OUR TEACHERS
Kelly Dougherty
Kelly promotes a calm, comfortable aura through her teaching. Her class provides the space where your lists and outside responsibilities are not invited. This is your time to find relaxation and rejuvenation. She teaches alignment-based, flow, and restorative classes that strengthen and challenge both the body and mind. Her classes are appropriate from beginner students to experienced yoga practitioners. Her use of various props, assist the student in gaining the most benefit from each pose.
Kelly's classes teach you to calm the mind while bringing awareness to the body.
Along with her 200 hr RYT certification, she completed curriculum training with the Mindful Schools Program and works with both adults and children teaching mindfulness techniques and practices.
Kelly Dougherty is a vibrant woman who is trying to help ground others in wholesome disciplines. A free yoga class at college was her first experience with yoga. After college she found herself developing a personal practice while living in Nicaragua for 2 years. During that time she continuously shared yoga with many of her friends and neighbors. Since moving to North Carolina she wanted to deepen her knowledge and experience with yoga. She found her opportunity in a 200 hr Yoga teacher training at Sunrise Yoga Studio in Clemmons, NC. Since then she has found herself ever more grounded in Yoga and its enrichment.
Kelly also runs Lavender Anne's Herb Farm and lives in a tiny home with her husband and three children on their land in Dobson. They have a homestead where they grow their own food and herbs for their business. Kelly loves connecting her study of the mind and body with they study of the earth. She believes taking care of our own bodies, each other and the earth is the way to health.
Sheila Lehman
Sheila is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200) through SmartFlow Yoga under Annie Carpenter and RYT500 through Shanti Yoga. She is also a Reiki Master, Certified Aromatherapist, Folk Herbalist, as well as being certified in Yoga for All, Trauma-Informed Yoga, WildCore movement, and Expressive Yoga Dance. Besides training with Annie Carpenter, she has taken workshops with master teachers, such as Shiva Rea, Rodney Yee, Seane Corn, Aadil Palkhivala, and Dharma Mittra. Sheila has been practicing yoga for over 25 years. She came to yoga in an attempt to find relief from herniated and prolapsed discs in her lower spine. The slow mindful movements provided by yoga resulted in her finding connection, space, relief, and eventually healing.
For Sheila yoga is a way of life, not just on the mat but also off of it. She believes there is no proverbial “yoga body” but rather that yoga is for “every body” regardless of age, size, gender, or physical ability. It is a dance between breath and movement that allows the individual to bring these two things together in harmony. With proper alignment, modifications, and props every body and everybody can move into that “perfect” pose.
Erin is a native Texan, mother of two, Navy Veteran, and prior physician practice manager in Virginia.
After many years of running, spinning, aerobics and other exercise endeavors, she was inspired to create her own long-term, heart/mind wellness lifestyle and sought the philosophical and physical practice of yoga. In 2022, Erin embarked on the intensive 200 hr Iyengar Yoga program with Valerie Kiser in Clemmons, NC and is enjoying the mental and physical challenge of learning to be mindful and healthful for life. Her next goal is to complete the full 500 hour certified yoga instructor program and share the yoga journey with others seeking the same balance.
Erin is an avid hiker, biker, gardener, yogi, newly discovered equine lover and small farm owner in State Road, NC.
Erin Shiner
Melissa Ameika
Hua! My name is Melissa Ameika and my calling is to be the light and to be of service in our community. I have been practicing Reiki since 2005 and was certified as a Reiki Master/Teacher in 2009. As a life long lover of music and its healing power, I was trained in Sound Healing in 2019. I have had the pleasure of studying indigenous healing techniques and ceremony with various medicine men/women since 2009 and my desire is to share that knowledge and healing.
Some of my greatest joy is giving Reiki to animals such as dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, birds, etc.
I have spent many years volunteering at cancer centers and had the pleasure of participating in Reiki research. I also volunteered with the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) in Las Vegas, NV, where I responded to scenes of tragedy with First Responders to provide practical and emotional support to survivors, witnesses and first responders.
Website: www.healingfrommedicaltrauma.weebly.com
Email: melissa.ameika@gmail.com
Natalie Lopez Williams
Natalie ( Nat), was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is the daughter of a musician and teacher and was raised with music. Her passion for the arts continued when she discovered her talent for dancing, acting and singing during her high school years.
She played viola for 10 years. Went to InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico were she obtain her BSN (Bachelor in Science of Nursing), Participated on Army ROTC for 2 years and become an MVP cadet. Also, participated all thru her college journey as a Symphony Orchestra and choir member.
She has danced Salsa for 5 years under the coaching of Tito Ortos, Michelle Rodriguez and Norma Rivera. As well as participated in Puerto Rico Salsa Congress two years in a row (2015,2016) for exhibition and teaching purposes only. Now she’s a mother of a 8 year old boy and a one year old girl. Pursuing her Nursing career in North Carolina, she still wanted to stay connected to dancing and music so she got her certification as a Zumba Instructor and AFFA-GFI (Group Fitness Instructor) and teaches hip hop and salsa in Rhythm Dance Studio at Sparta, NC and Zumba and salsa at Yoga On Main Elkin, NC since 2018.
Kim is a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach with a passion for helping clients achieve their fitness and wellness goals. She taught strength training classes and coached Nutrition for four years in Washington State. Kim moved to North Carolina in October of last year, and is excited to continue teaching strength training classes here.
Kim Campbell
Kristy was raised in Winston-Salem, NC but moved away for many years. Kristy is back and loves the Elkin area. Kristy has been a Licensed Clinical Social worker since 2009 but also worked in mental health prior to full licensure. Kristy now works at Atrium WFBH as a counselor at the Weight Management Clinic where she also teaches a chair yoga class. Kristy earned her 200 hour Yoga certification in August of 2022. Kristy believes in good self care, giving ourselves grace, and accepting and loving each of our unique qualities. Kristy is excited to share chair yoga with anyone willing to learn! This is a very gentle and accessible practice for everyone!
Kristy Zappia
Sarah McWilson
Sarah sees yoga as an integral part of her own self-care, empowerment, and ability to feel grounded in her body, and connected to spirit. When she’s practicing yoga, the rest of her life flows with less resistance. It’s her intention to share this sense of being with others. And make yoga feel accessible and approachable to all.
Sarah’s relationship with yoga dates back to college, where she took multiple semesters. Several years later, saying “yes” to the opportunity to take over a class at a local gym helped further her desire to guide yoga, while offering her a needed balance to running.
In 2017, while living in St. Augustine, Florida, Sarah completed the immersive 200-hour certification program at Discovery Yoga Center, in the Kripalu tradition. With an emphasis on pranayama (breath as life force) and making yoga adaptable and inclusive, this experience gave Sarah the framework she’s built upon since.
Sarah’s led pop-up offerings from farm fields to communal spaces, while living tiny on wheels for the past five years, and creating public art installations in the form of painted murals, alongside her partner as HAND IN HAND. Home is a 100-square-foot DIY box truck affectionately named “The Marshmellow” (spelled mellow with the intention to be more chill).
Elkin has become Sarah’s homebase, and she looks forward to sharing her yoga practice through her All Levels Flow class. So much of our life is lived in the mind. Sarah’s goal is helping you feel more at home within your body.
Outside of yoga and creative work, Sarah’s other meditative practice is trail running. Like everything in her life, it’s all for connection! — with self, and within community.
Sarah writes a weekly-ish letter on being human and letting go called “Learning to Float.” You can read and receive it here: learningtofloat.substack.com
Collaborative creative work: handinhandcreative.org
Kym Goins
Kym Goins didn’t think yoga was something she could do in her large body. And she set out to prove herself wrong. In that process, she found that yoga is an opportunity to show up for ourselves where we are right now and tune in. It’s a practice of connection. It teaches us how to care in a more balanced way for ourselves and others. It is something that is definitely worth overcoming your fears to try and do. You could start here.
The weekly Body Kindness class that Kym teaches, most often begins with breath work and then works slowly into stretches, movement and the practice of the poses. It is a quiet, gentle way to begin the day. The focus on modifications and use of multiple props allows stretching and poses to be more accessible for our bodies. And our bodies tend to be different every day. It’s a light hearted affair and at times a heart opening one too.
Kym has been teaching yoga since 2015. She is certified in Curvy Yoga, Yin Yoga and Deep Stretch Yoga. She has completed courses in Yoga for Trauma, Yoga for All, and Yoga for Addiction. She is invested in yoga being accessible to everyone. EVERYONE. She is a lover of poetry and carries a book of Mary Oliver’s poems with her everywhere she goes. She loves three dogs, a crippled deer and windy days.
If you have questions about this class, you can email kymgoins@gmail.com and she’d be happy to explore that conversation with you.
