About Us

The Y-Stretch Studio is a cozy inviting studio located on the 2nd floor, #205, at the Superdome in Waldwick NJ. On site parking is available and there’s an elevator in the lobby.  

We offer small in-person classes with adjustments and individual attention by experienced instructors.  Our instructors come from a range of backgrounds and disciplines, making Y-Stretch Studio a diverse collective of expertise to nurture your practice and be your best self.

Meet Our Teachers

Candy Ruitenburg

Position:Teacher
Experience:Teaching since 2010
Biography:
I have been doing yoga for at least twenty years. In 2009 a teacher training with Yoga Synthesis perked my interest. There’s been no turning back. I was offered a class to teach at Yoga Synthesis and then a second class. Still teaching all these years later thanks to a start with Raji and Rose at Yoga Synthesis. Gentle and stretching yoga is what speaks to me most. I trained in Yin yoga and loved that too. I have been a nurse for forty years. My background in anatomy and physiology has helped me understand and cue the poses. When my children were in high school they knew when I needed a yoga class. They would say, “Mom you seem stressed, you need yoga.” I honestly have always felt better after every class.

Kelly Solloway

Position:Teacher
Experience:Teaching since 2005
Biography:
Kelly Solloway: I took my first yoga class when I was 16. I was fortunate that yoga was introduced in my high school way back in 1983! One of my high school teachers introduced me to the practice and some of the classic eastern philosophical texts. It turned out that it would be another 17 years until I attended another yoga class, but my interest and study in eastern philosophy and thought continued. It was only after a few weeks of starting to practice hatha yoga, the physical practice of yoga, at a gym, that I started to realize yoga wasn’t just a physical pursuit, but had intellectual, spiritual and philosophical components as well. It was a feeling of “aha!” and also a feeling of relief. Yoga is holistic and embodies body, mind and spirit. I knew right away that I needed to learn more. I graduated from my first teacher training in 2004. After a couple of years of teaching part time it became apparent that I had to figure out a way to make this full time and leave my regular job. In 2008 I graduated from massage school, quit my job, crossed my fingers (and toes) and started on a new adventure. I have since taken many trainings and workshops and although I am a yoga teacher I still consider that secondary to being a student of yoga. In 2018 my first book was published, The Yoga Anatomy Coloring Book. This book is an Amazon #1 Bestseller, and was great fun to write. So much so, when my publisher asked for a second book, I jumped at the chance and Pose by Pose was published in 2020. Kelly Solloway is an E-RYT 500 YACEP Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher; a Licensed Massage Therapist, and the Author of The Yoga Anatomy Coloring Book and Pose by Pose.

Jennifer Coan

Position:Manager
Experience:Teaching yoga since 2000
Biography:
Jennifer began her yoga journey in 1995 when she booked a vacation to de-stress based on price and location only. She was very surprised to arrive at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram on Paradise Island in the Bahamas where guests were expected to participate in 3 hours of yoga and 2 hours of meditation each day. One week there forever changed her being and began her transformation towards flexibility. She then began a home practice. After 2 years of practicing the class she learned at the ashram she was finally able to touch her toes for the first time! Five years later she became a yoga teacher and by 2005 teaching yoga was her full time job. She has 200 hour certifications From Integral Yoga and Yoga Synthesis. A 300 hour Certification for Advanced Yoga from Yoga Synthesis. She has also completed the Yamuna Body Rolling Certification and is a NJ licensed massage therapist.

Sylvia Epstein

Position:Yoga Nidra Guide
Experience:Practicing yoga since 2009, 200 hour Yoga Synthesis Teacher Training, Energy Medicine Yoga & Divine Sleep
Biography:
Sylvia has been practicing yoga since 2009.  A friend introduced her to her first yoga class which she found quite difficult. She recalls “the teacher said downward dog is your ‘resting pose’ and I thought that was crazy”. But by time the session reached savasana the whole experience had come together and she was hooked. She earned her 200 hour teacher certification through the Yoga Synthesis Teacher Training Program with Raji Thron.   As a health care worker during the pandemic Sylvia recognized the value and roles various yoga practices could provide by creating space for resilience to life’s challenges.  This has led her on the path to become an Energy Medicine Yoga® teacher and Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra guide, utilizing these powerful tools for healing and deep relaxation.  She is a strong believer in the power of Yoga Nidra to reduce stress and anxiety, and to promote calmness that offers many benefits including better sleep.  When she’s not on her mat, Sylvia loves to travel and spend time with her family, opening her heart and mind to new experiences.

Karen Overgaard

Position:Easy Stretch Teacher
Biography:
Karen is a Registered Yoga Teacher and member of the Yoga Alliance, she has embraced the profound connection between mind, body, and spirit. Completing her 200-hour certification in 2010, it has served as a foundation for delving deeper into specialized areas of yoga. From certifications in Children's yoga to yoga for cancer patients, trauma, addiction, and even Yoga for Veterans with PTSD, she has honed her skills to address diverse needs. She has done a lot of volunteering teaching yoga in hospital settings and has seen how beneficial breathing and stretching can be. Additionally, she has witnessed how much better everyone feels after a good stretch. No one realizes what needs to be stretched until they do it! Additionally, she is certified in Y12SR (Yoga 12-Step Recovery). In my private sessions and group classes, including family yoga and sessions for those with special needs, she creates a nurturing space for individuals to find solace, strength, and growth through the practice of yoga. Prior to her yoga training Karen was in the world of nursing. With over 35 years of clinical experience, she has dedicated her life to the field of holistic nursing. From her early days as a primary care nurse in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics to recent endeavors in a Midwifery practice, she has witnessed the transformative power of holistic care and practices. In 2006, she embarked on a path that would deepen her understanding of energy healing. she became a Reiki Master, unlocking the ability to channel healing energy to support the well-being of individuals. Alongside providing Reiki sessions to adults and children, she also contributes her time and skills as a volunteer in hospital settings. Guiding others on their journey, she take immense joy in training individuals to become Reiki Practitioners, spreading the gift of healing to the world.

Raji Thron

Position:Sound Bath Guide
Biography:
Raji is the co-owner of Yoga Synthesis Online and Program Director of YS Teacher Trainings. He is registered with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT-500, lead trainer and continuing education provider and certified through International Association of Yoga Therapists (CIAYT) as a Yoga therapist. Raji has studied extensively and directly with well-known teachers from prominent Hatha Yoga lineages including: Pattabhi Jois and Richard Freeman in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Dharma Mittra in Shivananda Yoga/ Dharma Yoga, Aadil Palkivala and others in Iyengar Yoga, Gary Kraftsow and Fran Ubertini in Krishnamacharya Yoga, John Friend in Anusara Yoga, Ravi Singh and others in Kundalini Yoga, and Glenn Black at the Omega Institute. He has taken teacher trainings at The Colorado Yoga Institute, The Santa Barbara Yoga Center (with Erich Schiffmann), The White Lotus Foundation (with Ganga White and Tracy Rich), the original Yoga Works in Santa Monica (with Maty Ezraty, Chuck Miller and others), and Yoga Centers in Bellevue Washington (with Aadil Palkivala). Raji’s passion for the integration of different methods and styles allows him to express creativity and engage in open exploration using dynamic flowing movement to passive poses and active holds with alignment and props. His depth of knowledge of various practices and the creative combination of them has led him to be known as a leader in innovative and creatively inspired Hatha Yoga. Raji applies his creative spirit in the areas of breathwork, energy awareness and meditative practice with continual practice and study in various meditative and contemplative traditions. The Yoga Synthesis method is a culmination and integration of all that he has learned and explored. Raji has written three books: Mastering Vinyasa Yoga, One Breath, and The Complete Guide to Gentle Yoga which are all available on Amazon.