Only a few, however, provide top-notch teaching and therapeutic massage along with a pleasant ambiance and friendly staff. The Birchwood Center, directed by Charlene Bradin and Betsy Ceva, manages all these niceties and more.

Starting in 1995 in their Upper Nyack apartment on Birchwood Avenue, Ceva gave Hatha yoga classes in the living room while Bradin used a second bedroom for deep tissue Swedish massage. Word spread, and in 1998 the pair moved to a sunny studio overlooking the Hudson in South Nyack. Bradin’s steady business hand has guided the Center to its present size of two studios, three massage therapy rooms and a boutique stocked with chic yoga wear and quality gift items to soothe the soul.

What makes Birchwood truly special, however, is its wealth of teachers combined with a welcoming atmosphere for every level of student. With twelve certified teachers and six licensed massage therapists, there’s a style and touch to suit everyone. “We want to make things comfortable,” says Ceva, “we want it to feel safe for people to come and explore what might be a new way of being for them.” To that end, Bradin and Ceva offer a schedule of beginning, intermediate and advanced classes, as well as free early morning meditation, an annual teacher training program, Gentle Yoga (for seniors and special needs), Yoga for Kids (6-13), and workshops ranging from Sanskrit Studies to Building a Home Practice. They’ve also hosted book signings, lectures and the popular Playback Theater (stories told by the audience are translated into movement by experienced dancer/actors).

Ceva, a former modern dancer, describes Birchwood as a place to “go beyond the asanas,” meaning the focus is as much on the inner self as on the body. “This is not an exercise studio,” she says, smiling, “but a place to find balance.”

And it’s right here in our backyard.

Birchwood Center, 85 South Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960 (845) 358-6409, www.birchwoodcenter.com