Chatham Yoga Center
3 Railroad Avenue, Chatham
(917) 981-9867 | Chathamyogacenter.com
When Rachel Wood first tried yoga in the late ‘90s, she hated it. “It seemed boring and I didn’t like the style,” she says. “But I didn’t even know there were different styles.” Five years later, she took a chance on another class, and her life and career were transformed.
In 2024, after 15 years as a teacher, Wood founded Chatham Yoga Studio on that core principle of discovery. “You have to go through several teachers and styles to find the right combination that works for you,” she says. “That’s when Yoga finally clicks and it can work for you.”
Diversity is baked into the studio’s offerings. Every week, its 12 highly experienced teachers offer more than 20 different classes to meet the needs of students of all fitness levels and stages of life.
For those seeking an approachable entry point, Conscious Yoga draws on the tradition of Viniyoga, a highly personalized style that focuses on attuning breath to movement for increased strength and ease. Yin Yoga invites students to sink into long-held poses for deep relaxation and flexibility through fascial release. For parents, there are four-week Baby/Toddler & Me workshops for navigating the postnatal period, with a class assistant who helps wrangle the little ones. For experienced yogis or athletes, Wood leads Fusion Yoga, a sweat-inducing class that combines Ashtanga Vinyasa poses with energetic pacing.
All of the studio’s classes are also offered online for a $8/class or $50/month for unlimited. “It’s great for winter weather, or maybe you’ve got some time during your kid’s nap,” Wood says. “You never know what’s preventing someone from coming. Offering everything online was always a no-brainer.”
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This article appears in August 2025.
