When the Maplewood fitness center where Mindy Catron, Tara Roscioli and Gwen Swanson Vigorito taught Pilates closed unexpectedly last fall, the instructors and their clients found themselves suddenly scrambling.
Owners of Align Wellness Studio: Gwen Swanson Vigorito, Mindy Catron and Tara Roscioli
Over the years, Catron said she and her fellow fitness enthusiasts had built a strong and steady following, one that seemed poised to evaporate literally overnight. When their devotees enthusiastically encouraged them to find a new space and continue training, they were intrigued but a bit skeptical.
“We were teaching clients in their homes, in our homes,” Catron recalls. “We were doing everything we could to keep them going and ourselves going. I’m not sure that initially any of us had thought about going out on our own except that clients were coming to us and saying, ‘You need to do something!’”
Through what the business owners describe as a “series of miracles,” they were able to find the perfect space to establish their new venture. Located at 10 E. Willow St. in Millburn, Align Wellness Studio’s name is infused with meaning. Referring to the studio’s holistic approach to wellness, it’s also nod to the way everything “aligned” to such a degree that the group was able to open its new home within just two months.
“The three of us banded together and hit the ground running,” Catron explains. “Sprinting might be more like it.”
The flurry of activity was overwhelming but welcome, the owners agree, as it didn’t allow any time for second-guessing.
“We wondered if we could afford to do it. But we were at a point where we couldn’t afford not to. We thought, ‘Let’s just do it and we’ll make it happen,’” Catron says. “And we’ve been here a year. We made it!”
Over the past 12 months, which the owners describe as both exciting and hectic, the trio never found the time to enjoy an official grand opening.
“We feel like we’re still catching our breath,” Catron laughs.
On Thursday, Oct. 2, the entrepreneurs will finally celebrate the fruits of their labor. In honor of its one year anniversary, Align will host an open house from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Guests will have an opportunity to meet the owners and instructors, tour the studio, enjoy refreshments and learn more about the services Align offers. Adding to the fun, the studio’s neighbor So.i.Heard, located just across the driveway, will provide musical entertainment.
“We’re thinking of it as a block party,” Catron jokes.
While Align is first and foremost a Pilates studio, several other practices are available on premises as well, including massage and acupuncture.
“We all have other things that we teach and that we draw upon,” Catron says. “We do quite a bit of cardio. Gwen does something called LaBarre. Yoga is something that’s still relatively new to our list of offerings. We’re adding two instructors and we’re trying to build a kids yoga program.”
Roscioli, a board certified Holistic Health Coach and the owner of Highway 2 Well, located inside the studio, says she looks forward to providing a healthy after-school activity for young children that serves as an alternative to gymnastics.
“It’s nice to get them focused and breathing and sort of working with their bodies in a different way. Maybe one day we’ll do parent-child yoga,” she notes.
When asked what separates Align from its competitors, Catron shares what the studio’s clients have told her is the real difference.
“One woman said to me, ‘I’ve lived here for years and I’ve tried everything and nothing fit. What you girls do with Pilates feels good.’ We just try to work smarter and safer,” the instructor says. “There are a lot of fitness fads out there, and not that any of it is bad, but they’re just not for all bodies.”
Roscioli, who works with clients overcoming injuries, adds that she and her colleagues fine-tune sessions to meet the needs of each individual.
“We look at them not as students but as clients,” she says. “We’re invested in them. We really go above and beyond to educate ourselves, like ‘Ok, how am I going to increase their mobility?’ We don’t just use the Pilates tools we’re given. We go those extra couple of steps.”
Swanson Vigorito says the open communication and sharing of ideas among the group is another great benefit to clients.
“Group class are purposely small so the instructor can teach to the bodies that are there and not just lead the class, barking out orders,” Catron adds. “In order to properly teach a class that will really help, we keep them smaller.”
Align is open seven days a week. For more information, to view a schedule of offerings, or to RSVP to the anniversary celebration, visit Align’s website, call 973.376.4166, or email info@align-wellness-studio.com.
