Nestled in Aquebogue steps east of Route 105, hidden gem The Stretch Garden promotes self-care and wellness not just for adults, but for children and teens, too.

Understanding the power of self-care, mother-and-son team Carissa Kretschmer and her son Nicholas Kretschmer have created a wellness studio that warmly invites you and your crew in to make you feel well physically and mentally.

“Teaching the value of self-care in our families, especially our children, is one of the tools that they can take with them through their lives. Practices that encourage health, relaxation, and non-medical healing for active individuals, especially children and teens, protect the body and mind. Instilling this type of self-care at a young age provides a foundation for lifelong health, positive body image, and a confidence that everyone appreciates,” Carissa shared with us in a recent interview.

“Teaching our children that allowing your muscles to heal is just as important as strengthening them is invaluable for a lifetime of health. It allows them to feel empowered and positive about their physical being. The Stretch Garden is an ideal space for that. We don’t focus on beauty; we focus on feeling incredible, and that is something everyone can achieve,” she added.

The Stretch Garden offers assisted stretch therapy, a 40° cold plunge, with or without coaching, an infrared sauna, a salt room, with or without infused CBD, full-spectrum light therapy, and a compression chair, all to foster wellness and promote health.

Families can utilize The Stretch Garden in a variety of ways, but depending on what you are hoping to accomplish for your child, Carissa and Nicholas can suggest a curated approach.

“We would recommend the sauna, cold plunge, and stretch for kids who are athletes trying to stay on top of their sport, and to aid in recovery and rehabilitation,” they said.

The assisted stretch is a 45-55-minute-long service where a stretch therapist works through a series of stretches on the body while all muscles are completely relaxed. Kids or parents can relax in a peaceful, dedicated area within view of the stretching tables while the other is being stretched.

“You can think of it as yoga being done for you with zero effort on your part. The difference between a yoga class and an assisted stretch session is that, while in a yoga position, you are using so many different muscles to support your weight that it compromises your stretch, so you won't get everything you can out of it. When we are completely relaxed, we can get a much deeper, more meaningful stretch that leaves us feeling amazing at the end of the session.”

“For kids who struggle with acne, allergies, and seasonal depression, we would recommend full-spectrum light therapy and the salt room,” Nicholas and Carissa shared.

“When you think of a salt room, you may think of cold salt under your feet, a dark cave-like room with lit-up salt all around you. All of those features are just for aesthetics and to please the mind. Our salt room is a bright, relaxing room with comfortable lounge chairs and weighted blankets, accompanied by a hot tea at your side to sip. Salt therapy, or ‘Halo therapy,’ clears out your passageways because it is an antiseptic, so it prevents the growth of disease-causing microorganisms. People often find themselves coming out of the salt room feeling like they can take deeper and clearer breaths. It is the ultimate relaxation room to ease your mind and body.”

“We’ve had a mother and son bond over their cold plunges, encouraging each other to reach their goals in healing and mental willpower,” Nicholas told us. “A grandmother brought her granddaughter for a sauna, stretch, and salt room to prepare her for an upcoming dance competition. They went through each service together so they could spend as much time as possible with each other.”

The Kretschmers have always woven restorative healing into their family, values, and lifestyle. They founded The Stretch Garden just over one year ago after a family ski and snowboarding trip in Colorado.

“While on a family vacation in Breckenridge, Colorado, I had gone snowboarding for the first time and was so sore from the mountain, so the two of us put some ottomans together as a makeshift table,” said Nicholas. “My mom, Carissa, had been a stretch therapist for a long time at this point, so she was happy to give me a stretch after a long day of falls on the mountain. After the stretch, the whole family was relaxing by a fire, and we were thinking how wonderful this service would be at the bottom of the mountain in town.”

“It’s always been a dream to open a healing spa and lean into destressing, relaxing, and making people feel amazing in their self-care. So we hit the ground running as soon as we got back to Long Island, and nine months later, we were open with clients. Between my mom’s expertise in the health and wellness field and my education in business, it came together perfectly,” he added.

Anything but clinical, the space at The Stretch Garden feels instantly nourishing and restorative with warm lighting and natural materials throughout. From the warmed hand towels to the tea and lemon water to the ritual of swapping out your street shoes for slippers, there are so many tiny details that make The Stretch Garden extraordinary.

“We want the world to disappear as you walk toward the wealth of self-care we have to offer,” said Carissa. “The scent of calming incense drifting from room to room and the touch of easy music on the ears is meant to relax you from the very moment the door closes behind you.”

She added, “Creating a space where a mom can relax in a sauna alone peacefully, or a young teen can recover while being stretched after playing sports each day. Seeing generations of families using our therapies to revitalize their bodies so they can be lively and present for their families and loved ones is an actual dream come true.”

The Stretch Garden is located at 189 Main Road in Aquebogue. It is currently open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Fridays from noon to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Stretch Garden is closed on Sunday and Monday. Learn about The Stretch Garden’s complete offerings and book an appointment here.

Self-care for the whole family found at The Stretch Garden

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