Exclusive | Meet the NYC yogi who legally has to live in St. Marks Studio

This yogi has taken nama-staying at home seriously.

While most people wouldn’t dream of sleeping in the office or welcoming strangers and celebrities into their homes every day, Alex Schatzberg does—because he legally has to.

The longtime East Villager signed a rare live-work contract in 2017, which requires him to run a business out of the space to allow him to call it home.

So the New Vibe Yoga studio, on the top floor of the 1833 townhouse at 9 St. Marks Place, is where he lays his head during the day and rests his head at night.

“Honestly, it’s a dream to live here,” the 37-year-old told The Post of the space, which also serves as a boutique and art gallery along with offering daily yoga classes — often frequented by the likes of Alan Cumming.

It might seem strange that Schatzberg likes to live where he works, but maybe you’ll change your mind once you climb the spiral wooden staircase in Unit 4 – which is exactly what he wants you to do.

“When you walk into the building and first go through the stairs, you’ve already made this 360-degree shift with energy,” the yogi said.

The front door opens to a bright, 1,600-square-foot space that looks more like a cabin in the Catskills than a Manhattan apartment.

The open-concept area is covered in reclaimed wood with oak floors, pine plank walls, a ceiling supported by rare wooden beams and mahogany and white pine ceilings – used as kitchen counters, a control desk and teaching position. Schatzberg.

Bathed in natural light streaming through the skylights, large windows partially shaded by trees growing inside and outside help block out the noise and chaotic energy of St. Marks the place to allow a quiet space.

Much of the space acts as a yoga studio, allowing up to 25 people to set up their mats and be guided by Schatzberg or other members of his small team. When the class is not in session, the space remains physically empty, but the creative energy flows.

Take a few more steps inside and the classic red-brick walls give way to a fireplace where Schatzberg has placed a wood-burning stove, just opposite a barely visible door that leads to his private sanctuary—his bedroom.

In keeping with the rustic aesthetic of the rest of the country, the bedroom’s wooden walls are decorated with colorful pieces of art created by his friend Eugene Gregan, some of which can be seen in the front of the boutique where Schatzberg sells yoga gear with printed illustrations.

Gregan’s work is featured throughout the studio, including giant bouquets of fresh flowers from his upstairs garden that stand several feet tall.

But the long bouquets are just a hint of what awaits yoga students and other visitors.

Schatzberg has created a beautiful garden oasis on his private outdoor rooftop patio, filled with lush greenery and fruit trees, where people can sit, breathe and pick a peach in the 15 minutes before or after class.

Classes are not held outdoors, but those who book a private lesson with Schatzberg can take advantage of the hidden outdoor shower.

“Everything in life is like a yin yang. There is a positive side and there is a negative side to everything,” he said. “But away from me, [living in his studio] it’s mostly a plus.”

“I’m never lonely and I can always count on someone coming here and being excited to see me. Every day someone comes to see me and they’re coming to see me because I made them feel good the last time they saw me,” Schatzberg said.

“I don’t think many people can say that. So it’s really powerful.”

But there are times when solitude would be appreciated.

Schatzberg has a few hours to herself between classes each day, but only closes the studio about one or two days a year.

“On the downside, they’re coming to your house every day and I’m human, too,” Schatzberg said.

But its organization is nothing new. At the end of the month, the small business owner will celebrate the 10th anniversary of New Vibe Yoga.

It has been able to maintain its unique tenancy thanks to its owner, Charles FitzGerald, who bought the building in 1967 and has worked to preserve the artistic energy of the East Village.

The laid-back space might seem out of place sitting above Sing Sing Karaoke and the other funky, lively energy in St. Louis. Marks Place — one of the most fun streets in the world — but Schatzberg thinks his Ashtanga yoga studio fits the bill.

“It’s the center of the counterculture movement in New York, and yoga is a counterculture movement,” he said.