Center For Living - Springfield, IL » About Us: Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff


The Center for Living staff are highly-educated professionals with a superior level of experience and expertise in their fields. All requests for interviews are arranged through Brian Reardon, Community Relations Director at St. John's Hospital. Brian may be reached at 217-544-6464 ext. 44306 or at brian.reardon@st-johns.org.

Director *Linda Murphy, MA, RRT, RYT* Linda has an undergraduate degree in Wholistic Health Care and a masters in Communication. She is a registered respiratory therapist, nationally registered yoga teacher and biofeedback practitioner. She has studied yoga at the Himalayan Institute, Harvard Medical School's Mind-Body Medicine Institute and completed the Ananda Teacher Training Program from the Expanding Light in California. She is also a certified Yoga of the Heart® instructor. Linda has completed Harvard Medical School's Mind-Body Medicine program and the National Institute of Behavioral Medicine's certification program in Mind-Body Medicine. Linda's expertise in program development, combined with her passion for wholistic healing make her a sought-after speaker, educator and practitioner of the healing arts.

Department Secretary *Liz Sheraden* More than likely, the first person you will meet is our Department Secretary, Liz Sheraden. Either by telephone or in person, you will find Liz personable and helpful and eager to accommodate your request. Liz also manages the class schedules and registrations and plays a major role in helping produce our quarterly Center for Living publication. Liz enjoys her job and finds meaning in connecting people to services that make a difference in their health, wellness and quality of life.

Acupuncturist and Craniosacral Practitioner *Jim Sullivan, M.Ac, L.Ac.* holds a Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NIAOM). He is licensed in both Illinois and Washington states and is nationally certified with the National Commission for Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He has also completed a three year certification program in Qi Gong from NIAOM; is a licensed massage therapist; and has extensive training in craniosacral therapy and is a certified presenter for the Upledger Institute. Jim believes that the next wave of technological and social development will come out of increases in the human potential and his passion is to be on the cutting edge of the human potential movement.

Mindfulness Stress Reduction Facilitator *Bridget Rolens* began practicing insight meditation in 1997. Prior to this, she practiced various forms of meditation in the Christian contemplative tradition during the 20 years she was a Franciscan nun. She teaches and mentors beginning mediators and as a member of the board of directors of Mid-America Dharma, she is involved in bringing insight meditation teachers to the Midwest and managing retreats. She has studied with Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University Of Massachusetts School Of Medicine., has an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy and masters in Liturgical Music. Bridget's many years of experience with the Christian and Buddhist spiritual paths and 12-step recovery have provided a foundation for understanding the spiritual path of transformation that is common to all religions. Bridget's deep passion is to help people attain freedom from the forces that bind the mind and heart in suffering.

Massage Therapist *Shane Streder, LMT,* is a graduate of Classic Touch School of Therapeutic Massage in Springfield, Illinois. In addition to providing Swedish massage for relaxation, Shane uses a variety of skills including sports massage, reflexology, myofascial release and deep tissue massage. Shane says that his goal is to make every experience with his clients friendly, personable and therapeutic, adding that "the energy from my hands comes not from my strength, but from my heart".

Solution Facilitator *Neala Ausmus, LCPC, RD* has a master's degree in Human Development and Counseling and is a licensed clinical professional counselor. She is also a registered dietitian and a certified Solution Program facilitator. Neala's diverse background includes counseling in weight management, eating disorders, diabetes education, and continuing to serve as a nationally recognized certified Solution facilitator. Neala's passion is in helping her clients make the mind-body connection. Believing that knowledge of health is not always enough, Neala also helps her clients discover their inner wisdom, strength and nurturance that is vital in making long-term changes for their health and happiness.

Tai Chi Instructor *Yi Karpen, MS* has a bachelor's degree in physical education from Shanghai Institute of Physical Education and a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Wisconsin. Growing up in China, she experienced tai chi as a natural healing practice for people of all ages. Today, she works at the Prairie Heart Institute as an exercise physiologist and teaches tai chi through community classes. Yi's expertise, commitment and desire to help her students experience the health-promoting benefits of tai chi create a unique learning experience for those who study with her.


Yoga Instructor Carol Dunaway, RYT500 Carol is a former nurse who has worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, a group exercise instructor, yoga teacher and Pilates teacher for the last five years. She has pursued her passion for a more integrated path to wellness, by completing a 500 hour Viniyoga Certification with Gary Krafscow and Mirka Krafscow, through the American Viniyoga Institute. She has also studied yoga with Rod Styker, and will be completing his Parayoga certification. Other teachers she has had include, Judith Lasater, Duncan Wong, Paul Grilley, and Saul David Raye. In addition to her yoga studies, Carol has also completed a Stott Pilates training course. Her training with Stott includes all levels of mat exercises, all levels of Pilates reformer equipment, and the injuries and special populations training. This training included work with pre and postnatal women, as well as post rehabilitation for injuries. Carol believes all people must be treated as individuals. Having a diverse training background allows her to do just that.

Yoga Instructor Kristin Ettinger Kristin took her first yoga class here in Springfield in the year 2000. After living in Denver and studying yoga there for eight years, she’s back home and excited to help others cultivate deeper awareness of body, mind and spirit through the multi-dimensional practice of yoga. Kristin’s experience of yoga is steeped in the Iyengar tradition, which is known for its emphasis on correct alignment and use of props to explore and fine-tune postures. The Iyengar method’s careful attention to detail provides the foundation for a safe and mindful practice, which Kristin believes helped keep her muscles and joints (as well as attitude!) healthy on the field as a competitive ultimate frisbee player. In 2007, Kristin started phasing out the intense physical practice of team sports to shift her focus inward and deepen her yoga practice through a Hatha yoga teacher training at the Denver Institute of Yoga with beloved teachers Kevin Durkin, Derik Eselius and Brenna Hatami. She began teaching yoga for stress reduction at a medical center in 2008 and moved on to teach at a recreation center in Lakewood, Colorado as she continued teacher training in the Iyengar tradition with Craig Kurtz, Leslie Bradley and Jayne Satter. Kristin recently broke free from her desk job as a play editor in Denver and set off on a solo journey to India, where she studied yoga with renowned Iyengar teachers Rajiv and Swati Chanchani at the Yog-Ganga Center in the Himalayan foothills. In the summer of 2010, Kristin attended the Midwest Yoga Conference in Chicago, where she enjoyed workshops with Saul David Raye, Darren Friesen and Bo Forbes. She also recently completed Level One training in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.

Clinical Dietitian *Sara Lopinski, MS, RD, LDN* is a registered dietitian with a masters degree from Iowa State University and over 30 years of experience. Sara is a member of the American Dietetic Association and has served in several leadership capacities. Sara enjoys helping people learn how to use improved nutrition to enhance health and well-being. Sara's personal philosophy is "healthy eating is no accident: it is all about choice and advance planning. Perfect eating is out: more mindful eating is in."