
THE CENTER YOGA COLLECTIVE
PARTNER
THE CENTER YOGA COLLECTIVE
THECENTERDOWNTOWN.COM
THE CENTER YOGA COLLECTIVE
Suite 201
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Suite 201
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Tel. (540)383-9052
THECENTERYOGACOLLECTIVE@GMAIL.COM


Tel. (540)383-9052
THECENTERYOGACOLLECTIVE@GMAIL.COM
PROFILES
FESTIVALS
What inspired you to create a festival?
Several years ago Northface reached out to me to see if I would host a yoga retreat at Plattekill, for their employees. I was so excited. In the end, the weather turned bad and the company canceled their retreat. I was disappointed, but it gave me the idea to start offering special “Yoga on the Mountain “ classes in the summertime. People would get to ride the lift to the deck at the top of the mountain and I would lead yoga classes there.
Soon after that, I had people contacting me about bachelorette parties and morning yoga before their weddings. It was pretty cool and I thought, hmm…I’ve got something special here! Then I got thinking about all the amazing yoga instructors right here in upstate NY. We are so lucky to have so many amazing teachers here and people were loving the yoga on the mountain classes. My classes always sold out
Another part of this story includes my past as a yoga, dance and fitness instructor.I own The Cardio Club and Delhi Dance Studio. For a decade I would go to these large dance and fitness conventions in NYC or Philadelphia. I loved them and I would take classes all day! It was a dream come true! I thought that someday I would like to create something like this for my community.
I also do a lot of fundraising and events for my community. I am the chairperson for the Delhi Children’s Christmas Fund, I was the founder and president of the Catskill Ladies Association to support and inspire for ten years, the president of the Greater Delhi Area Chamber of commerce for four years and one of the founding members and President of the Delaware Academy PTA. Through these organizations I have gained knowledge and strength in event planning. I love working with my community, bringing joy to people and connecting people too! This helped me find my way as a festival coordinator.
Long story short, after the yoga on the mountain classes were such a big hit, I decided to take a leap of faith and host a yoga festival at Plattekill mountain. The first festival was scheduled for July 2020, then rescheduled for September 2020 when Covid hit. Of course, the September event never happened either. It was the height of covid and people were afraid to gather! we had to cancel the event for 2020, which was pretty devastating, but we bounced back and brought on the fun in July 202, the event was a success! Everyone loved it!! We grew and were even better in 2022 and plan to be the best fest yet in 2023! All of our Catskill Yoga Fest community love us as much as we love them! They keep bringing back more friends and family to join in the fun! We hope that rings true for 2023 too!!
What makes your festival unique?
We bring together instructors from all over the country, but many of these amazing folks reside right in New York State! There were so many amazing instructors in the area. I knew I had to bring them together! Another highlight of the fest is its location. It is located at Plattekill Mountain Ski Center. There is a deck at the mountaintop, which is a special place to practice yoga! It is a humbling experience. Participants ride the lift up to the top and get to practice in the clouds! We have classes for every BODY! Everything from restorative yoga, to focus on inversions, aerial yoga, yoga trapeze and everything in between! We have a hike led by the president of the Catskill Mountain Club, an amazing vendor village, awesome workshops, practitioners and plant walks too!
What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
It is hard to highlight just one! All the instructors are unique and bring something very special to the fest! We could not do it without them! Kelly Kamm, a world renowned Yogi, will be headlining the fest with her Mythical Vinyasa and fun, quirky style!
www.catskillmountainyogafestival.com
@catskillmountainyogafestival
www.thecardioclub.com
We offer accessible, inclusive, interactive online live and on-demand yoga classes and therapy, workshops, yoga teacher training, yoga therapy and meditation teacher training that goes deep and stays with you.
We are accredited by the Canadian Yoga Alliance and The International Association of Yoga Therapists and our studio has the longest running yoga teacher training programs in Cambridge, Ontario.
INFO@ATLASSTUDIO.COM
Mission:
“From humble, radiant roots to beautiful, bountiful bloom, The Lovely Little Lotus yoga involves an exploration and reinvigoration of all that we already are.” – Larissa Noto, Owner
The Lovely Little Lotus’ mission is to create an inclusive, accessible environment for all those who enter the space. Classes are well-rounded and center around the 8 limbs of yoga in all aspects of the practice in the hopes that yoga is taken off the mat and brought into our everyday lives. Classes are geared to all ages and abilities – from Mindful Monday Meditations and Kids Yoga Storytime to monthly ASL Signed Storytime events as well as Prenatal, Chair, Gentle, Somatic, Yin and Restorative Sound Baths. There’s something for everyone, every body and every mind to explore in this inclusive space.
Larissa R. Noto, JD, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP, PYI Yoga Therapist Candidate
Larissa has been practicing yoga, and meditation for 24 years, and teaching yoga, meditation and mindfulness for the past 8 years. She took her first class in 1998, while fulfilling a gym requirement in college. Then she became hooked — not just by the physical practice, but also with the way yoga helped her body, mind and soul feel both on and off the mat. She is a former secondary school teacher and lawyer, turned 500 hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500, YACEP) with Easton Yoga, The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem, West End and Soma Yoga Institute. She is also a 95 hour Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT) and 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) with Childlight Education Company. Larissa is two practicums away from completing her I-AYT certification from Prema Yoga Institute. Larissa has taught and trained all over the world in various yoga modalities, with a specialty in trauma informed somatic movement that is accessible to all ages and abilities. Larissa supports students of all ages and abilities in day cares, schools, universities, hospitals, counseling and recovery centers, libraries and retirement/community centers. She “retired” from the law in 2019 and is now a teacher, trainer, speaker and content contributor with Childlight Education Company (NH), Pratyush Sinha Foundation (PA), and Prema Yoga Institute (NY). When she is not sharing her love of yoga with others, she is a wife, mom of 3 boys, children’s book author, professor and special needs advocate.
thelovelylittlelotus@gmail.com
Laura Erickson is the founder and owner of Mountain Kula Yoga. After a 20 year career in apparel design, her love of yoga, and connection to the Be Well community led her to acquire the yoga space at Be Well Studios and launch Mountain Kula Yoga. Laura was first introduced to yoga in 2005 while working at Eastern Mountain Sports Base Camp in Peterborough, NH. It was there that she learned the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga from former employee and co-worker, Robert Moses. Taking classes at Be Well Studios, she continued to deepen her Ashtanga practice with Dana Deschenes and was inspired to pursue teacher training, seeking not only the physical, but the mental and emotional benefits of a yogic lifestyle. She has studied Ayurveda with Cate Stillman, Heart Centered Leadership and Facilitation via the Spiritual Psychology curriculum of the University of Santa Monica, and most recently received her 300hr RYT from Ashley Turners Yoga.Psyche.Soul teacher training, focused on yoga psychology, yoga for mental health, social justice, and trauma-informed yoga.
Laura is most looking forward to welcoming and connecting with old and new friends as we return to practice in our new studio, and is humbled to play a small part in spreading the healing and transformational effects of yoga to the larger community. When not in the studio or on her mat, Laura can be found enjoying time outside with her husband and two sons, mountain biking in the summer and skiing in the winter, and occasionally attempting a headstand on a SUP.
Hello@mountainkulayoga.com