About Us

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE!!

How can yoga make your life better? Yoga reduces your response to stress while enhancing your physical, mental, and spiritual health. In addition to increasing your flexibility, strength, and balance, your concentration and focus improve as you gain the ability to quiet and calm the mind. Students leave a session with a sense of serenity, well-being, and openness.

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Our classes are designed to accommodate beginning and intermediate students. We also offer prenatal, restorative, Yin, and

Tai Chi Chih classes. We're introducing a brand new series just for kids ages 8 to 13. By exposing school age children to the basic philosophies and beliefs of yoga, combined with the asanas (poses), these classes provide your child with a basic practice that will help them in years to come. Research has shown that meditation, mindfulness, and breathing exercises reduce stress and anxiety for kids and teens, and the physical rewards of exercise are an added bonus!

Please check monthly "Special Classes" on our website for new workshops and other programs.

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Yoga Central is under new ownership as of January 1, 2019. Long-time students, Antonette D'Orazio and Ken Kaufman purchased the studio from Beth Youmans, founder and owner of the studio. Beth offered a variety of classes in a non-judgmental, relaxed atmosphere, led by outstanding, caring instructors. All of our instructors have stayed on. We have also welcomed new teachers into

the Yoga Central family.

We plan to carry on the excellent tradition Beth created.

Teachers & Staff

Becky Moates, CYT

Becky is a certified Soma Yoga Instructor and a Registered Yoga Alliance Teacher. She was introduced to yoga after the birth of her first child and has been teaching since 1999. Since then, Becky has had two more children. She's drawn greatly from her yoga experience to ride the turbulent waves of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. The style of yoga Becky teaches is based in compassion and  awareness. She encourages her students to tune into the wisdom of their own bodies and explore their limits in a gentle and caring approach. Above all, Becky enjoys sharing the joy that comes with aligning body, mind, and spirit through the practice of Hatha Yoga.

Donna Pollin, CYT

Donna is a certified Hatha yoga teacher certified by Yoga Alliance and a Reiki practitioner certified at the master level. She is a graduate of Rutgers University with a B.S. in Chemistry and Nutrition and firmly believes that an understanding of science enhances the belief that life is truly a miracle. For over 20 years she has attended various workshops and trainings on spiritual practice and meditation.  Her path includes seminars with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Carolyn Myss, Don Miguel Ruiz, Brian Weiss among others. Donna has been practicing Reiki for 17 years and incorporates this in her yoga practice. She teaches her classes with a spirit of light heartedness in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. The goal of all her classes is to share the sense of peace and calm she has gained through her practice of yoga, Reiki and meditation.

Jesilyn Ternyik

Jesilyn is a long time Yogini with a passion for Pranayama and Meditation. Her teaching is rooted in Vinyasa with inspiration from her extensive knowledge of Kundalini Yoga (the yoga of awareness) and has evolved to focus on the importance of breath and mindfulness. As an Usui Reiki Master, Jesilyn is in tune with the needs and energy of her students and strives to pass on enthusiasm for the practice by meeting individual student’s where they are. Her passion for healthy living led her to become a holistic health coach after struggling with chronic health issues herself. A natural coach and teacher, her goal is to educate and support others on their own wellness journey. Jesilyn has her 200-hour RYT and is a certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integration Nutrition. In 2019, she plans to work towards her functional medicine certification through

The School for Applied Functional Medicine.

Jesilyn found her life’s work in the holistic medicine field, always expanding her knowledge and sharing it with those who seek it.

Ken Kaufman

 Owner

Ken Kaufman is a local history librarian at the Bridgewater Branch of the Somerset County Library System. He specializes in genealogy and helping people find their roots. A Philadelphia native, he earned a BS degree from The Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from St. Joseph’s University, and an MLS from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Following a decade in banking, Ken has been a librarian for 19 years. He has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and has been a loyal participant in Beth’s Monday night classes at Yoga Central.

Donna McMullin, CYT

Donna is a certified Yoga Alliance Instructor and has been studying yoga for many years. Having personally experienced the transformation of yoga in her own life, Donna structures her classes to facilitate personal growth for her students. Respectful of the individual differences of her students, she scaffolds the physical poses of yoga to make them accessible to all. She also includes breathing and mindfulness exercises that are helpful in counteracting the external stressors of life. Donna encourages students to listen to the wisdom of their own bodies, and to make yoga a personal experience that can be easily integrated within their daily lives. Donna holds degrees in education and library and information science. She views yoga--and humor--as antidotes to many 21st century issues caused by technology in the workplace and in our personal lives.

Kathy Kelly

Yoga became a part of Kathy's wellness program as she met with the challenges of breast cancer in 2008. The discovery led her into learning more about the body and its energy. A Reflexologist since 2004, she also became certified in Qigong Healing, Quantum Touch, and Touch Therapy. Wanting to round out her knowledge of yoga, she became certified in Hatha Yoga, Chair Yoga, and Restorative. It is her intent to show that through a yoga practice, wellness is not a goal, but a continuing journey of self-discovery and self-creation.

Ana Giametta

In August 2008, Ana received her 200-hour yoga teacher certification specializing in Structural Yoga Therapy and the Saraswati River Method from Yoga Loka in Frenchtown, New Jersey. She is registered with Yoga Alliance.

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Ana has been practicing yoga for many years and teaching since 2008.  After decades in the corporate world Ana has found yoga to be the most wonderful gift she can share to bring peace and well being to her life. During her training she became more passionate about yoga and decided to share that passion with as many people as possible.  She believes in the positive and healing benefits of yoga and encourages people to take an attitude of acceptance and relaxation which help us leave behind our need for constant striving and action.

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Ana encourages her students to listen to their bodies, work within their limits, and feel refreshed and relaxed at the end of class. She strives to make her classes a relaxing and nurturing experience by creating an atmosphere of breath and body and humor.

Beth Youmans, PhD, RYT

Former Owner

Kristiana Conti, RYT

Kristiana is a 300-hour registered yoga teacher. Her teaching ranges vinyasa, bikram, and restorative styles but she most enjoys teaching a fusion of many styles to best suit her students. She began practicing yoga in 2008 and received her training at CorePower Yoga in Chicago. Kristiana brings her knowledge, experience, and love of the practice to every class. She strives to leave students feeling connected, inspired, and happy.

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Kristiana now lives in Branchburg with her husband, Gianni, and her son, Lorenzo.

Janet M. Oussaty

Dr. Janet M. Oussaty is an accredited T’ai Chi Chih and Seijaku (Advanced T’ai Chi Chih) Instructor, Certified Qi Healer Intensive Course Instructor and White Light Reiki Master who has been teaching mind body modalities for over 20 years in academic, hospital, business and private studio settings.  Dr. Oussaty has also offered workshop presentations for professional conferences at the national, regional, state and community levels.  Active in the T’ai Chih Chih international community, Janet mentors teacher candidates, facilitates teacher preparation workshops as well as hosting the international teachers’ conference, Seijaku Accreditation and TCC Intensive.  At Yoga Central, she has been teaching the moving meditation of T’ai Chi Chih for over 10 years, conducting Qi Healer Intensive Workshops as well as private healing sessions.

Janet is a retired university professor and now the owner and director of the Holistic Center for the Integration of Body, Mind and Spirit LLC.

Katie Brunner, RYT

Katie is all about “the journey.” Her yoga journey began at the young age of 11 during acrobatics classes when she learned that her "warm up" was comprised of yoga asana. It was then she realized she enjoyed yoga more than acrobatics. She continued an on-and-off relationship with it for several years. After graduating with a BFA at Rutgers University in Newark, she was involved in a serious car accident. Yoga became the tool that helped her through difficult rehabilitation and trauma. After deciding to make it a daily practice, she pursued her 200-hour YTT at Onyx Yoga Studio in Warren, NJ, and now uses it to find peace in her journey of life. On her off-time, she is a painting instructor, and enjoys spending time with her family, including her bunny rabbit, Trixy. Katie is a 200-hour RYT and a member of Yoga Alliance.

Lauren Greenberg

Beth is a certified Yoga Alliance instructor (500 hr) and the founder of Yoga Central. Beth has maintained a meditation practice for over 35 years. Her interest and dedication to the physical aspects of yoga took a 20 year hiatus but was re-kindled in the early 1990’s. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Ph.D. in Psychology, Beth has been able to incorporate her mind-body approach to health and wellness in a wide variety of settings (corporate, medical/mental health), providing a practical approach to dealing with the stresses of life. She continues to keep up-to-date with the exciting research that is being done in the area of mind-body medicine. She is a popular speaker, making the serious aspects of managing life’s challenges a fun, interactive and useful experience for participants. Her training includes a certification in Cardiac Yoga (modeled on the Dean Ornish,MD program), Yoga for Seniors (Duke Integrative Medicine), Yoga for Myofascial Release (Tom Myers and Robin Rothenberg). She has trained in Restorative Yoga (Ellen Pfeffer), Yin Yoga (Paul Grilley, Sara Powers), Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli), Meditation training (Sudhir Jonathan Foust) numerous workshops (including David Swenson, Sharon Salzberg, Erich Schiffman).

 Lauren is the owner/instructor of Wompy’s World of Musical Play, a weekly Mommy & Me music program for babies and toddlers. In 2016, Lauren combined her love of children with her 15-year long love of yoga, receiving her certificate in teaching children’s yoga. Her classes combine an age-appropriate mix of asana practice, mindfulness, and fun! Using upbeat music and various props, classes are fast-paced and never too serious. Kids learn in a

non-competitive, relaxed atmosphere with lots of praise and no expectations. Getting children away from electronic devices, competitive sports, homework and tests can help them succeed in and out of school. Attention is given to all students, and kindness, inclusion, and gratitude are talked about and encouraged.

Antonette D'Orazio

Owner

Antonette D’Orazio was a Children’s Librarian for 27 years and has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. At The Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a BA with honors in English, she first discovered her love of yoga in a semester-long gym class. In 1992, she earned an MLS from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and has worked in New Jersey libraries ever since. She will begin 200-hour yoga teacher training this fall.

Our building is on Rt. 202 North, between River Trace and Fairfield Suites.

We are located on the first floor.