A Message from Our Founder, Elisa Chen

As a wife and mother of 2 children, Sebastian and Keira, I know the challenges that parents face, not only providing their children with quality programsbut also in juggling the demands of our various activities at an affordable price. It was always a difficult decision for me to choose between going to the gym and helping my kids with their daily academic work. Bringing my daughter to her 45-minute art and music classes wasn't satisfying because there was rarely anything (or any time left) for me and my son to enjoy.

Finally, after spending many months of research on how I can make the whole family experience more enriching – I decided to embark on creating a center that would meet the needs of families just like mine – hence, the birth of Body and Mind Builders.

Body and Mind Builders is a place where you can drop off your kids for a child supervision session while you indulge in your own self-enriching class in our multi-level facility.

No more worries about not being able to make it back from a yoga class to pick up your child. At BMB, if your class runs longer than your child's class, we will keep them busy until your session ends. So relax, take that extra long breath at the end of your session.

Elisa Chen has a BS in Accounting and a MBA in Finance and Management, both from NYU. She's worked in the corporate world for the past 12 years until she was laid off in 2008 – a radical change which took her by surprise, but which has turned out to be a change for the better. She's more focused on her children and feels more empowered to shape her own life. She has come to realize how much the corporate culture she worked in for so long has drained her of her own morals and values and how little time she really had for her own mental and physical growth and well-being. Body and Mind Builders was founded so that families could spend more time together doing all of the things that they enjoy.

Our Mission

A Holistic Approach to Meeting Your Family's Needs

Body and Mind Builders is a wellness and learning center for people of all ages located in the heart of Tribeca in New York City. We cater to the needs of the busy family — providing academic enrichment classes, child supervision, after school and summer programs for children ages 3 through 12 years of age, as well as classes in yoga, pilates, and meditation for adults.

An Eco-Friendly Center that Meets the Needs of Both Parents and Children

Now you needn't choose between time with the kids and time for yourself. At BMB, you can both indulge in rewarding activities simultaneously.

We're open 7 days a week, offering your children an academically challenging program that includes classes such as math, reading and Mandarin. Private tutors are also available.

For adults, we offer classes in yoga and pilates mat that are donation-based.  Please visit our affiliate Do Yoga Do Pilates for more details.

As a family center concentrating on your well-being, we are firmly dedicated to providing the safest and cleanest environment for you and your family. We've carried this concept throughout the center's construction using:

• Zero VOC paint
• Recycled wood furniture and fixtures
• Bamboo floors throughout
• CF lighting
• Energy star appliances
• Low flush toilets
• Recycled paper used throughout
• All natural cleaners
• Filtered water available for free refills
• Although, we've tried to incorporate green technology wherever possible, we'd love to hear your thoughts on how we might make further improvements.

It's important to us that we teach our children the importance of taking care of the earth by being a good example. To that end, we've also taken great time and care in selecting the products that are sold at our retail boutique.