Grace & Grounding Staff
Jordan Yoga Teacher Headshot

Jordan C. Conner

Founder, Counselor, Art Therapist, and Yoga Teacher RYT-200

  • Like many others at the onset of COVID-19 when the whole world shut down, Jordan was confused and increasingly stir crazy. Her FB feed continuously led her to an ad for a live, online yoga training. In her desire for outside connection, she joined the 200-hour yoga teacher training with Yoga Farm Ithaca and 6 months later, she became a certified vinyasa teacher. 

    Though she enjoys all styles of yoga, vinyasa is what Jordan loves to teach most. She enjoys the slow, intentional, yet, sensual movement of the vinyasa practice. Jordan teaches with a gentle and mindful approach, often integrating prayer and breath work throughout. She has directly experienced the benefits of harnessing spirituality in her own yoga practice. In her classes, postures and movement are utilized in a way that helps to build a strong spiritual connection, leading to gratitude and groundedness in the spirit and grace of God.

Yoga Illustration Forward Fold

Rosemary Flamini

Dancer, Marketing Graduate, and Yoga Instructor RYT-200

  • Rosemary turned to yoga in 2020 after an injury ended her 15-year journey with ballet. Needing a gentler practice but still craving movement and challenge, she found healing and purpose through yoga. In her yoga practice, she is drawn to dynamic vinyasa flows that echo her dance background, creating a dance-like rhythm on the mat that feels both familiar and new.

    Although she grew up in the church and always knew God, it was only in the past few years that she has truly experienced the profoundness that a personal relationship with Him brings. She believes yoga is a powerful tool for connecting both mentally and spiritually. 

    Beyond yoga, Rosemary recently graduated from Francis Marion University with a BBA in Marketing Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Sports Marketing. She spends her free time crocheting at coffee shops, traveling, and being with her cats.

Elizabeth Yoga Headshot

Elizabeth Holmes

Singer, Professor of Music, and Yoga Teacher RYT-200

  • Elizabeth was first drawn to yoga in college, when she was told by her voice teacher that practicing yoga could help her improve her singing. She would later realize that yoga’s higher purpose in her life was to help her balance out her Type A personality, resist perfectionism, and learn to practice self-compassion. She has been continuously practicing since 2008.

    Just as singing led her to begin her practice, Elizabeth said yes to becoming a yoga teacher due to her desire to help her voice students access yoga’s benefits for themselves. She has recently completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training with the Balanced School of Yoga, and is currently a student at Yogi Flight School, an online community dedicated to practicing arm balances and inversions. She has found a great deal of overlap between her experience training vocal function in singers and crafting intentional yoga sequences.

    Elizabeth’s favorite style of yoga is a rigorous vinyasa; she finds it impossible to worry about other problems when she is busy figuring out how to make various pretzel shapes with her body. Her classes incorporate challenging postures, but are designed to be accessible to students of all levels, with modifications and variations offered throughout. Elizabeth believes that yoga is a tremendous tool for discovery and growth, as well as deepening connection with ourselves, our community, and the divine.

Laura Harvin

Yoga Teacher RYT-200

  • Growing up in a Christian home, Laura knew about the religion side of Christianity from an early age. It wasn’t until her senior year of college that she found a true relationship with Jesus. Her faith has carried her through every season, from the valleys of anxiety and depression to the mountains of hope and healing. 

    Laura’s yoga journey began after moving to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the search for community led to a deeper connection with faith, movement, and mindfulness. With a focus on body positivity, self-compassion, and grace, Laura’s teaching style supports growth in both physical and spiritual well-being. Whether you are new to yoga or further along your journey, Laura strives to create a welcoming space for students to embrace their individual paths and cultivate a deeper sense of peace and connection.


    Outside of yoga, Laura works remotely for a small school for students with autism and developmental delays in the Virgin Islands. She enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, and anything involving dogs, coffee, and ice cream.

Cherisse Thayer

Assistant Principal and Yoga Teacher RYT-200

  • Cherisse has lived in Florence for all but the first 18 months of her life. She loves the people here, and that she lives close enough to the beach, mountains, and other major cities for day trips while being far enough away to avoid all the tourists!

    Cherisse is a mother to three amazing, and very active, children- Micah (college), Luke (high school), and Eva Jane (elementary school). Her husband, Steven, is her biggest supporter and always tolerates any spur of the moment shenanigans that she comes up with! They also have two dogs, Bonnie and Clyde, and one guinea pig, Rosie. She serves as the assistant principal at McLaurin Elementary School, and enjoys going to church, spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and exercising. She and her family are active members at Cornerstone Baptist Church.

    Cherisse grew up playing year round sports, and her mom taught aerobics at the YMCA and Fitness Forum in Florence for as long as she can remember. When Cherisse went to college in 2002, she discovered that she needed to find a new means of exercise, and that led her to yoga! She got certified in YogaFit, and began teaching classes at the Florence YMCA, and Strom Thurmond and Blatt gyms at USC-Columbia. She discovered that she loved teaching group fitness classes, and became certified through AFAA to teach just about any and all types of classes, Les Mills to teach BodyFlow, and in Zumba. Most recently, she has completed her 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training (BodSphere). Since 2002, she has taught at several gyms in Columbia, the Florence YMCA, the Fitness Forum, Fitness World gyms, and has done private sessions at a few local businesses.

    Cherisse is very passionate about people, and truly enjoys helping others decompress their minds as they increase their strength, flexibility, and confidence through yoga, and she is very excited to be a part of the Grace&Grounding family!

Karen Yoga Headshot

Karen Shorter

Certified Fitness Instructor

Barre, HIGH Fitness, & Kickboxing

  • Karen fell in love with group fitness the summer of 2015 when she intentionally began using exercise as a tool to help her get through a difficult season. While at the gym one day a friend literally pulled her into a group fitness class.  

    It was love at first sight.

    The music, the people, the words of encouragement, the love & acceptance, and the physical challenge were all profoundly healing. From that day on, the classes became a vital and intentional part of recovery, healing, and growth. 

    Two years later, Karen was offered a job teaching group fitness classes and became an AFFA certified group fitness instructor. The job was out of her comfort zone in every single way, but Karen knew the Lord had given her this opportunity and trusted Him to help her. 

    Her teaching specialties cover a wide range. She first loved to teach cardio formats and found it helps process stronger emotions and frustrations, as well as provides a sense of accomplishment and confidence when you rise to meet the challenges.

    Kickboxing was her first cardio love and after learning that format, she became certified to teach another cardio format, HIGH Fitness in 2019.

    While teaching cardio classes, Karen was also teaching Barre and cardio Barre class. She loves teaching Barre as a strength training method as it facilitates a deep connection to body awareness, connection to core & pelvic floor, focus on form, is for all fitness levels, protects athletes from injury, has incredible benefits for pregnant & postpartum moms, and builds confidence. 

    Karen is passionate about what fitness can do to improve a person's mental, emotional, and physical health. As a mother of 4, she also loves providing classes for moms to have an opportunity to focus on their mental & physical health, build strength, and leave refreshed. She strives to provide a warm, welcoming, educational, and fun environment in every class so participants feel comfortable and confident. 

Gentry Durham

G&G INTERN

Undergraduate Psychology Student & Future Counselor

  • Gentry is a senior undergraduate psychology student at Francis Marion University with a passion for creativity and connection to God. After she graduates in December, Gentry plans on pursuing a Master's degree in counseling and becoming licensed so that she may become a school psychologist. She hopes to incorporate art therapy in her future endeavors as she has found artistic expression to be a useful tool for herself and her friends' own mental health. Gentry has also found God to bring her peace in times when she struggles with mental health, which is part of the reason she was drawn to Grace & Grounding. Through Christ, Gentry has found grace and spiritual strength, and wishes to help others understand how He and His words of scripture can provide comfort like no other.