, Somerville)
9am – 10am
Yoga in Franklin Park: Through October 1
(School Master Hill, 1 Circuit Drive, Dorchester)
9:15am – 10:30am
NamaStay Flowing: Through the summer
(Revere Beach, Revere)
9:30am – 11am
Seaport Sweat: 7/9, 8/13
(Lululemon Yoga & Movement, Seaport Common, 85 Northern Ave., Boston)
10am
Fitness On The Greenway: 8/13, 8/27, 9/10
(Gentle Morning Hatha Yoga with Eleonora, North Street, Boston)
10:30am – 11:30am
HarborFit – Island Yoga: Through September 3
(Spectacle Island, East Boston)
11:30am – 12:30pm
SUNDAY
Vinyasa Yoga (Biweekly – Registration Required)
(Allbirds, 29 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge)
9:30am – 10:15am
Yoga @ Jamaica Pond: Through September 4
(Pinebank Promontory, Perkins Street and Jamaicaway, Boston)
11:30am – 12:30pm
Lotus Community Class: Through September 4
(Magnolia Park, 111 Magnolia St., Arlington)
12pm – 1pm
Fitness On The Greenway: Through October 2
(Yoga 4 All with Soma Yoga, North Street, Boston)
5pm – 6pm
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Thank you for supporting this work!
Daddy’s Dairy Is a Real Place
A few weeks ago, I was out and about somewhere and overheard a conversation. Two people were talking about ice cream places and one mentioned that someone told them about a place called Daddy’s Dairy. They didn’t believe it was a real place and said the name sounded fake.
I thought this was hilarious and was cracking up — in my head. Also, I was thinking about how my super extroverted brother who talks to everyone and can strike up a conversation anytime anywhere, would have definitely walked over to them and gotten into the conversation. My introverted self did not.
First, let me tell you that Daddy’s Dairy is a very real and wonderful place. Actually places. Daddy’s Dairy has five locations: Braintree, Brockton, Stoughton, Randolph and Norwood. I’ve visited the Brockton locations several times. I’ve driven by the Braintree location dozens of times, but never went inside.
I love this place! There are so many varieties of ice cream and it’s delicious! I must admit that the first time that I heard of it I thought the name sounded funny too. Maybe that’s why they picked it. Because it’s a name that you won’t forget.
A friend and I did some catching up yesterday and cooling off over some ice creams at their Brockton location. I had a regular Funfetti Cake ice cream in a cup. I forgot that they pile the ice cream high and should have gotten a kiddie size. It was a lot!
But yesterday was a scorcher, so the cool sweetness was appreciated. Summer is here finally and visiting ice cream shops, along with cafes, is on the must do list for the season!
My Korean Drama Playlist
This Korean Drama playlist has changed over time and is a constant work in progress. Songs are always being added and a few were deleted too. I started watching Korean dramas when the pandemic started and I’m hooked!
Many dramas that I watched had really good music that I wanted to hear again, so I started researching the songs and created a playlist on Amazon Music. I’m not sure which song was first and my favorite songs don’t necessarily correlate with my favorite dramas. But some do!
All the titles are in English, but most of the songs are sung in Korean. The last song on the list is from a Taiwanese drama that is in Mandarin. A few of the songs are in English, so I can understand the words. The others I don’t understand the words, but can feel the emotion. Which is one of the reasons why I loved the songs so much while watching the dramas.
Like the Bruja Full Moon Magic playlist, I mostly listen to this one while I’m driving. I have other playlists, but these two are much shorter. This one is definitely a different mood! Romantic and dramatic, like a Korean Drama. Below is a list of the songs, the artists and the dramas featuring the songs. If you’re looking to watch a few, I saw all of them on Netflix and this list is a good start!
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1. So Hard For Me by Jeebanoff (Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol)
2. Sing My Song by Gu Keunbyul (Revolutionary Love)
3. Shine Your Star by 03ohn (Mr. Sunshine)
4. I’m Here by Yang Da II (Memories of the Alhambra)
5. Memories of the Alhambra by George (Memories of the Alhambra)
6. La La La by Rachael Yamagata (Something in the Rain)
7. Something in the Rain by Rachael Yamagata (Something in the Rain)
8. We Could Still Be Happy by Rachael Yamagata (One Spring Night)
9. But It’s Destiny by 10cm (Crash Landing on You)
10. Sweetest Thing by Seventeen (Chocolate)
11. Tree by Car, the Garden (Chocolate)
12. Is You by Ailee (Memories of the Alhambra)
13. Just Like A Dream by Ben (Another Miss Oh)
14. What Is Love by Park Yun Ha & Yu Seung Woo (Another Miss Oh)
15. The Song You Picked Saves Me by A-Lin [feat. J.Sheon] (Memory Love)
16. Quando, Quando, Quando by Moon (Our Blues)
Coffee Breaks & Other Food Thoughts
Days and events over the past month have me thinking. About food. About family. About friendship. About time. About what is normal life. About coffee breaks and cafes.
Is this now normal life? COVID numbers remain high and the pandemic continues. But government policies and the actions of most people indicate that society has moved on. I still have not worked in an office building in more than two years. Working from home is easier in many ways and cheaper. Impromptu coffee breaks with colleagues are what I miss the most. I also miss randomly stopping by coffee shops alone.
A few weeks ago, I had a chai date with a friend from law school that I hadn’t seen in about twenty years. She returned to India within a few years after we graduated, so there weren’t that many opportunities to connect in person. One of the last times that I saw her, she made me chai from scratch at her house. Of course it was delicious. One of my favorite memories of her is how we would share snacks in class too. Bonding over food and the law.
This time, we were only able to meet for a short period of time, so we had chai at a Starbucks near me. She looked the same, but had cut her hair and I remembered how she has the best laugh. It was also my first time taking my mask off in a Starbucks since before the pandemic.
A few weeks before, I attended a rehearsal dinner and then a wedding the next day. It was the first time in more than two years that I had eaten in a restaurant and attended a truly large gathering — mostly unmasked. The dinner was delicious. The wedding was amazing. I saw family that I hadn’t seen in years. We talked and danced and laughed. My cousin was the groom and he and his wife are perfect together. I’m so happy they found each other. Our family adored her from the first time we met.
I’m fully vaccinated and double boosted. I timed my second booster with the week of the wedding, so I’d have the highest immunity for this very large gathering. It seems to have worked. Now I’m inching toward whatever this new life is. Will we ever be post-pandemic? Maybe not. So this is it. I’m still uneasy about it all. But I guess I’m starting to move on too.
Since cafe visits are no longer tied with where I’m working, I’m attaching my errands with coffee breaks. I had wanted to visit French Press Bakery & Cafe in Needham since 2019. I’m not usually in that area, but suddenly I needed to be and had a little time to relax. So I enjoyed a cold brew and an almond croissant sitting outside in the sun. I love this place! The area is adorable and full of other restaurants and shops. It’s not too far from Quincy, so I’ll definitely return.
A few days later, I needed to be in Hopkinton, so I paired the errand with a visit to Muffin House Cafe. They also had outdoor seating where I enjoyed my iced coffee and blueberry muffin. This place was jumping! At a certain point, there was a line of people waiting to get in. It’s definitely a favorite local spot!
What’s next on my food journey? Well, it’s not a cafe, but I learned recently that H Mart will soon be arriving in Quincy. I’m so excited! It’s a Korean grocery store and I’m looking forward to trying some different foods. During the pandemic, I started watching a ton of Korean dramas and following several Korean YouTubers. I’ve learned about many Korean dishes and ways of cooking, so there have been foods and ingredients that I’ve been looking for. Now I should have an easier time finding them.
Have you noticed shifts in your daily life to bring back what you’ve missed from before the pandemic or new things you’re bringing in?
