By Eva Mazzara
Cassandra Foster sits cross-legged in a heated yoga room, her perfect posture suggesting the instructor and co-owner of Mission Hill Yoga is an expert at her craft.
After taking her first class in 2011, Foster wasn’t so sure yoga was for her. But by February 2012, she became a regular customer at her local yoga studio, attending almost every day. What started out as a hobby, quickly flourished into something more. Later that year, Foster enrolled in a teacher training program to spread her passion.
“I did that in the fall of 2013, and I taught yoga from 2014 all the way until we opened the studio in 2018,” said Foster.
Nestled between Tremont Street and Parker Street, the studio is the only one in about a mile and a half radius.
“I felt like I wanted to create my own community, because that (connecting to students) was my favorite part about teaching,” said Foster.
While having the studio was convenient for Foster and her husband, a more prominent reason fueled her desire to open in Mission Hill.
“(We were) really looking at neighborhoods that didn’t have a yoga studio,” said Foster. “We opened prior to COVID, so there (were) even more studios back in 2018. Mission Hill was an area that we thought we could hopefully help bring yoga to.”
Soon after opening, the pandemic swept through the nation and many businesses suffered. For fitness studios, Foster said funding was almost non-existent, unless it was a corporate chain.
“Those (small) businesses, including ours, almost everybody (is a) 1099 contractors, so PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) wasn’t an option. All the businesses that got money from the government to keep employees on payroll had to be W2 employees, not 1099.”
For Mission Hill Yoga, not being able to have an in-person connection with their community was a separate obstacle.
“In the news they talked about restaurants not being able to open, but the difference was, restaurants could do takeout,” she said. “But fitness studios and gyms – we weren’t easy. So there (were) … almost two seasons that we physically weren’t even able to be open.”
While many studios pivoted to teaching classes online, people quickly grew tired of the repetitive and disconnected nature of Zoom.
The community rallied to help. The Tobin Community Center helped host classes outside during summer, and Mission Hill Main Streets bought the studio’s gift cards to generate revenue. “I think the community was a big part of why we stayed,” said Foster.
The studio’s community focus is reflected in the space, with grand abstract murals covering the walls.
“We wanted to include local artists where we could, because ultimately, that was a big part of the vision we had,” said Foster. “It feels like an extension of the area.”
Dianysa Serrano, yoga instructor and part-time astrology reader, discovered the studio during the pandemic.
“It was one of the only studios that was open, so I started going there for my personal practice, and that’s what made me fall in love,” said Serrano. “Honestly, I think it’s the people more than anything.”
As a student at the studio for about two years, Serrano was invited to join Foster’s teacher training program. Afterward, she quit her job and completely switched careers.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to start (teaching) and kind of transition into that, so I know I’m lucky in that aspect,” she said. “I think a lot of teachers really struggle to get their first couple gigs.”
For many chain-yoga establishments — the relationship between the instructors and the students can feel transactional. However, at Mission Hill Yoga, students are the top priority.
“I think when you either read the reviews on our Google or … talk to anybody who comes here, we make it a point to be extremely welcoming, especially for new people,” said Foster. “Here we made sure that the teachers are the ones who check people in.”
Serrano said she believes the tight-knit environment of the studio adds to its appeal.
“Cassandra as an owner is amazing. She’s down to earth, she’s relatable. She reflects a lot of the community like being a POC (Person of Color) woman,” she said. “Little things like that make a difference.”
Grace Frommelt, a Boston Medical Center employee and graduate student, is new to the studio, and already feels the family bond between the instructors and students.
“I’ve really enjoyed it because it’s so small, and I feel like the instructors are able to spend more time with the students,” said Frommelt. “I’ve been to all the big chain studios and they pack you in. Whereas here, the instructors really take the time to make sure you’re comfortable, and make sure you have everything you need.”
Not only does the studio offer a variety of classes, but they offer students the ability to join their favorite instructors on a retreat to worldwide bucket-list locations.
For those who are teetering back and forth on whether or not to try yoga, Foster quoted the neon sign hanging on one of the walls that reads, “just do it.”
Eva Mazzara is a student in the Boston University Journalism program. This story is a partnership between The Boston Sun and the Boston University Journalism program.