I have been an RN for the past 18 years and started my personal healing journey about 2 years ago. Through this journey, I became a Holistic Nurse Coach in 2023 and started my business Ashley M. Powers Coaching LLC. I am a Level 2 Reiki Practitioner and a Certified Trauma Informed Breathwork Facilitator. My mission is to empower my clients to reconnect to themselves and their purpose, allowing them to live an aligned and fulfilling life.

I am a retired Physical Educator with a deep background in anatomy and physiology. I developed, presented and taught various yoga based curriculums, including: Yoga for Athletes and Runners and Hip Mobility and Stability. Understanding that everyone learns differently, I adapt teaching strategies so students gain confidence in their practice. Asana variations and props help students achieve maximum gains while intelligently addressing their physical needs. I believe that yoga allows students to cultivate strength and flexibility within their bodies along with opening new spaces in their hearts and minds. Practicing yoga honors our authentic selves and helps to provide balance throughout the journey of life. Rooted in kindness, I offer a safe space for students to practice yoga. RYT 500.

With over 20 years of experience teaching various styles of fitness, it wasn’t until being introduced to the physicality of yoga in 2018 that the door for wellness was opened.  Moving with my breath and having space for emotion became wholistic and useful.  In 2021, a grief-filled season of life led me to yoga teacher training which I completed at Y2 in Charlotte. 

Both in practice and teaching, my style includes unpredictable yet fluid sequencing in vinyasa and dynamic yet restorative deep stretch.  I enjoy teaching a range of ages and abilities; preschoolers, senior chair yogis, and even a group of electricians are among those I’ve had the privilege to guide in yoga. 

Off the mat, I am an RN and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist.  My approach is the same with diabetes: simplify and enjoy, be self-empowered through positive choices.  I have an abundance of cats, a dog called Bird, and with my dad, thousands of honeybees.  I love playing in the dirt, tearing up the kitchen, and the perspective expansion found through travel.

I am grateful and excited to be a part of the teaching team at Sweet Peace! I began my Yoga/Meditation journey in 2023 and completed my 200 hour teacher training at Chakra Flow University in 2024. My mission is to create a fun, safe, judgement-free space to explore yoga. I encourage my students to find new levels of possibility in their bodies and minds and bring their practice off of their mats and into their lives. When I am not teaching Yoga, I am a residential contractor, and I enjoy watching and playing all sports.

Hi! I'm a mother, a grandmother, a sister, and a friend to many! I have lived in the Belmont community since 1990. After a long career in sales, I retired and pursued my passion for yoga, graduating from Asheville Yoga in 2014. With 30 years of experience as a meditation teacher and 11 years as a Reiki energy worker, I have cultivated a rich background in holistic practices.

I taught at Simply Yoga for six years before transitioning to small and private classes from my home studio during the pandemic. Now, I’m excited to bring my unique style back to the community, incorporating self-healing techniques and guided meditation into each class. I look forward to sharing my passion and wisdom with you!

Hi!  My name is Dru Parker.  I am a native of Gaston County.  I have been teaching Pilates for nearly a decade and I am excited to share this amazing work with you all! In 2015, I became certified in Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Postural Analysis and All Populations Mat I with Pilates Academy International of New York. In 2019, I completed a "Classical Pilates" certification with Romana's Pilates International. Through this training I began learning the true Pilates method, and how to teach in the way Joseph Pilates taught his method of "Contrology."  Romana’s teacher training program requires over 600 hours of apprentice observations, lessons, practice teaching, and written and practical tests throughout the program. This certification has provided me with an understanding of how to effectively create workouts and choose exercises for every individual regardless of age, ability, fitness level, injury or special conditions.

I find great joy in helping my students see the potential they have within their own body to stand taller, sit better and move more efficiently. I hope that each student leaves class feeling energized, refreshed, strong and confident. I truly believe that Pilates is the perfect fitness choice for everyBODY.

I decided to start doing yoga as a way to improve my mental health as well as my physical health. I became passionate for yoga, and I have practiced yoga daily ever since. Yoga gives me a sense of peace and wellbeing in my life. My drive and willingness to learn led me off the mat with a deep desire to teach others. I completed my 200-hour YTT in 2020 accompanied by Maria Lages at Om Yoga in Fort Mill, SC. I received my 300 hour certification in 2021 at Practice Yoga Austin located in Austin, Texas under the teachings of Jenn Wooten, Iva Drtina-Hall, Shanti Kelley, Kiely Wolters and Shawn Kent. I do my best to make yoga accessible to anyone and will provide accommodations and modifications as needed. I am extremely grateful to have practiced under such great teachers. My mission is to share this knowledge I have learned and help others to heal and get back to feeling their absolute best. RYT 200. 

My yoga journey began in 2014 as a way to explore something new, but it quickly became a transformative part of my life. For a decade, I nurtured my personal practice, discovering its profound impact on my physical, emotional, and mental well-being. In 2024, I completed my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Chakra Flow University, driven by a desire to share yoga's healing power with others.

As a yoga teacher, life coach, and author of I Have to Poop, But There's a Boy in My Bed, my mission is to inspire others to have fun, tap into their inner strength, and embrace the balance, peace, and vitality that yoga offers. RYT 200.

I began studying comparative spiritual philosophies as an undergraduate at Stanford University. Initiated into Raja Yoga a few years after graduating, I continued my studies and practice of yoga and meditation. My research included readings in Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Kabala, Native American Spirituality, and Christian mysticism. I joined the Quakers and participated for years in group meditations at Friends Meetings in Washington State. Meanwhile, I worked as a public school teacher and Parks Manager and Horticulturist. In recent decades, I took an avid interest in Taoist philosophy. In 1998, at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, I began studying and practicing Chi Gong, Tai Chi, and Taoist Meditation techniques. I started teaching Chi Gong, Tai Chi, and Meditation in Big Sur in 2002 at Esalen Institute, Post Ranch Inn, and Ventana Inn. I continue my personal practice of Tai Chi, Chi Gong, and Meditation. I am also a student of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese book of wisdom, the Tarot, and Feng Shui. I studied Native American Spirituality for many years with Tom "Little Bear" Nason and the West Wolf Medicine Society. I am a Certified Massage Therapist with special interest in Reflexology, and Energy Work including Reiki and Matrix Energetics. I hold a Certificate to teach the Yang Style short form of Tai Chi Ch'uan.

As a Registered Nurse for 35+ years, I have been an active participant in the healing process by addressing physical, mental and spiritual needs of patients. I am drawn to help others and when seeking a way to expand my role, I found Reiki healing classes at Sweet Peace and completed Reiki I, II, III trainings. I am excited to offer Reiki healing sessions and Reiki Circles in the community where I live. I am ready to invoke energy through the Reiki principles to positively improve the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of my clients.

I’ve practiced yoga since the age of thirteen, when a book fell off the shelf at the local library. The pages were filled with breathwork and postures that stay with me still. Since then, I have studied many modalities from Ashtanga to Yin. Teaching yoga full time since 2003, I’ve taught well over 4000 hours of classes. My focus is to make yoga accessible and comfortable for every-body. My approach is gentle and easy. I have developed an Easy Does It yoga class that focuses on restorative postures that calm the body and works on easing discomfort. It is great for people who suffer from arthritis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, sciatica, and hip, neck, and shoulder problems.

My Yin class targets the connective tissues, ligaments, and joints of the body giving them an opportunity to lengthen naturally. Postures are held. All levels benefit from this practice.

Come play with me and enjoy your body’s natural abilities.. 

Hi, I’m Nicole Papageorge! I'm a Texas native and proud dog mom to two rescues, Ruca and Maggie. I received my 200-hour RYT certification in Hatha Vinyasa Yoga from Akasha Yoga Academy in 2020. I am also a Reiki Level Two practitioner, sound healing facilitator, and founder of Wellness Wonderland™, a vibrant holistic wellness community. My mission is to guide others in finding calm in the chaos and to create a safe space for all levels to connect and explore along their journey. Stay curious, stay well, and lead with love in all you do. See you on the mat! 

I began practicing Yoga seriously after the sudden loss of my mother in 2018. The practice was so transformative and therapeutic for me that I decided to become a teacher!  After completing my 200-hour training and beginning my teaching career in Belmont, NC, I co-founded QC Yoga, a heated studio in Charlotte that offered everything from Hot Power and Deep Stretch to restorative, unheated classes for students of all levels.  At the end of 2023, when QC Yoga closed, I chose to turn my attention toward continuing my teacher education and focusing on my personal practice.  I am happy to be joining the team at Sweet Peace! E-RYT 200, YACEP.

I received my 200 hour RYT Yoga Alliance certification from Nadi Body Yoga in July, 2020. I have been practicing yoga for over 10 years and was a dedicated student and barter staff at Simply Yoga, Belmont, before I began teaching yoga 2.5 years ago. I enjoy teaching deep stretch and gentle restorative classes. I appreciate how yoga brings restoration to the mind, body and spirit and want to share that with my students. I am the Gaston County Meals on Wheels director, and I coordinate nutritional services for the aging population in our county.  I lead with a servant’s heart and desire to enhance the quality of life for the older people in our communities. 

I am committed to exposing as many people to the energy body, yoga, and reiki as we all have the possibility of connecting with universal life force energy to spread love and healing. I have 500 hours of yoga certification, along with certification in Yin Yoga, Chair Yoga and Yoga for Addiction and Recovery. I am certified in Biogeometry. I studied reiki with Diane Stein, the author of Essential Reiki, and I teach Reiki through level 3. I also studied in a year-long program with the Ancestral Knowledge School in a program of self-discovery designed to awaken the shaman within. I have a Ph.D. in Sociology. I teach and conduct research on emotions, inequality, and education when I am not teaching yoga.  ERYT200, RYT500, YACEP

I fell in love with yoga in 2008….after being an avid “gym rat” for years; I took my first yoga class and NEVER returned to a gym – NOT ONCE! It’s that feeling “within” that had me hooked. After practicing for five years I went a little deeper. I received my 230 RYT Certification in Vinyasa Flow in 2013 from Asheville Yoga Center where I trained with Stephanie Keach, Joe Taft and Sierra Hollister. I continue to further my education by attending workshops in various locations and an array of instructors. I also have a 30 hour certification in Kunga Yoga (which simply means “to serve”) which I received with Noelle Whittington at Wilmington Yoga Center.

I was born and raised in Gaston County and just recently moved to Belmont. This year I celebrate 35 years of marriage to an amazing man; I have two children totally grown and on their own whom I am very proud of! Being an avid walker brings me as much joy as being on my mat!! Teaching and “turning people on” to yoga is a true passion of mine and I sure hope to see you on your mat. Yoga is life changing for me in both mind and body and I hope to help you find that “Sweet Peace” as well.

Our beloved sound guru will forever live in our hearts! His high vibrating energy touched the hearts and souls of many!