Who We Are
WHO WE ARE
Scott Cassa
Fitness and Wellness
Scott has earned certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Harvard Medical School's Executive Ed Program for Health and Wellness. He is a Certified Advanced Cancer Exercise Specialist through The Cancer Exercise Training Institute. With over 20 years of experience as a fitness Trainer, Scott specializes in private personal training, group wellness, corrective exercise training, weight loss management, athletic strength and conditioning, post-physical therapy and cardiac rehab fitness, oncology exercise, brain injury fitness resources, fitness for fragile health status, and corporate wellness.
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Additionally, Scott enjoys assisting with adaptive sports and fitness and has experience working with both youth and adult adaptive sports clients. As a survivor of Brain Injury in his teens, Scott strives to help clients overcome health setbacks to stay strong, body and mind.
Scott is a father of two, an accomplished personal athlete, and a nine-time competitor in the Mount Washington Summit Race to the Summit.
Melissa Matheson
Fitness, Nutrition, Athletics, and Wellness
Melissa is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and holds her Master's Health and Nutrition Coaching Certification through Precision Nutrition. Additionally, Melissa is an RRCA Running Coach and a Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist to round out her specialties. She specializes in personal training, nutrition, health and wellness coaching, women's health, group fitness, and youth fitness, and enjoys working with our corporate clients designing wellness workshops and resources for a variety of employee populations. Melissa is passionate about nutrition and enjoys using her expertise and education to help people develop plans to reach their health and wellness goals. Melissa is an avid runner qualifying and competing in the Boston Marathon multiple times in addition to many full and half marathons.
Ron Rigazio
Fitness, Athletics, Wellness
Ron is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. His strength and conditioning programs focus on the quality of movement, stabilization, and agility. He enjoys working with people of all fitness levels, adapting the workout to the individual.
Following years of being active and training, a back injury and the demands of life caused Ron to stray from weight training for a while. Then he met a personal trainer who showed him how to strengthen his back, glutes, and hamstrings, as well as how to move correctly alleviating his back pain. With the pain gone and newfound energy, Ron left the corporate world to work in an environment he loves. His desire is to help others overcome similar challenges and reach their fitness goals.
Outside of the gym, Ron enjoys coaching youth sports and being with family.
Meghan Kwartler
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Yoga, Lifestyle Wellness
Meghan is a lover of movement, breath, and the powerful peace of awareness. Originally she wanted to be a Physical Therapist but ended up in the world of Tech & Business. Yoga became her refuge during a health crisis as a young adult and is still her anchor as she mothers her twin daughters and navigates life. Meghan is passionate about helping her students honor their body, mind & spirit by connecting to their inner wisdom. Their wisdom knows when it’s time to rest, challenge or stay steady, but can be hard to hear without consistent practice.
Meghan started her 200 hr. teacher training in 2011 with Anusara when living in the Pacific NW and finished in 2019 when she finally found her east coast teacher. She is certified in Love Your Brain yoga (accessible yoga for those with brain injuries) and most recently completed her 300 hr. Advanced modern yoga teacher training with Heart and Bones Yoga Studio. She is passionate about weaving embodied anatomy, movement science & mindfulness into her teaching. She teaches privately and in groups including in corporate settings.
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Chris Kandianis
Pilates ,Yoga
Chris has been studying Pilates since 2004 and yoga since 2000. She is passionate about helping people use these practices to develop the strength and flexibility needed to enjoy sports and to prevent and overcome injury.
Chris is STOTT™ Pilates certified in Matwork and Reformer and is an RYT 200 yoga instructor. In addition to her core certifications, she regularly attends workshops and has training in Injuries and Special Populations and Anatomy. Since opening her studio in 2006, she has taught thousands of classes and has worked with hundreds of clients in group classes and one on one helping them to get stronger, overcome musculo-skeletal pain, and improve their sports performance.
She holds a BA degree from Tufts University and an MBA from Simmons College. When not teaching, Chris enjoys biking, skiing, hiking, rock climbing and walking.
Shagufta Rahmen
Yoga, Reiki
Shagufta first came to yoga during college, taking classes as they were available. This basic introduction to yoga was enough for her to pursue a more regular practice and during this time she came across one of her mentors Barbara Rich of Kripalu who taught a very meditative,
breath-focused sequence that resonated deeply with Shagufta. This foundation of breath-work
would become a guiding light for her during a time of loss in her family and helped her begin her journey into a formal training of mind and body. Yoga saved her!
Shagufta completed her 200-hour Yoga Alliance Fluid Yoga certification program under Kevin Gale and his extraordinary team of teachers in May 2016. She loves to share the psychological and physical benefits of Yoga with everyone around her. She has also completed her Yin Yoga Teacher training under the guidance of Anne Dries of Buddha Nest yoga in May of 2018. While her classes are technically in the style of Vinyasa Flow, her Yin approach to
teaching encourages focusing on mindfulness and breath, and she hopes her classes can serve as a restorative time for mind, body, and spirit.
Yoga
Melissa Ackerman
Melissa has been a practicing yogi for over 25 years. She views the limbs of yoga as her life compass helping her to ground, balance, focus, develop strength and stay true to herself. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training under Cindy Boulter in May of 2019. She has additionally trained in Yin Yoga under Theresa Murphy and the anatomy of yoga with Susi Hatley.
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Melissa draws on her counseling background to acutely tune into her students and thoughtfully communicate her cues. Her classes encourage students to link breath with movement, quiet the mind and be present in their practice. Turning awareness inward allows students to hear the signals their body is sending and move in their own pain-free range of motion. Through her classes, she hopes to pass on all the joys and gifts that yoga has brought to her life both on and off the mat.
Molly Roberts
Yoga
Molly Roberts (RYT® 200) believes that the challenges an individual faces in the world can be worked
through on the mat. She turned to yoga over a decade ago as an antidote to the stresses of life and
received her teacher certification in 2017 under the instruction of Daniel Orlanski and Liz Owen at The
Arlington Center (Arlington, MA). Her practice revolves around asana flows anchored and propelled by
the breath and recognition that our physical practice is tied to our emotional and spiritual well being.
Jen Donovan
Yoga
A mixture of sweet and spicy, Jen is known for her fun & compassionate, teaching style that is inspired by Buddhist philosophy. She continues her studies under Khenpo Migmar Tseten of the Sakya Institute for Buddhist study and Kevan Gale of Triyana Studies. She has completed her 200hr & 300hr training with Fluid Yoga School a Reiki Master and certified in Thai Yoga massage, Spa yoga & Healing yoga.
Availing herself to continuous philosophical education and practice, Jen weaves a thought-provoking flow, applying ancient wisdom to our contemporary western world in a useful and understandable way. She encourages growth of the physical and spiritual self.
Yoga
Katherine Cota MacDonald
Katherine Cota MacDonald (she/her) is a certified early childhood educator and wellness instructor. She holds a BA in Psychology from UMass Lowell and she has taught early education for 14 years. Her wellness teaching experience includes yoga, meditation, and specialty workshops and retreats. Katherine will be pursuing her MSW this winter. Her work within the perinatal population includes prenatal and postpartum yoga, new parent support, and volunteering with Postpartum Support International and Return to Zero: HOPE. She has a strong background in creative arts and a great passion for combining art and wellness.
Amy Saunders
Yoga
Amy received her 200HR training through Fluid Yoga School in the spring of 2023. She has been regularly practicing yoga since ~2017. Amy came to yoga initially to have a physical movement practice but quickly discovered the mental and spiritual aspects of a yoga practice. Having a regular yoga practice during the pandemic was especially valuable in dealing with the pandemic and stress from working at Moderna.
Some fun facts, Amy is married to her partner James (10 years in 2024!) and they have been living in Lowell for about 12 years. They have a rescue lab/shepherd mix dog named Whiskey and a cat named Puck. When she is not on her mat or teaching, Amy loves traveling, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. Favorite books or ones that had the most personal impact: The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien. Current books she is reading: Reality and Wisdom by Lama Migmar Tseten and also some Brian Sanderson novels.
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Eleonora Cordovani
Yoga Therapy, Yoga for Cancer, Yoga for Parkinsons
Eleonora Cordovani is a Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher with more than 500 hours of training and is currently a yoga therapist intern. All her classes are trauma-informed and inclusive for everybody. She also has a background in the Arts, having studied Theater Therapy in Italy.
Jennifer Yu
Yoga & Yoga Sculpt
Jennifer’s journey with yoga began in 2011, but it was her time living abroad in Brazil in 2016 that truly deepened her connection to the practice. Inspired by nature, diverse cultures, and people, she discovered the profound mental and spiritual dimensions of yoga.
Yoga has become Jennifer’s tool for continual self-love, community support, and nurturing mind-body connections. In her offerings, she blends levity with a playful exploration of the body. Connecting to sources of gratitude and compassion, she guides practitioners through breathwork and meditation.
From sun salutations with friends in a park to meditating by the ocean, her travels near and far have shaped her human experience to be rooted in love and liberation. These experiences have fueled her mission to make yoga accessible to all, regardless of age, level, ability, or background so they can experience the joy of being in the present.
In 2020, Jennifer completed her RYT 200 training with Fluid Yoga School at Sutra Studio in Lowell, MA. In 2024, Jennifer completed Meredith Evangelisti's Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training Certification at Down Under School of Yoga in Cambridge, MA.
Lisa Siemaszko
Barre Fitness
Lisa discovered Barre in 2019 and became a certified instructor at ASANA in Charlestown, MA, in 2020. Her training is approved by both the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). As a passionate runner, she initially turned to Barre to reduce joint stress and strengthen different muscle groups. However, she quickly fell in love with how Barre challenges both the body and mind, providing a profound sense of accomplishment after every class.
As a mom of two young children, Lisa finds Barre to be an incredible workout and a vital outlet for managing anxiety and staying centered. Her mission as a teacher is to create a welcoming space where others can experience that same relief and empowerment. Known for her energizing, beat-driven playlists, Lisa ensures that every class is not only effective but also fun and motivating. Join her to transform your body and mind through the power of Barre!
Tina Jost
Fitness, Corrective Exercise
Tina is an Orthopedic nurse, qualified in Germany. Her passion is Health and Fitness. She spends her weekends and vacation time hiking, cross country skiing or paddle boarding, as well as water skiing with her clients, friends, and family. Tina is a NASM qualified Personal Trainer, holding the NASM nutrition certification and Corrective Exercise specialty.
Nancy Bonanno
Pilates, Barre
Nancy Bonanno has been an owner, artistic director, and teacher of The Dance Center in Winchendon Ma. for 29 yrs. Nancy is a native of Buffalo NY and moved to Boston to attend The Boston Conservatory of Music. Her 20 yrs. of professional experience include numerous television specials, music videos and commercials filmed in NYC. She has also performed as a dancer for Impulse Dance Company in Boston and has been a featured dancer at the Boston Opera house Operas.
She began her fitness journey 10 yrs. ago after her right hip was replaced and began a journey to strengthen and maintain her physical stamina with spinning classes, weightlifting and Pilates. Her love for Pilates grew as she witnessed her body transforming, her core stronger, muscles more toned and flexible, and so began Pilates as a career path.
Nancy is certified in Power Pilates Mat 1 and 2 and will begin training for certification on Pilates equipment and reformer.
She is excited to inspire others with passion and knowledge!