After practicing yoga for nearly 10 years, Abigail was intrigued to learn more and share her love of the practice with others.  Abigail completed her 200-hour teacher training under the direction of Sandy Raper. Abigail personally practices at Soful and has a dedicated love of this wonderful community. Besides yoga, Abigail spends most of her time being a blessed wife to her husband, Erik, and a mother to their four spirited daughters.

Amber discovered yoga in 2005 and was immediately drawn to its blend of movement, breath, and self-awareness. This journey led her to complete her 200 - hour certification with Divine Shanti yoga in 2013. After completing the training, Amber felt called to give back through karma yoga and began offering free community classes. Moved by the impact she witnessed in others, she knew she had found her path. Amber is passionate about guiding others in exploring how breath, movement, and mindfulness can be woven into everyday life to support balance and well being. Join her for a welcoming and nourishing practice - an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and be fully present.

Anne Austin (RYT 500) earned her 200-hour certification and her 300-hour Advanced Yoga studies with Sandy Raper Yoga and Wellness. She has been a student of the practice for fifteen years and a teacher for eight. Anne teaches a creative traditional style flow linking movement with the breath, incorporating functional alignment and anatomical based principles, for strength and stability. Empowering students to build a sustainable practice that supports life long movement. Believing, “Yoga is not about the shapes we shift our bodies into, but how well we move our bodies through life!”

Ashleigh Duncan discovered her passion for Pilates while working at the YMCA, where she saw the growing demand for classes and pursued her Mat Pilates Specialist Certification through IFTA. As the Fitness Coordinator at the JF Hurley YMCA, she teaches Pilates, Barre, and Step Aerobics, holding certifications in Group Exercise, Personal Training, Mat Pilates, and Barre. Ashleigh’s classes are known for their upbeat energy and fun music, but Pilates has also taught her the value of slowing down, focusing on controlled movements, proper form, and core engagement. Her philosophy is to share the benefits of the mind-body connection through intentional movement, helping participants build strength, balance, and awareness both on and off the mat.

Bev was certified through the American Council on Exercise in NY and received her 200-hour training with Sandy Raper here in NC. She loves hiking, living the lake life, and traveling to explore new places with her husband. She has been practicing yoga for 20+ years and throughout the last 10, Bev’s dedication to yoga has brought her closer to her mat. Through the breath and movement of yoga, Bev hopes to help students notice and feel the inner calm that yoga teaches is within us all and take our peace ‘off the mat’ and into the world. Bev has been reconnected with her love of pilates and is excited about being able to offer this to the SoFul community.

Carmen developed a love of yoga after rededicating to her practice in 2023 and seeing the positive impacts on her mind and body. She completed her 200 hr YTT in April 2024. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing the mental and physical growth of her students. When not on her mat, Carmen enjoys spending time with her two children and dog in Concord, running and exploring the area with friends.

Erin Messmer is a 500 hour certified yoga teacher. She completed all of her yoga training at Asheville Yoga Center and brings a laid back teaching style along with trauma informed practices. Erin is passionate about creating an environment in her yoga classes where people of all abilities and body-types feel welcome. Erin has lived in downtown Kannapolis since 2003.

Gail is one of the women who, in 2016, decided Salisbury was in need of a yoga studio. This woman-powered movement birthed SoFul in 2017, and Gail has nurtured it since its conception. Gail completed her 200-hour yoga instructor certificate with Peachtree Yoga Center/Atlanta Yoga Fellowship in 1996 and is certified by the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Her gentle, slow-paced classes focus on breath, alignment, balance, strength, and flexibility. Gail lives in Salisbury and loves spending time in nature.

Janet has 27 years of experience in fitness and is a certified Les Mills instructor in multiple programs. She is a 500-hour yoga trained teacher, obtaining her 200-hour and 300-hour certifications from Yoga Renew. She is also certified in Yin, Restorative and Prenatal Yoga. She loves to encourage her students to explore their bodies through steady movements that will help with flexibility, strengthening, and invigorating the mind. Janet enjoys spending time with her family and her pets. She is an active gardener, bird watcher and loves to hike and walk. She is also the attractions/greenspace blogger for Your Rowan.

Jenny's yoga journey began in college where she fell in love with yogasana. A regular student at SoFul, she decided to pursue her 200-hour YTT certification to learn more about her personal practice; particularly breath work and the art of being still. She completed her training under the instruction of Diane Cevallos, Sandy Raper and Robin Blackwell. She loves the culture and community created at SoFul and is excited to play an active part sharing the gift of yoga with others. A Rowan County native, Jenny has two children, two cats, one dog, three baby goats and loves to travel with her best friend! She works full time as a health and wellness coach and also operates a small real estate business.

Kai discovered yoga in 2006 in Los Angeles while seeking relief from jet lag as a flight attendant. The practice became her anchor during life’s challenges, including the loss of her mother in 2019. She completed her 200-Hour Teacher Training in 2018 and advanced 300-Hour Training in 2019 at BE Yoga Charlotte. Since then, Kai has taught at Synergy Yoga Wellness, led women’s retreats with Rising Strong Her, and now teaches at Elite Gym Fitness. For Kai, yoga is a mindful way of living that blends breath, movement, and presence. Off the mat, she enjoys life as a wife, a proud "yaya" to her granddaughter, and a dog mom to Bella.

Karley has been practicing yoga since 2013 and previously taught at Appalachian State in the University Recreation Program. She completed her 200-hour certification with Be Yoga in May 2021. Karley loves sharing yoga with others and hopes that those coming to her classes will find it a place to breathe deeply, let go, and reconnect with the beauty of their inner selves. When she is not practicing yoga or spending time with her family, Karley enjoys hiking, gardening, and baking.

Kristen has practiced yoga her whole adult life, but it was after becoming a mom and wife that she felt called to share its healing with others. She earned her 500-hour yoga teacher training and a 100-hour Nada Yoga sound healing certificate from Chakra Flow University in Charlotte. Passionate about balancing the chakras through all eight limbs of yoga, Kristen specializes in vinyasa flow, sound healing, and breathwork—using movement, breath, and sound to release and restore. When she’s not teaching, she can be found tending her gardens, mentoring new yoga teachers, or enjoying nature with her family through hiking and paddle boarding.

Mary Tess Humberger fell in love with Pilates for its unique ability to deliver powerful results through low-impact, controlled movement. She appreciates the way Pilates blends strength training with functionality, making it accessible and beneficial for everyone—whether athletes, those in recovery, or anyone looking to move with greater intention. Mary Tess holds Mat 1 and Mat 2 Pilates Certifications from Power Pilates. Her personal journey has transformed exercise from something she once viewed as punishment into a source of joy, strength, and balance. Her passion is to help women not only build physical strength but also grow mentally and spiritually. She seeks to guide women in understanding, from a biblical perspective, how their bodies were created, their purpose, and how to honor and care for them.

Meredith (E-RYT 200) began practicing yoga in 2000 as a newlywed with her husband, Andy. Since then she's discovered the deep and diverse benefits of the practice, so much so that when the opportunity to study with Sandy Raper surfaced in the summer of 2017, she was ready. Since completing her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in February 2018, she has been able to bring yoga to unique venues in Salisbury and across Rowan County as well as regional music festivals. When she's not practicing yoga, Meredith spends her days teaching art to high school students. Meredith loves to travel, listen to live music, and incorporate outdoorsy and athletic adventures while doing so–often with her husband, pup, and/or adult daughters by her side. Find her on IG: @big_love_yoga

Nicolle is new to teaching yoga, but not new to the practice of yoga. She began practicing yoga 18 years ago after the birth of her sixth child as a way to regain physical and emotional strength and well being. Over the years, through many very challenging times, Nicolle has found yoga to be the place she can return to for grounding, clarity and an opportunity to practice mindfulness. She has also used yoga principles to inform the coping strategies she offers her clients in her private practice as a therapist. Thus last year she was drawn to take on teacher training with Sandy Raper to deepen her knowledge and understanding. Nicolle’s philosophy of teaching is to encourage students to look inward and learn to turn off the mental chatter and listen to the intuitive needs of the body and spirit—with the ultimate goal of taking the yoga practice “off of the mat” into students’ everyday life experiences.

Reagan Pruett is a native of the Wild and Wonderful state of West Virginia. She received her first group fitness certification through the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) in 2020 and shortly after obtained her 200 hr YTT. Over the years she has continued her education and teaching in Barre, Pilates, Yoga, and TRX. Reagan enjoys learning the benefits of different modalities of movement and believes movement should be accessible for everyBODY. Her goal is to leave you feeling confident, challenged, and curious for more.

Rebecca was first introduced to yoga in high school, where she quickly discovered that yoga is much more than poses. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in 2020 and has been teaching in a variety of settings ever since. Rebecca leads vinyasa classes that link breath with movement, beginning slowly and building in heat and energy. She loves weaving themes and music into her flows, and while vinyasa is her favorite style to teach, she enjoys exploring all types of yoga and learning from different approaches.

Renee received certification in meditation and ayurvedic wellness through Chopra Global, and was waiting for an opportunity to present itself for yoga training. Renee attended her 200-hr YTT training under Sandy Raper, Diane Cevallos, and Robin Blackwell; and then further took an additional 200-hr YTT training with Sarah Finger through Chopra Global and IIN. Renee earned her Vedic Educator certification through Chopra in the spring of 2024, having achieved certification in all three of their training programs. Renee works full-time as a stenographer, loves travel, and is married with two grown children. She looks forward to bringing her love of yoga into the studio, helping others to find peace and joy in their practice and in their bodies.

From the moment Sacha first sat on the mat over 15 years ago, she felt like she had come home. At the time, her life was chaotic and unmanageable, but dedicating just two minutes a day to her practice transformed her life. Along her journey, Sacha has attended silent retreats and trainings with the NC Zen Center and The Art of Living. Her personal practice has been her greatest teacher, complemented by studies with Mindful Schools, MBSR, and Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful breathing technique. She also spent five years teaching mindfulness to K-5 students. When she’s not on the mat, Sacha can be found exploring the woods with her dogs or working on her cabin in Sparta, where she hosts events.

Sandy Raper, E-RYT 500, Yoga Medicine™ Therapeutic Specialist, RYS, Author, and Podcaster, has over two decades of teaching experience and more than a decade of equipping, mentoring, and training others to teach. She has studied extensively with Rolf Gates and Tiffany Cruikshank and is known for her empowering teaching methodology—guiding others to develop a sustainable, lasting yoga practice that supports optimal living and success in all areas of life, helping them stand tall and stand well through every season. www.sandyraper.com

Stephanie began practicing yoga regularly during graduate school, as a way to help with anxiety and increase strength and agility. She soon discovered that her practice fostered her mental and emotional growth and wanted to share yoga’s benefits with others. Stephanie completed her 200 hour teacher training with Sandy Raper and is currently completing her 300 hour training. She loves to encourage students to take the lessons of yoga “off the mat” and out into their day with them. She draws upon the calm and stillness yoga provides in order to meet the demands of her daily life with a full and open heart.

When Tamsey realized her love for movement could be translated into helping others live strong and beautiful lives, she pursued group exercise and Pilates certifications through the American Fitness and Aerobics Association in 2012. Since then, she has continued her education as an instructor and trainer with multiple certifications through Les Mills International, Barre Above, Fluidity Barre, ACE, and NASM. As a group fitness instructor, Tamsey believes in empowering people through intentional, joyful movement. In her Pilates classes specifically, she creates a supportive environment where participants can build strength, improve mobility, and reconnect with their bodies. Her goal is to help every individual move through life with greater ease, resilience, and freedom—ready for both everyday challenges and extraordinary adventures.