Our Team
Jen Murray, owner
Hi - I’m Jen, my passion has always been to bring people together so they feel taken care of. I love that I get to bring people together through smart, functional and fun movement.
I began as a mom working to do better and be better for my family. I found a free yoga class or maybe it found me. When I practiced I felt supported, healthy and I let my life fill up with purpose. I knew I had to teach this amazing practice because it offered me so much. Ultimately, it has changed my life. Like most things my practice has evolved a bit to include forms of strength, stability and functional movements as well as hands on assists
Today I am inspired by the strength of the physical body, the resilience of our spirits and the deep power of connection in community and my family. We have deep roots in Chelmsford and the town sports program. I will do anything for this town to feel healthy and strong. I take pride in walking to my studio, my family being part of bringing this dream to life and working to create powerful collaborations. Some say I am tireless in my drive to share wellness and movement. I am still learning how to rest and slow down. I use restorative yoga as my guide.
If you take my class plan on enjoying yourself, learning, working, connecting and restoring your energy because I know this world needs you at your best. If you do the hard part of showing up, I’ll guide you through the rest!
Excited to move and build together,
Jen
Bill Hennigan, instructor
Bill completed his 200 RYT training at LPY, in Lexington. His journey with yoga spans over a decade. In addition to yoga, Bill has engaged in various forms of sports, weight training, and cardiovascular exercises for over half a century.
Yoga entered Bill's life as a means of fostering harmony between his mind and body. It served as a tool for self-compassion, enabling him to appreciate the incredible feats his body had accomplished, even when his mind seemed to have a mind of its own. Bill's body consistently responded to the demands placed upon it by his mind, which inspired him to treat both his body and himself with kindness.
Yoga, with its profound philosophies and supportive community, played a pivotal role in Bill's personal growth journey. It has empowered him to become an improved version of himself. Bill is eager to share his profound reasons for embracing yoga. Having lived on this planet for more than 64 years, he finds immense value in his continued presence, and to him, that is truly a blessing.
Jen Geller, instructor
After working as a physical therapist for more than 20 years, Jen took the leap into yoga teacher training and has been teaching yoga ever since. Jen draws upon her knowledge of the body to create safe, thoughtful and balanced sequences with attention to proper alignment and body mechanics. Her classes will focus on moving mindfully through strong, controlled transitions and postures. Jen strives to make her classes accessible to everyone who walks through the door, from newcomers to seasoned practitioners. As a firm believer in the mind/body connection, Jen will sprinkle in yogic themes and philosophies into her teaching. She wants her students to benefit from the beauty and magic of yoga~ how we can take it with us, off the mat and into our daily lives. Jen is on the faculty of area Yoga Teacher Training programs and loves to share her understanding of anatomy, functional movement, and injury prevention. Jen is thrilled to be a part of this Yoga on Central team and can't wait to start building community here.
Fun Fact: Having adopted their youngest daughter through the foster care system, Jen and her husband Dave started Maddie’s Mission, a non-profit.
Lynne Dicristina, instructor
Lynne started practicing yoga in a church basement in 2000. She went for the exercise but was pleasantly surprised by the spiritual and emotional benefits of her practice. Lynne became a regular practitioner and in 2002 she discovered Vinyasa style yoga, and was hooked. In 2011 Lynne completed her 200 hour teacher training with Rolf Gates and she became a certified yoga teacher. Lynne has participated in Master classes with Natasha Rizoupolous, Keric Morinaga and Darby Orr to name a few, and she’s taught at many of the area studios.
Lynne teachers Vinyasa yoga, and strive to teach classes that are lively, balanced and fun with a focus on creating an individual practice. Lots of modifications are offered and students are encouraged to be in tune with their own bodies. My philosophy is best summed up by a quote from my teacher trainer, Rolf Gates:
“Yoga is not a work out, but a work in. And this is the point of a spiritual practice. To make us teachable, to open up our hearts, and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know, and be who we are already are."
Lorraine Shedoudi, instructor
Lorraine is Founder of” the Gratitude Adjustment” and creator of LPY yoga alliance 200 & 300 hour level Teacher Trainings. Lorraine is a reiki master and masterful meditation teacher.
When are with you can feel her warm presence and you can’t help but leave her feeling lighter, more connected and you get a sense of belonging.
Watch the schedule for her trainings, teachings and efforts in fundraising for JDRF. Each year she creates a community fundraising event to raise money for TD1 research. December 29th (her birthday) we polar plunge into Walden pond to raise money and awareness….join us (link)
Lorraine is secretly(not so secret for those that love her) competitive and equally supportive in watching you win.
One of her favorite things that I love and have learned from her is that she believes “we rise by lifting others”.
Kathy Otto, instructor
Kathy was introduced to yoga by a great friend, Jennifer Murray, in 2012, as she was looking to find relief from some minor discomfort due to many years of strenuous workouts. She quickly learned that the practice of yoga was so much more than just physical or about being “flexible” but it’s about the connection of the body, mind and spirt. This for her was life changing.
A graduate of both Fluid Yoga Teacher Training in 2018 for her200-hour and a graduate of Lexington Power Yoga in 2020 for her 300-hour Advance Teacher Training, Kathy presently holds a RYT 500 certificate. Both being Vinyasa- based practices.
Furthering her desire to deepen her knowledge as well as stay current with the newer teachings, she has completed several other workshops.
Her desire to help her students comes through in her teaching by helping to remind them to take time to slow down, nurture themselves and reduce stress, ultimately leading to overall better health - both physically and mentally. Her strong commitment to the longevity of her own ability to be athletic can be felt though her understanding of proper alignment-based practice.
Kathy teaches Vinyasa flow, Gentle flow and Restorative styles of yoga and is adept at and enjoys teaching all levels.
Mehr Lee, instructor
Hey! I'm Mehr and I'm so excited to start teaching at Yoga on Central! Yoga has always been a part of my life, but I never set foot in a studio or participated in any formal classes until well into adulthood when Jen convinced me to join her. Under her wing, I went on to complete my 200 teacher training at LPY. Teaching is amazing, but what I love about yoga is that you are always a student, always learning more.
My classes will focus around functional movement through vinyasa and power flow. Teaching all levels, I love to make sure people understand that yoga is for everybody and every body. I like to weave self-compassion, strength, mindfulness, and confident movement into all of my classes. Restorative is also a favorite of mine. I hope to offer workshops in the future that will incorporate movement, meditation, community discussion and journaling.
That leads to another little fun fact about me. I'm the writer behind the blog, Raise Her Wild. I'm a passionate and emotional writer. The aim of my blog is to inspire, acknowledge, and empower people in all stages of growth. My writing and yoga teaching is so intertwined as I've found in both, a way to connect and empower others through my words. I can't wait to start this journey with all of you. Let's just show up as we are, and see where this can take us!
Jenna Newcomb, instructor
"Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them."
Jenna resonates with the writings of Tibetan Buddhist practitioners Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Pea Chödrön. Their vulnerability as they detail their experience with anxiety helped Jenna feel seen and gave her the strength to lean into the anxiety she experiences. Their guidance on working through and meditating on intense emotions has allowed Jenna to find the inner resilience necessary to make peace with her anxiety. Because of this, she wants to cultivate a safe space in her yoga classes for others who struggle with anxiety and hopes her vulnerability can help others.
Jenna inconsistently practiced yoga and meditation for years before fully embracing the practice. In 2022, she met Kathy Otto when a life-changing event brought her back to the mat. Kathy's yoga class became a place of love and support for Jenna while she rediscovered her self-worth. Kathy's warmth and kindness inspired Jenna to help others just as Kathy had done for her.
Jenna has personally experienced the benefit of living a life embracing all eight limbs of yoga. Because of this, she also incorporates pranayama and meditation practices into her yoga asana classes.
Jenna has completed her 200HR training with the Fluid Yoga School. She is also reiki attuned and certified in Healing Yoga. She continues deepening her meditation practice and would like to host meditation retreats.