Teachers

 
Lizzie Warfield, owner and instructor

Lizzie Warfield, owner and instructor

Lizzie Warfield

Lizzie’s yoga journey started in 2014, in which she quickly dedicated herself to her daily practice. A little over a year later, she became Yoga Alliance-certified as an RYT (registered yoga teacher) at the 200 hour level of study. Recently, in 2020, she logged over one thousand hours teaching, becoming an E-RYT (experienced registered yoga teacher) 200, and completed her studies in the RYT 500 hour level.

Lizzie believes in the magic of mindfulness, and the life changing effect it has on every yoga practitioner, no matter their age, gender, race, body type, or any other physical factors; she is very excited to continue growing as a student, teacher, and now owner in the Breathe Yoga & Pilates community!

 
Janna Kropelnicki, instructor

Janna Kropelnicki, instructor

Janna Kropelnicki

Janna is a certified to teach both Yoga and Pilates. She discovered the benefits of Pilates years ago while rehabbing from an injury, and hoped to one day share the practice with others as an instructor. After her retirement in September 2018, she fulfilled that dream and became a certified Pilates instructor and member of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA). She is also certified to teach POP Pilates. In March 2021 she received her RYT200 certification from Subtle Yoga in Asheville, NC. Janna and her partner, Mary, moved to Morganton in 2011, and love it here!

Janna is available for private lessons in the studio. Call or email 828-475-5775 or info@breatheyogawellness.com

Erica Baxter, instructor

Erica Baxter, instructor

Erica Baxter

Erica is a personal trainer and yoga instructor who has a true passion for healthy living and follows a holistic approach when working with her clients. While gaining strength, flexibility, and losing weight are great benefits of the proper lifestyle, it is the balance those things bring to an individual’s life that motivates Erica the most. Erica does not currently have a regularly scheduled class on the schedule, but she offers special events and workshops and substitutes for other instructors periodically.

Martha Bumgarner, instructor

Martha Bumgarner, instructor

Martha Bumgarner

Martha, Breathe's Pilates teacher, is employed full time at the Morganton Aquatic Center as swimming is her other passion.

Peggy Carter, instructor

Peggy Carter, instructor

Peggy Carter

Peggy Carter’s yoga journey began 12 years ago as she sought physical, mental, and spiritual enrichment in her life. Her study in the traditional Iyengar style of yoga led to two years of yoga teacher training under Lori Weimer RYS, resulting in a 250-hour certification in 2010.

Emily Elder, instructor

Emily Elder, instructor

Emily Elder

Emily has been practicing yoga since 1991 and teaching since 2009. She teaches a mixed-levels flow style, where, in addition to a physical workout, students can expect an uplifting theme and careful cueing.

Kelly Hawkins, instructor

Kelly Hawkins, instructor

Kelly Hawkins

Kelly is RYT-200 trained by Kristine Kaoverri Weber with additional training in prenatal yoga. Her beginner to intermediate classes blend asana (poses), pranayama (breath work) and meditation to help her students deepen their asana practice, better manage the stressors in their lives, and explore their mind-body connection. Kelly does not currently have a regularly scheduled class on the schedule, but she substitutes for other instructors periodically.

Karin Novak, instructor

Karin Novak, instructor

Karin Novak

Karin Novak, Registered Yoga Teacher, has lived in the NC foothills since 1993. After moving here from Iowa, she met her now husband, Bob. They live in Morganton with their dog, Ozzie, and two cats, Nigel and Shanti Om. Karin currently teaches our Yoga for Seniors classes and is available for private sessions as well.

Larisa Scott, instructor

Larisa Scott, instructor

Larisa Scott

Larisa Scott has been teaching group fitness and personal training since 1996. Her yoga journey began in 2013 and she was introduced to the Ashtanga Yoga Method during her first 200 hour teacher training. Larisa considers herself a student, always. She enjoys learning and is currently exploring functional movement and how that can be incorporated into our movement practices, including yoga asana, so we can move well throughout our lives. Larisa holds an additional certification as a LYT Yoga instructor, level 1.

Rebecca Toman, instructor

Rebecca Toman, instructor

Rebecca Toman

She is working at Breathe Yoga & Wellness to provide Community Yoga classes by donation. She has used yoga as a grounding force throughout her experiences in traveling, as well as daily life.

Darrell Watson, instructor

Darrell Watson, instructor

Darrell Watson

A brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Darrell found yoga while exploring tools to help his game. In his teaching, he would like to share with others the light that yoga has shined on him.

Montana Gramer, instructor

Montana Gramer, instructor

Montana Gramer

Montana fell in love with yoga during her last two years of college in Chapel Hill, NC. She received her CYT-200 in 2018 from Asheville Yoga Center. After living and studying in France for a couple of months, she is back in western North Carolina and eager to share her practice with the community.

Laura Ford Huber, instructor

Laura Ford Huber, instructor

Laura Ford Huber

Laura found yoga as a serious practice after a solo cross country move in 2007. It taught her presence and an embodiment that she had never experienced before. Her desire to share this joy began with a teacher training at a non-traditional yoga studio, which fueled the fire to find her voice and her own teaching style from many workshops, trainings, retreats and admirable teachers.

 Finding her way back to the Appalachias in 2018, with her horticultural background and partner, Dustins’ Nebraskan ancestral roots in ranching – they set out on a mission to reconnect and contribute to the overall health and awareness to a healthy ecosystem by starting a Bioregional Herbal Growing Forest Farm –Embracing Ground - their own peaceful, healing space. 

Laura says she is fulfilling her dharma by encouraging others towards their own transformational journey of healing and empowerment through the art of yoga and natural medicine.

Ivy Johnson, Barre Pilates instructor

Ivy Johnson, Barre Pilates instructor

Ivy Johnson

Ivy Johnson is a Burke County native. She grew up on Lake James and now lives in the area with her husband and two children: Finnegan and Scarlett. She manages Mountain View Pediatrics in Morganton, Gamewell, and Rutherford College. Ivy grew up dancing and has always had a love for the barre. Ivy recently got certified in barre and is working on other levels of certification to be able to offer a wide variety of barre classes to the community.

Sarah Shippen, instructor

Sarah Shippen, instructor

Sarah Shippen

Sarah started personal training and teaching yoga and pilates in 2017 after getting her ACSM Exercise Physiologist certification. After a year of practicing yoga and pilates, she decided to obtain a 200 hour certification with Yoga Alliance in 2018 to become a more knowledgeable teacher and combine it with her Exercise Physiology degree. She loves helping people incorporate yoga and Pilates principles into daily living to strengthen the core and create muscle balance for quality of movement. She has a passion for healthy living, positivity, and encouragement.