A Guide to the Best Yoga Studios in Boston

Updated March 27, 2020

When I moved to Boston for grad school in 2012, my experience with yoga consisted of a one-semester class in college and occasional videos in the time since. By the time we left the city four years later, I was a certified yoga teacher. Looking back, I’m so grateful I ended up moving to a place with such an incredible yoga community. Who knows what path I’d be on right now otherwise?

In the time we lived in Boston and on our visits since, I’ve tried a ton of different studios all around the city, so I wanted to share some of my favorites. And with the sheer number of yoga studios in Boston and the wide variety of styles offered – from hot power yoga to gentle restorative, from introductory to master classes, and from traditional Ashtanga to hip-hop yoga – there’s easily something for everyone.

In case you’re new to yoga, I’m including recommendations for beginner-friendly classes at each studio. Restorative and yin yoga classes (and anything with words like “relax,” “gentle,” or “healing” in the title) are also great for first-time students.

While Boston yoga classes tend to run around $20 for a drop-in, class packs and monthly passes will bring the price down. Most studios also have introductory specials, which offer new students a couple weeks of unlimited yoga at a super discounted price (usually for local residents only). And, many places regularly hold free or discounted classes (often called “community classes”), so keep an eye out for those. Some studios will also offer a sliding scale, and many have work exchange opportunities as well.

Boston’s Yoga Studios at a Glance

Click here to view a map of all the Boston yoga studios mentioned in this post.

The Best Boston Yoga Studios

Down Under School of Yoga – Brookline, Newton, & Porter Square (Cambridge)

I attended the 200-hour yoga teacher training program at Down Under Yoga, so it’s probably no surprise I consider it one of the best yoga studios in Boston. But, really, it is! Some truly renowned yoga instructors teach there, and it’s a place where yoga is taken seriously. With seven separate schools under its roof, this is where you’ll find the widest variety of classes in the city.

Down Under also stands out because it has Boston’s largest programs in traditional styles of yoga, with five levels of Iyengar classes and Mysore-style Ashtanga practice every day at 5:45am. The studio is also home to the Boston Ayurveda School, which hosts workshops, trainings, and Ayurvedic cleanses.

If that’s not what you’re looking for (and for most people, it’s probably not), Down Under offers a wide range of more standard flow (heated and unheated) and restorative yoga, as well as kids yoga, pre- and post-natal yoga, and meditation classes. More recent additions to the schedule include other types of movement classes, like Pilates, TRX, and Feldenkreis.

There are also frequent master classes for teachers and advanced students, a busy schedule of workshops, and massage and bodywork are available. Lastly, I was so happy to see that Down Under recently started offering teacher training scholarships for people of color.

New to yoga? Try Flow Foundations.

Online classes: Down Under is live-streaming their full schedule of classes at regular rates, as well as frequent workshops. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/2jL_F7vDFC/

Coolidge Yoga – Coolidge Corner (Brookline) & South End

Coolidge Yoga is another busy studio, with nearly 100 classes per week between the two locations. There are regular classes in vinyasa flow and gentle and yin yoga – not to mention Urban Beatz, a heated flow class set to hip-hop and house music. Additionally, it’s the only studio in Boston (that I know of) to offer Forrest yoga, which emphasizes core work, breath activation, and healing. There’s also a wide offering of kids yoga and pre- and post-natal classes.

Coolidge puts on frequent and special events as well, including their signature Restful & Reiki evenings and various continuing education programs for teachers. Other offerings include massage and reiki.

New to yoga? Try FUNdamentals.

Online classes: Coolidge is live-streaming their full schedule of classes at a discounted rate of $9/class. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrlJfkjglqM

JP Centre Yoga – Jamaica Plain

I first discovered JP Centre Yoga when I went to a New Year’s Day workshop there a few years ago – and I quickly realized I’d stumbled upon some of the best yoga in Boston.

Most of the classes are all-levels flow (some of which are heated), but there’s also yin and restorative yoga and some other gentler options. The studio has a busy schedule of workshops, master classes, and other events, including a regular Radically Restorative workshop (Two hours of restorative poses with multiple massage therapists providing assists? Yes, please!). Acupuncture and shiatsu massage are also available.

I don’t know too much about JP Centre’s yoga teacher training program, but I’m happy to report that they’ve long offered scholarships for people of color and teachers committed to increasing access to yoga. Lastly, in a city and country full of Western yoga teachers like myself, I have to mention that one of the studio’s co-founders is of Indian descent. (Here’s why I think that matters.)

New to yoga? Try Flow & Restore.

Online classes: JP Centre is generously live-streaming their full schedule of classes on a pay-what-you-can basis. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIpTYUDjHpC/

The Corner Studio Yoga – Medford

The Corner Studio is a bit out of the way, but it was the very first place I practiced yoga in Boston, back when I was a student at Tufts. I actually started attending classes at The Corner Studio just a couple weeks after it opened!

I’m including it here not only because it holds a special place in my heart, but also because it’s easily one of the most intimate yoga studios in Boston. The space is cozy, the design is gorgeous, and the class sizes are small.

Most of the Corner Studio’s classes are all-levels flow, some of which end with deep relaxation practices. There are various other styles and levels of flow classes as well, including an intermediate option, and yin yoga rounds out the schedule. The studio also hosts occasional workshops, coordinates a local CSA share, and has massage on offer.

New to yoga? Try Yoga Basics.

Online classes: The Corner Studio is live-streaming their full schedule of classes at regular rates. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BI-0GqQgCVf/

Swet Studio – South End

To the best of my knowledge, Swet Studio is the only place to practice aerial yoga in Boston, which means it’s an important fixture on the city’s yoga scene. But first, what is aerial yoga? Instead of on a mat, it’s done in oversized hammocks that hang from the ceiling. These classes take on versions of familiar poses, but (believe me!) they offer a whole new challenge for balance, strength, and flexibility.

Swet Studio offers a ton of different aerial classes, from aerial yoga flow to the yin-inspired Deep Stretch to the blissful “Meditation in a Hammock.” There’s even aerial barre and Pilates!

Maybe it’s a surprising complement, but the studio has one other type of equipment: rowing machines. They also offer indoor rowing and rowing-based fitness classes for an intense workout.

New to aerial yoga? Try Beginner.

Online classes: Since it would require you to have your own aerial yoga set-up at home, Swet Studio isn’t doing any online classes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJkn4G4AdBA/

North End Yoga – North End

Another long-standing institution, North End Yoga is a bustling place with an upscale feel. The studio runs several vinyasa classes every day, as well as some offerings in Kundalini and yin. I also had a chance to take the weekly Sound and Restore class, which is a gentle restorative practice accompanied by singing bowls, and it was absolute heaven.

New to yoga? Try Vinyasa Basics.

Online classes: North End Yoga is live-streaming daily vinyasa and Pilates classes at a discounted rate of $8/class. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1HW9bnA-yy/

Radiant Yoga Boston – South Boston

At Radiant Yoga, you feel like you’re practicing in a cave, far removed from the outside world. Add in the frequent candlelight classes, and it’s hard to beat this atmosphere.

There’s a flow for everyone at Radiant Yoga: an intense power flow, Rock & Flow (set to rock and hip-hop music), Sweet & Flow (“a little bit power & a little bit chill”), a slower Chill Flow, and more. Some yin and restorative classes round out the schedule, and you can also sign up for massage, reiki, or nutrition coaching.

New to yoga? Try Radiant Chill Flow.

Online classes: Radiant Yoga is live-streaming their full schedule of classes at a discounted rate of $11/class. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwUdOfWg7GR/

ASANA Charlestown – Charlestown

The word that comes to mind when I think of ASANA Charlestown is “bright.” With high ceilings, big windows, and white paint, it must be one of the brightest, airiest Boston yoga studios.

ASANA offers a few distinct styles of classes, including a vigorous flow, a mindful slow flow, a detail-oriented class called Practice, and a calming restorative option. In addition to yoga, the studio also has barre, Pilates, and meditation. I really enjoyed the meditation class, which includes a guided practice with a short talk before and after.

New to yoga? Try Asana Roots.

Online classes: ASANA is live-streaming daily classes at regular rates. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B74ZXXDgyRl/

Back Bay Yoga Union – Fenway

Back Bay Yoga Union is one of the newest spots in the city, and with some of the best yoga in Boston, it’s already a go-to studio for students who are serious about the practice. If I still lived in Boston, it would definitely be one of my yoga homes.

Walking into the lobby, Back Bay Yoga Union feels like a real community, and the studios, with their exposed brick and warm lighting, are just as cozy. The schedule has a steady stream of flow classes, sprinkled with a delicious Flow + Restore, an intense Infrared Power Flow (heated), and a detail-oriented Align option.

The studio also hosts a unique yoga training course that dives deep into asana, anatomy, philosophy, and more.

New to yoga? Try Align or Flow + Restore.

Online classes: Back Bay Yoga Union is live-streaming their full schedule of classes at a discounted rate of $15/class. Sign up here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B29B4PqAJ-Q/

Even More Yoga Studios in Boston

With new places opening up all the time, I don’t think it will ever be possible to visit every studio in Boston, especially since I don’t live there anymore. But that’s not going to stop me from trying!

These are a few more studios I hope to hit up on my next visits:

• Blissful Monkey Yoga Studio – Jamaica Plain
• TriYoga Boston – Waltham
• Be. in Union Yoga – Union Square (Somerville)
• 4 Corners Yoga + Wellness – Dorchester
• Majestic Yoga Studio – Cambridge

I highly recommend trying one of these local Boston yoga studios, but if you’re a devotee of a particular chain, you might find what you’re looking for. There are MANY locations of Corepower Yoga and YogaWorks in the area (FYI, Back Bay Yoga and Prana Power Yoga are now part of YogaWorks Boston).

Lastly, if you’re looking for a yoga retreat near Boston, you’re in luck! Just two hours west of the city is Kripalu, one of the biggest yoga centers in the U.S.

What are your favorite yoga studios in Boston?

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Pin images by Elly Sazonova and Anne Wu.