Our Yoga Instructors
Shannon Smith
Shannon has been a yoga student for a little more than 10 years. As a licensed Physical Therapy Assistant, she took a Yoga as Therapy course and fell in love. She decided in 2016 that she wanted to share her love of yoga to everyone, so she became an instructor, learning from the very qualified yogis at Rasika Yoga School, and then opened Southern Yoga Studio in Rock Hill.
Sharon Fox-Thornton
Sharon began studying yoga while in college. Since that time, her practice deepened through the decades as she raised a family, completed a MBA program, and worked in a fast-paced environment within the financial services industry. She will tell you she is grateful for all aspects of her life, and also grateful for the impact yoga has had to offer her through many challenges in each area of her life, particularly for managing stress.
As a teacher, Sharon’s passion is serve others through yoga styles that lift the spirit , quiet the mind and benefit the body.
Sharon left her corporate job in 2020 to pursue sharing yoga as a teacher. She earned a 200 hour yoga teacher certification in 2018 and is currently completing a 500 hour certification program at Chakra Flow University, studying with Victoria Martinez.
Julie Hance
Julie began practicing yoga 20 years ago to manage stress and recover from an injury. She is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, RYT 500, completing 500 hours of training with Grace Morales with additional training to teach Yoga for Athletes.
Julie’s classes include an awesome playlist and a wide range of poses, with options to get more or less out of each pose. She offers something for everyone in this class regardless of experience level. Taught at Synergy Yoga in Rock Hill, Vital Yoga in Charlotte, and the Woman's Club of Rock Hill.
Angie Huechtker
Angie’s yoga journey began 6 years ago when a back injury led her to a deep stretch yoga class at Riverwalk YMCA. She is now a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, RYT-200. A graduate of the Medical University of SC in Charleston, Angie is a licensed occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience. In addition to working with students with special needs in the Rock Hill School District, she is also certified to teach children’s yoga. Angie and her husband of almost 30 years have 3 children (23, 21, and forever 22). It was when her oldest son unexpectedly passed away in 2020 that she began to seek a more in depth study of yoga and pursued her certification. Yoga has helped her heal and grow stronger spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
OT for 26 years
Yoga alliance RYT- 200
Children’s yoga certified RCYT
Reiki 1 certified
Sound bowl certified
Brittany Winans
Brittany Winans is a yoga instructor and musician who was lucky to find yoga at the age of 17. From her first week of consistent practice, she found that yoga was a perfect combination of movement and focus that complimented her life as a performer in music, dance, and theatre. Because of this, Brittany decided to dive deeper and get her yoga certification. In the summer of 2017, she received her 200-hour RYT from Holy Cow Yoga located in Charleston, SC.
Brittany currently teaches yoga at Southern Yoga Studio, online at YogaVibes.com, and at Winthrop University as a Professor of Yoga. She enjoys guiding her yoga students to decompress by using the tools of yoga to help them be more aware, focused, connected, and open to new experiences. Britt loves to incorporate music, chanting, deep breathing, and emotional healing in her yoga classes.
In addition to her yoga certification, Brittany has a BM in Vocal Performance with a minor in theatre from Winthrop University. When she is not on the mat, you can find Britt in the Rock Hill band CYAN, singing/dancing on stage, teaching music lessons, gardening, cooking, and traveling.