Lauren “Ren” Farenga-Kosmidis
E-ryt500. msw.owner of Lotus Yoga Studios
Ren teaches yoga in a way that makes yoga accessible to everyone in the room, and creates a safe and welcoming environment where students feel comfortable to make the practice their own. Using breath and movement Ren’s trauma informed vinyasa classes flow in a fun way that releases tension and makes you feel more connected to your inner self.
Ren has turned to yoga throughout her life to cope with grief, trauma and to manage symptoms of auto-immune diseases Crohn’s and Arthritis. Yoga has healed her and brought her happiness and purpose. Through her work as a social worker and yoga teacher, Lauren developed Chakra Flow Yoga a deeply reflective mind-body yoga practice that she teaches weekly at the studios.
Ren has been practicing yoga since age 14 and has over 13+ years of experience as a trauma informed yoga teacher, workshop facilitator, Yoga Teacher Training leader and meditation guide. Lauren is the Owner of Lotus Yoga Studio, Founder of Lotus Community Yoga Project, Re-Yoga Program and a Clinical Social Worker who worked in mental health for over 10 years prior to opening the studio.
When not on her mat Lauren enjoys hiking, singing, dancing and spending quality time with her husband, dog, friends and family.
Follow @renfarenga and @Lotus_yoga_studios
kimberly redd | ryt200, rcyt
Kimberly has been teaching yoga for nine years. Her classes guide students to embody self love, self-observation without judgment, and Ahimsa. She loves to weave magical visualizations into her gentle, meditative practices, especially those that connect students to nature. She frequently plays live music for yoga classes, incorporating a variety of sound healing instruments mixed with vocals. She also offers Reiki, Birth Doula services, and personalized ritual ceremony for rites of passage and Wheel of the Year holidays.
Kimberly has published two albums, both centered around yoga and meditation for children. Check out her latest one, “Dream Sequence”, on Spotify! Kimberly teaches kids yoga classes at a number of schools, and local libraries.
Kimberly’s first introduction to yoga was asana practice taught during warm ups in dance classes while perusing her degree in Musical Theatre. At first, the poses felt awkward and uncomfortable, but with practice, she fell in love with the connection of movement and breath. Practicing asana opened the gateway for her into the world of Meditation, Pranayama, and The 8 Limb Path. She is passionate about guided others to embody yoga’s sacred traditions in gentle, accessible, and authentic ways.
Find all her work at yogattune.com and follow her @kimberlyredd_
Jody Boatwright | RYT200
I teach yoga that is grounded in mindfulness and guided by an experiential cuing style. Expect a mix of meditation, mobility work, vinyasa flow, long hold asanas and subtle energy attunement.
Hatha Yoga and Qi Gong have been an inspiration for my personal growth since the early 2000’s. And while practice has drifted and evolved over the years, I am grateful to experience the joy of rediscovering myself again and again with yoga and meditation. That continuous rediscovery inspires me to seek out new teachers and to share the journey with others.
Studying with Lauren Farenga-Kosmidis at Lotus Yoga Studio in Arlington, MA, I received my 200RYT credentials, continue to refine my vinyasa practice and teach. Studying with Chitra Sukha at Yogi Hari’s Ashram I received my Yoga Nidra Teacher Training.
You’ll find me practicing in nature and studios around Boston.
Jacqueline Li | RYT200
I started yoga during a period of high stress in my life. I found that yoga helped calm my mind, as well as being a great form of physical exercise. I love yoga because it is very accessible and can be modified for all bodies. Practicing yoga and sharing it with others brings me joy, which is why yoga is important to me.
In my classes, I aim to offer options and challenges for everyone. I would describe my teaching style as gentle cuing with focus on form and breath.
Outside of yoga, I am a cat mom to two cats. I also enjoy trying new restaurants, and am an avid foodie.
Janna Westmoreland | RYT200
Janna felt the transformative power of yoga after one pose. Plagued with sickness and low confidence, she took a free postnatal yoga class and within 90 seconds of practicing an inversion, her body and mind felt a calm that had been dormant for years. The more she practiced, the more Janna saw positive changes enter her life off the mat. The small town girl from Maine was even able to conquer her fear of driving in Boston! Wanting nothing more than to pass along the benefits of yoga to her family and community, Janna completed her first 200-hour teacher training with Liz Owen and Daniel Orlansky in 2017, followed by a second 200-hour YTT at Wonder Yoga in 2019 (with her mom as a fellow graduate)! An eternal student of yoga, Janna seeks out every opportunity to expand her yoga knowledge. She is currently completing her Children's Yoga Certification through Little Flower Yoga and a 300-hour YTT with Theresa Murphy and Cindy Boulter.
Janna brings a diverse and unique style to her All Levels, Slow Flow, and Restorative classes. She looks for ways to explore the asana practice from different perspectives with the goal of making classes accessible to all, as well as finding the challenge of yoga enjoyable. Her favorite classes usually include Astrology discussions (she is a Leo), laughter, and a great playlist! Janna feels it is a gift to teach at Lotus Flow. It is a place where she can teach and practice authentically. Lotus truly is a home away from home!
Outside of yoga, Janna loves collecting sea glass off the coast of Maine and playing practical jokes on loved ones.
Nehal Munshi | RYT200
Nehal first became interested in yoga while attending group discussions on yoga philosophy at Swan River Yoga in New Orleans, his hometown. The discussions covered texts including the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, and various Buddhist teachings. Fascinated by the potential benefits of yoga and being encouraged by the local community of practitioners there, he started attending asana classes regularly at several studios in the area ultimately leading to his participation in a Yoga Teacher Training at Swan River Yoga in 2019. After moving to Boston in 2021 to assist in pandemic relief efforts in some of the hardest hit neighborhoods of the Greater Boston area, he was drawn to practice in community and found a new yoga home at Lotus Yoga Studio, eventually completing a YTT here in 2023.
Nehal teaches thoughtful and challenging All Levels and Slow Flow classes combining movement with mindfulness and breath. He enjoys incorporating his love of yoga philosophy with safe and accessible postures for all, ending with chanting and harmonium playing during Savasana. When Nehal is not practicing yoga, you will find him running, exploring vegan restaurants, or reading math books.
Sarah Ander Shultz | RYT500
I started yoga in college, dropping into a meditation group perchance one evening, after taking an exam in the same building. Meditation was a totally new experience for me and it really helped to relieve the stress of the day.
Over the years, yoga has become like a life reset button. It keeps me grounded, energized, present, flexible, & patient. Yoga is very important to me on so many levels, both on and off the mat. It is the best spiritual rabbit hole I’ve discovered and is filled with so many layers and nooks to uncover.
My personal practice has been an evolving one, a touch like a buffet sampler! I've enjoyed bikram, power, hatha, prenatal, yin, massage, chakras, pranayama, mantra, and flowy vinyasa. My teaching style these days is playful vinyasa flows with a focus on alignment, curiosity, humor, and gratitude.
Follow @SarahAnderShultz
Leah Broder | RYT200
Leah’s yoga journey began in 2002 when she was a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, studying to be a landscape architect. What began as a quest for physical release and spiritual focus has grown deeper over the past two decades, through an exploration of various styles of yoga at studios in Massachusetts, California, and as far afield as the United Arab Emirates. She has practiced Hatha, Anusara, and Kripalu yoga, always returning to Vinyasa flow as the form that most resonates with her. Leah was one of the first students to attend classes at Lotus Yoga Studio when it opened in Arlington in 2018, and has been a dedicated Lotus yogini ever since.
Leah began her teacher training with Lauren Farenga in January of 2020, and completed her 200 hour RYT certification during the Covid-19 pandemic. Living through the early days of the stay-at-home order while cultivating a yoga “tool kit” of physical practice, meditation, mindfulness, and breath work, has been invaluable to her well-being. Leah’s classes are light-hearted yet challenging, encouraging a sense of playfulness while building strength, flexibility, self-acceptance, and compassion.
Follow @leahbyoga
Marina Vieira | RYT200
Marina teaches a practice that is fluid, intentional, and welcoming- using her intuition to tailor each individual class to her students’ needs. She encourages students to reconnect with their body and breath through yoga- creating a safe space to heal and grow.
Yoga has inspired and grounded Marina through the ebbs and flows of life, always bringing her back to who she truly is and what she values. Her hope is that her classes allow you a space to find the same peace.
Off the mat- Marina loves cooking for friends and family, a long drive with a tried and true playlist, and a sunny afternoon with a good book.
In addition to her classes, check out her Moon Ritual workshops that pop up on the schedule!
Follow @love_and_light_mv and @marinalvieira13
Daniel Antunes | RYT200
I started practicing yoga 20 years ago and was struck by the idea of movement as meditation. Since then I've been trying to bring mindful practice into my life in any way I can. Using breath to create emotional space when I'm riled up. Taking an extra moment when I'm weight lifting to check in with my body to make sure I'm showing up in a healthy way instead of an ego driven way. Trying to create a little space in my life to fully experience and contemplate the awe that a life well lived can bring. I consider almost everything we do in life something worthy of practicing, and I hope I can share that! When I'm not practicing, you can find me at any local coffee shop, probably with a book. I love the chatter and life that swirls in them!
I teach physically energetic classes that encourage students to tune into their bodies and find their level. I will offer challenging options and mindful variations for those who want them. Using breath to focus the mind and move the body will be a highlight, with a little yoga philosophy and anatomy sprinkled in around the edges.
I will offer a theme to contemplate as we transition between poses and do breath work, but mainly I am there to hold space for you to turn inward and find what you need.
Emily Anderson | ryt200
When Emily was nine, her mother gave her a 20-minute yoga VHS to help her calm her anxious mind before bed, and she has been a movement-lover ever since. After many years of personal practice, Emily completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Breathe For Change in 2021 and her 300-hour training with Ignite Yoga & Wellness Insitute in 2022. Today, she is passionate about making yoga spaces inclusive and accessible, offering trauma-informed instruction that welcomes people of all bodies, identities, backgrounds, and experience levels. With a focus on intentional movement and breath, Emily strives to create a safe and supportive space for students to connect with their bodies and minds. In her class, expect to be encouraged to use props, make modifications, and do what feels best for your body; you are the priority in her grounded but lighthearted practice led with warmth and joy.
Outside of the yoga studio, Emily can be found teaching 8th-grade English, seeing a musical, hosting a game night, frolicking in nature, or reading; she is a devoted fan of Mary Oliver and Jane Austen but regularly enjoys young-adult literature as well. She lives with her husband, sister, and cats in Arlington, MA.
Liz McKillop-Segura | RYT200
Liz began practicing yoga in 2007 as a companion exercise to her then-preferred high intensity workouts. After becoming a mom seven years ago, Liz expected to be drawn back to high impact classes, but found that her body was truly craving nurture, regulation, and grounding. She turned to yoga as a solution and has been practicing regularly since then. After seeing profound mental and physical results through movement, breath work, and meditation, Liz felt compelled to bring yoga to others, and embarked on her 200hr teacher training at Lotus Studios, studying under Lauren Farenga-Kosmidis.
Liz hopes to create a welcoming space for students to practice at their own pace, honoring their body’s individual needs, and encouraging everyone to make each class their own. Unable to leave yoga at the studio, Liz brings the practice to her job as a preschool teacher as she weaves breath work and meditation into her classroom as a way to connect and co-regulate with her youngest students.
Outside of the studio Liz loves spending time with her family, baking cookies, and reading thrillers.
Sarah Rose | RYT200
Yoga as a concept and philosophy was something vaguely familiar to Sarah from an early age, as her family-of-origin would occasionally reference the pranayama practice of their elders as something beneficial to wellbeing and longevity, in spite of the fact that they did not necessarily utilize this wisdom themselves. In fact, it was not until she took a class on positive psychology (“Happiness 101”) in 2008, that she landed herself at her first home studio in Somerville. She discovered that a regular asana practice could essentially rewire the brain and implement change at the cellular level. Yoga became a crucial component of her personal healing journey, and she completed yoga teacher training at this same studio 10 years later (O2 Yoga, with Mimi Loureiro). She received her trauma-informed yoga certification through Firefly Yoga a few months later (2019).
Sarah's style of teaching is a progressive vinyasa with ashtanga roots. It is informed by her spiritual and esoteric practices as a Reiki Master, tarot reader, and multidimensional artist. She is also a dedicant of Shakti, the divine cosmic primordial feminine energy that flows through our collective existence. As an active member of local punk and queer communities, she always leads with an open mind and open heart, while doing her best to remain sensitive and cognizant of individual limitations.
Federica Torri | RYT200
Ciao, my name is Federica! Yoga has been a passion of mine for the last 14 years. I met Yoga for the first time when I moved from Italy to California, and since then I have tried multiple types and studied the teachings of multiple lineages. Yoga for me is Medicine. I deal with a chronic disease like endometriosis, that sometimes brings a lot of pain and sadness to my body, heart and soul. Yoga has brought in my life tools to heal and to be able to feel all that life is. It all belongs.
My mission is to bring tenderness and belonging into a slow and creative yoga practice. I like to bring a theme to my class, together with a combination of pranayama, mudra and asana that foster safety and a sense of belonging. To our body and mind, and to the community. I teach slow flow and restorative yoga classes. From my heart to yours. When I’m not doing yoga I’m making moss paintings, spending time with trees or studying something new. I also am a very passionate advocate for women’s health and endometriosis awareness.
I am a 200RYT Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher, NBH-WC Board Certified Integrative Health Coach and a Level 1 Reiki certified practitioner. I offer 1:1 health coaching and Reiki services.
Marissa Helena | RYT200
Marissa first began practicing yoga around 2009 as a way to cope with her mental and emotional distress, and to manage her chronic back and joint pain. She immediately resonated not only with physical asana practice, but even moreso with yogic beliefs and practices outside of the mat. She has a passion for helping others tend to their inner world in a safe space, moving through pain, grief, and discomfort, and believes that finding this inner "peace" is the first step to bringing "peace" to the world around us.
Marissa has a background in social work, education, and is a lifelong dancer and artist. She studied and earned her 200 hour trauma-informed certification at Lotus Yoga Studio, under the guidance of Lauren Farenga-Kosmidis. Using her personal background, as well as her YTT training, she aims to cultivate a space for everyone to practice yoga safely and mindfully, regardless of their physical abilities or background.
Off the mat, you may find Marissa sitting by a tree, studying astrology, snuggling with her cat, or playing sudoku. She is strongly influenced by nature and the universe, connecting deeply with water and its fluidity.
You can connect with her on Instagram @of_the_sea_yogi.
"Be water, my friend.”
Holly Mulkern | RYT200
Holly initially came to the mat for physical benefits and mental well-being, but over 9+ years of practicing, yoga has become so much more to her than just that.
After turning to yoga during times of transition and challenge, she discovered that yoga can aide us to process experiences and lead to emotional healing. In 2022, Holly felt a calling to Yoga Teacher Training, which is when she found Lotus Yoga Studios and began her journey to becoming a yoga teacher under the instruction of Lauren Farenga-Kosmidis. YTT guided Holly on a path of personal development and self discovery, while also creating meaningful connections with other like-minded individuals.
When Holly is not on the mat, she works as a nurse and has brought a Well-Being at Work program to her hospital unit, offering yoga and mediation to her colleagues during the work day.
Holly also enjoys spending her time with friends, family, and exploring the outdoors through running and hiking.
ADDITIONAL TEACHING STAFF
Holly Pearson, RYT200, Deep Stretch & Mobility, All Levels Flow
Ericka Shores, RYT200, Prenatal Yoga, Slow Flow, Restorative Yoga
Holly Collins, RYT200, Restorative Yoga, All Levels, Yin Yoga, Sound Healer