I so enjoyed my “Eat, Play, Move” experience!!  The daily schedule was relaxed, flexible and truly playful..   Peggy and the staff at Brooklodge treated us like royalty!!  And the food…all I can say is every meal was an amazing adventure.  Patti R. – Brooklyn, MI

I was delighted to get the opportunity to attend the Eat Play Move retreat in beautiful Brook Lodge in October 2016. I can’t overstate how enriching the whole experience was! It was a magical time, and I got to experience things that I never would in my day to day life. The days were really well-balanced with a nice mixture of activities as well as time to enjoy the wonderful setting. I loved Peggy’s movement workshops and her gentle, insightful, fun and supportive way of teaching put everyone at ease from the very start.

As someone who has had very little contact with horses before, a highlight for me was going to the stables and learning how to groom and lead them. Peggy’s love for the horses was contagious and I think everyone in the group learned something about ourselves through our time with them. Another highlight was sharing wonderful meals with the other members of the group (the food in Brook Lodge is incredible!) and taking part in the wild food scavenger hunt. I would highly recommend the retreat to anyone who wants to take a little time for self-care and self-development.   Deirdre C. – Dublin, Ireland  (October 2016 Ireland Retreat)

Peggy is simply fabulous – supportive, knowledgeable, and fun.  I’ve been working with Peggy for over 7 years.  During that time, I’ve learned to appreciate my body, I’ve improved my fitness, and – as a bonus – lost 15% of my body weight.  I highly recommend her!  Laurie B. – Durham

As a District Manager in a financial services firm, I was experiencing the ill effects of a sedentary job with high travel and poor eating habits. As a result of Peggy’s coaching (which fit into my very busy calendar), I have found out what’s important about my fitness goals and how to fit them into my lifestyle. I have lost 20 pounds and have my blood pressure back under control.  Thank you Peggy!”                 Pete W. – Raleigh, NC  (Phone Support Client)

“Training with Peggy is an enjoyable experience.  She greets you with a smile,  always cheerful and has a great sense of humor. she takes the time and effort together to understand your body’s strengths, weaknesses and limitations so that the effectiveness of you workout is maximized and injury is avoided.  She has helped me with many things including core strength, posture, correct use of muscles and strengthening the muscles that support my troubled knees.

Progress without injury.  I have dropped a number of pounds in the process with no real effort on my part.  She is truly a very nice person who wants the best for her clients.  With Peggy there is no such thing as a one size fits all workout.  I am very grateful for being able to work with Peggy.”                    Nancy S. – Durham, NC

“Peggy has been an excellent resource for my return to exercise after many surgeries and injuries.  She has individualized my care and program, and has been attentive to my special needs.  I highly recommend Peggy’s services.”              Ruth S, RN – Durham, NC

“A few months ago I felt worse than normal.  I wanted to exercise, but was afraid I would do something to cause me to be worse than I already was.  I did not know how far to push myself.  I am 67 years old, so that may explain some of it.  I was also scheduled to have knee replacement, but did not go through with it.

I called Peggy, made an appointment and have been working with her since.  She has shown me what my body needs to feel better.  I have more energy, better coordination and my balance is better.  People even ask me about my knee surgery because I’m walking so much better now, and I never had that surgery!  I’ve even lost a few pounds, but my goal was to just feel better.

Working with Peggy has given me insight to better posture, eating better for me, feeling better about myself.  I like having more energy and am doing a lot more.  Working with Peggy is the best thing I’ve done for myself in the past few years.  I’m sticking with my exercise program because I know how much better it makes me feel.”             Claudia P. – Roxboro, NC

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Peggy Norwood Stella, M.A., for those who may be seeking an extremely authoritative, yet kind and patient instructor in the art of using the body correctly to achieve optimal physical health. I am a Cardiologist and Professor Emeritus in Cardiology at Duke University and have spent my career treating 1000’s of heart attacks while they were occurring and dealing with the aftermath, writing over 300 scientific peer reviewed articles, abstracts and books on the subject in the process.  While continuing to seek new treatments for patients with heart attacks, I have developed an equally strong interest in preventing those tragic events from occurring in the first place.

   I have discovered a most knowledgeable and talented colleague in Peggy Norwood Stella. She graduated from Duke and eventually became the Fitness Director for the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.   She received a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and also served as Fitness Director for Pritikin Center and Structure House.   I have worked with her personally and she has taught me how to use my body correctly in order to maintain an exercise program that is tremendously satisfying, rewarding and fun.

   I learned from her that traditional exercise programs that focus only on how much weight you can lift, absent proper use of the body, can lead to major orthopedic problems over time and are generally very inefficient.   Instead, she teaches in an amazingly effective and comprehensive way, how to learn proper alignment of the skeletal system in order to provide a maximally supportive structural platform in which to lift the weights.   This is done in a way that actually reduces orthopedic wear and tear while ultimately resulting in the greatest muscular strength.   In addition to working with Peggy on a professional level to offer help to others seeking a permanent change toward a joyous, healthy lifestyle, she has changed my life personally toward that end.              For this I am very, very grateful.

Richard S. Stack, MD, FACC – Cardiologist, Professor Emeritus – Duke University

For more info on our fabulous Irish Retreats, go here:  Retreats Page