Community yoga is back at Chester Town Hall, and instructor Annette Babek would like to stress that this is truly yoga for everybody, and every body. The class is low key, relaxed, and inviting, with a variety of modifications to suit any practice.

Babek focuses on joining breath with movement, and classes are not just about gaining flexibility.

“Sometimes we might focus on specific poses, or moving through poses,” said Babek. “Other times there might be a theme to the class, a focus on a certain concern like balance, sleep, blood pressure, or fibromyalgia.

“There are a lot of different conditions that yoga can make a difference to,” continued Babek.

Each class begins with a meditation, and can include chanting, or working on poses in a group setting with laughter and light conversation. The classes can include some vinyasa yoga—a practice that flows more quickly through poses—but are largely more hatha-focused, where work is done moving from pose to pose, focusing on form.

The class is attended by anywhere from 2 to 24 people on any given night.

“It’s a mix of people from the community,” said Babek. “We have seniors, firemen, accountants, engineers. It’s really well supported.

“I want people to see that they can do things that they thought they can’t,” continued Babek. “I want to remove some of the stigmas that come with yoga, and show that there really is a yoga practice for every body. At any point in someone’s life, whether they’re just starting, have an injury, or have health issues, yoga speaks in different ways.

The hour-long yoga class takes place Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m. in the Chester Community Room Second Floor and will run through May. There is a $10 drop-in fee on a class by class basis. For more information, contact Chester Park & Recreation Director Elizabeth Neisch at Town Hall, or contact Babek through the Yoga in Chester Facebook page.