Socializing in a healthy way with Devens' free yoga

August 9, 2018 : The Lowell Sun, by Kori Tuitt

DEVENS -- Summer is the time of year to savor the warmest days. And sometimes that means rolling out your yoga mat in the grass.

This is the way many are winding down on Wednesday evenings, thanks to the program Yoga on Rogers, which launched last summer.

MassDevelopment collaborated with Dragonfly Wellness Center in Devens to offer free yoga for the community for eight weeks this summer at Rogers Field, located at 37 Buena Vista St. The classes take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday through the end of August.

Anne Ferguson is the owner of Dragonfly Wellness Center, which is providing the yoga instructors for the program. She said interest in the classes have grown from up to about 50 people per class last summer, to about 150 people this time around.

"It's a really nice feeling to have everybody together down there and everybody is very excited about it and grateful to be doing it on such a beautiful field," Ferguson said. "I think it is important because it's bringing the community together so people can just share the time with each other and just get to know each other."

Kim Walsh, the recreation program manager in Devens, said they look to craft programs designed to bring the small, intimate community of Devens together in the great outdoors.

"I think the biggest give back, aside from the health aspects of yoga, is it gets people out of the house. It gets people socializing," Walsh said. "It's been a really great experience for me."

And people of all ages and levels of yoga can participate.

Ferguson said she has seen children as young as 7 participating in the classes with their parents and even met someone who was 86 at the classes.

"It's a great program that allows us to bring together the residential community, the employees that work in Devens and visitors," said MassDevelopment Marketing Director Brenda Doherty. "These types of programs are cropping up everywhere and we just thought it was a natural for Devens."

Because the field is so large and a portable sound system is set up for the classes, a large number of people can comfortably attend. There is one lead instructor and two more who walk around during the classes, helping participants with their form.

Attendees are recommended to bring their own yoga mat, water and sunscreen or bug spray to the classes.

The last day for Yoga on Rogers is Wednesday, Aug. 29.

To register for the class, visit cm.massdevelopment.com/h/d/AA19153DA7E18090.