Who We Are

Jackie Loyer has been teaching yoga and meditation in Litchfield County for over 20 years and is a 500-hour certified yoga teacher, with training in both Kripalu and Kundalini Yoga. She was one of the original teachers at The Om Center, and her deep love for the community and the practice of yoga eventually led her to step into the role of owner.

At the heart of Jackie’s work is a simple intention: to create a space where everyone feels welcome. She is deeply committed to building a supportive, inclusive community where students can show up exactly as they are — whether they are stepping onto the mat for the first time or returning to their practice after many years. Jackie believes yoga is not about perfection, but about connection, and her classes are known for their gentle, accessible approach and supportive atmosphere.

In addition to her yoga training, Jackie holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and brings a lifelong passion for teaching into everything she offers. Her background in education, combined with over two decades of experience guiding students of all ages, shapes her thoughtful, encouraging style and her ability to make practices feel approachable and meaningful.

Jackie’s path also includes extensive study in holistic wellness. She trained as a Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and completed additional studies with the Chopra Center (now affiliated with IIN), with a concentration in Ayurvedic lifestyle practices. She also holds certifications in Reiki and other mind-body modalities. Drawing from this integrative background, 

Jackie will soon be offering Holistic Lifestyle Sessions at The Om Center, supporting individuals in creating realistic, sustainable practices for balance, health, and everyday well-being.

Jackie lives in Watertown with her two children, Domenic and Olivia. Outside the studio, she loves time with family and friends, walks in nature, reading, and continuing to deepen her own personal practice and study.

 Michael Lynch is a Delaware native who moved to Connecticut to pursue his Masters in Counseling at Southern Connecticut State University. He currently works as a middle school counselor in Wolcott, CT. In 2012, Michael took his first yoga class, with the hopes of calming his mind and relieving back pain. One thing led to another and his once-a-week habit quickly turned into an everyday obsession. The link between psychology, helping others, and yoga made his connection to the practice a natural fit. The peace, calmness, and strength found in mind, body, and spirit through yoga pushed Michael to complete his 200 RYT training at The Om Center. He became a certified yoga teacher to deepen his own practice of yoga, with little aspirations to actually teach yoga: How things change! In his spare time, Michael is an avid reader, hiker, and beer brewer. 

 Kristina D’Amico is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500), Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT), Reiki Master, and Sound Meditation facilitator with over a decade of experience guiding students through mindful movement and breath. She specializes in Prenatal Yoga and Baby & Me Yoga, supporting women and families through the transformative journey of motherhood. Over the years, Tina has had the joy of leading and co-leading yoga retreats both locally and internationally, sharing the practice in ways that are nurturing, empowering, and rooted in connection. She previously served as the studio manager of The Om Center before stepping back to raise her two sons—a journey that deepened her understanding of balance and presence in everyday life. When Tina is not teaching, you can find her hiking, gardening, reading, exploring new places, or spending time with her family. Her goal is to create a welcoming space where students feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow. 

 Rebecca has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2008 and has been part of Om’s Kula since 2014. She began her journey with Om as Lead Massage Therapist, which led to her receiving her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification, through The Om Center, in June of that year. Her background in massage and her yoga training formed a strong foundation for her to pursue her heart's calling in Thai Massage; this modality combines the best of both worlds, healing touch and passive flowing movement. She received her Level I Thai Massage training in August of 2015 and Level II in March of 2017, both through The Bodymind Center for Thai Massage. In 2019, she received her 200-hour Kundalini Yoga Certification, a practice that has always plucked her heart strings and brought tremendous healing into her life. Rebecca has worked with many world-renowned teachers and has tuned in to her abilities to heal through touch and movement. She received Advanced Thai Massage training in Thailand with Jack Chaiya, learning the Nerve Touch technique, and more recently, trained with Krishnatakis and David Lutt at Sunshine House in Greece, learning Advanced Dynamic Thai Massage. In 2023 she stepped down from the massage table, becoming a Thai exclusive massage therapist; this was a long-standing goal since the beginning of her massage career. She most recently trained in Reusi Dat Ton, also known as Hermits Yoga; this selfcare practice combines self-massage, joint mobilization and yoga postures; it is the foundation and inspiration of Traditional Thai Massage. Currently, Rebecca is not taking new massage clients at The Om Center and will be putting more focus on workshops and courses that introduce the healing of Thai Massage to the community, and to Massage Therapists and Yoga Instructors with an interest in learning this beautiful work. During her down time, she loves dancing, hikes with her dog Calypso and mosaicking her VW bus. Rebecca teaches the Monday morning Gentle Flow class; she strives to pull from her wealth of knowledge, while creating a safe space for students to explore themselves through their bodies and through stillness. This heart centered class is a go with the flow gentle vinyasa, that may include kundalini meditations, pranayama (breathwork), dance and dynamic movement, and sometimes mantra recitation. She encourages her students to step out of their comfort zone, while leaving room to honor where they are at, without judgment. When classes are small students may get to experience some gentle Thai Massage during savasana. 

 Sarah is a life-long practitioner of Yoga. Her specialties are a beautiful combination of Vinyasa and Yin. She is also a certified Sound Healer and Reiki Practitioner and loves to incorporate these practices in her classes. Her classes are fun, challenging, and silly at times. You will smile and laugh. You will also feel at peace. Her soothing voice and comfortable approach to each asana bring the entire practice together. Her goal is to make yoga accessible to all! Her favorite asana is pigeon because it allows her the opportunity to dive inward and connect to herself on the deepest level especially when practiced in a Yin class. When not on the mat Sarah teaches Social Studies to a bunch of 6th graders in Wolcott. Sarah is a lover of all things nature and you can find her hiking a trail, collecting shells at the beach, or simply sitting by a bonfire with her family and friends. 

 Sara found yoga after the pandemic in 2020 initially as a form of exercise, and as a way to find a sense of inner peace and calm. She soon became hooked, making Yoga a priority in her life in addition to being a wife, mom of twin boys and daughter all nearing teenage years. Sara has been in the corporate world for over 25 years, and while Yoga is now her primary passion, she also loves being a Technology Director for Disney and aims to bring “off the mat” yoga to daily corporate life. In wanting to dive deeper, she began her 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training with Jess Proulx and Direct Path Institute and finished the program in 2024. She is currently pursuing her 500hr certification also with Direct Path and completed a course in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) from Mindful Leader in 2024. Sara has a passion for movement alongside mindfulness, striving to emphasize a mind-body-soul connection in each class. She loves to teach unique classes centered around musical themes, as well as partner yoga classes! In addition to spending her time with her family, reading, and her own daily practice, and forever continuing education in Yoga, Sara volunteers running small group mindfulness, meditation and yoga sessions helping those struggling with infertility, parents with babies in the NICU, and Yoga coaching in the corporate world – proving that it is possible to find balance and integrate stressful and peaceful worlds.
 

 Sara (E-RYT 500, C-BDYT, IAYT) is a yoga therapist and yoga teacher. She loves to help students develop their own practice whether they are just starting out or they have been practicing for years. She invites exploration of how a student’s individual body moves and empowers students to approach asana (postures) with variations and modifications while cultivating compassion and respect for the body and the self. She also teaches students how to safely explore the intersection of movement, breath, and meditation to develop present-centered awareness, which is a catalyst for transformation. Sara’s teaching is trauma-informed, pragmatic, and non-dogmatic. She does not hold to a specific lineage. Instead, she focuses on what works. The result is a student-driven practice that invites balance in the body and mind, both in the practice and in life off the mat. She teaches group classes and works privately with individuals. Sara has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and has over 1000 hours of training and over 2000 hours of teaching experience. She has completed further trainings to hone her practice, including working with fascia, positional therapy for chronic pain relief, yoga for osteoporosis, sacroiliac joint care in yoga, pranayama and yogic meditation, and Ayurveda. Sara is certified as a yoga therapist by Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and is a candidate for IAYT certification. She is co-founder of Yoga Therapy Associates, a company dedicated to expanding access for individualized yoga therapy in the healthcare system. She has been a student at the Om Center since its beginnings on Main Street and is grateful to be a part of the Om community. 

 Michele DiPietro, a seasoned Massage Therapist at The Om Center, brings over a decade of expertise to her practice. A graduate of Branford Hall Career Institute in 2014, Michele has honed her craft with precision and dedication. Holding a license for 10 years, she is well-versed in various modalities, including advanced cupping therapy, prenatal massage, and the raindrop technique. Michele's repertoire also encompasses deep tissue and therapeutic massage, seamlessly blending techniques to deliver optimal results for her clients. With a keen focus on holistic well-being, Michele's nurturing touch and comprehensive skill set make her an invaluable asset to The Om Center's team.