OUR INSTRUCTORS

500hr RYT

Laura Kristine Erickson is the founder of Mountain Kula Yoga and Director of the annual Kula Yoga Fest. After a 20-year career in apparel design in the outdoor and ski industry, her journey into yoga, Ayurveda, and holistic healing led her to open the studio in 2021 with the vision of creating a warm, inclusive space where people can remember the truth of who they are.

Laura was first introduced to yoga in 2005 while designing technical outerwear at Eastern Mountain Sports. It was there she learned the Primary Series of Ashtanga from her colleague Robert Moses, igniting a passion for the physical, emotional, and spiritual depth of yogic living.

She has studied Ayurveda with Cate Stillman, completed a 9-month Heart-Centered Leadership program through the Spiritual Psychology curriculum at the University of Santa Monica, and earned her 300hr YTT with Ashley Turner’s Yoga.Psyche.Soul. Her ongoing studies include Bhakti with Ananda Das, Restorative Yoga & Yoga Nidra with Katie O’Connell, Theta Healing with Jeffrey Charles Warren, and Meditation with Yashoda Devi Ma.

Laura’s teachings are rooted in her devotion to awakening, healing, and community. When she’s not in the studio, she’s likely walking her pup, cheering on the soccer field, or adventuring on bikes and skis with her husband and two sons.

200hr RYT

Vanessa was born and raised in New Delhi, India. She moved to New York as a young adult, to work at Time magazine, and never returned to live in India. She grew up in a household where one of her uncles practiced yoga, much to the entertainment and delight of the children in the household, herself included! Her uncle would search for calm as he stood on his head, and the children would bend over and peer at him in what struck them as an odd way to greet the day! Vanessa has lived in the Mount Washington Valley for over thirty years and teaches three times per week. She received her 200 RYT from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She has practiced yoga for many years, and it has brought a great deal of calm and grace to her life.

200hr RYT

Bobbi thoroughly enjoys all kinds of group exercise and became certified in several different types of movement including Hi/Lo Aerobics, Drums Alive!, Step Aerobics, Cardio Kickboxing and Powder Blue PiYo (Pilates/Yoga). In 2004, she attended Alyssa Sullivan’s class at Synergy Power Yoga in RI and was completely humbled. Yoga was so much more challenging than she ever imagined but it was also very welcoming and had a spiritual element that was missing in other forms of group exercise.
After losing her design-related job during the pandemic, Bobbi chose to attend the Believe You Can Yoga School in Bristol, RI with her long-time, mentors, Jane Viscolosi, E-RYT500, RYS-200, YACEP and Nikki Gelsimono, RYT-200, CPT who were both trained by Baron Baptiste. She continues to take their powerful and soulful classes whenever she visits RI.
When she is not practicing at Mountain Kula Yoga, she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, SUPing, swimming, creating art and geocaching. She has been known to break into dancers pose at the top of NH mountains or on her travels around the world with her husband and 2 adult children.

200hr RYT

Emily completed her 200-hour training at Bending Bodhi in Dover in 2023 and looks forward to continuing her education and deepening her studies this year.

She began practicing yoga at 14 and quickly noticed how much it helped her manage anxiety and stress. Her practice stayed with her through her teenage years and into college, where she completed her 200-hour training during her junior year at UNH. That experience opened up a new way of living as she learned the roots of yoga and how to meaningfully integrate its teachings into everyday life. Through her training, she developed a strong appreciation for using props as supportive tools and for creating classes that are accessible to all abilities. She often jokes that yoga keeps her sane, but in many ways, it truly does. Yoga has taught her how to breathe, balance emotions, and connect more deeply with her body so she can move through the world with compassion and awareness. It has strengthened not only her relationship with herself, but also her relationships with others.

Her classes begin with a few minutes of grounding, often centered around a theme or intention to carry throughout the practice. Sequences include a thoughtful warm-up and gradually build toward a peak posture, often a balancing pose, after several rounds of Sun Salutation variations. Class winds down with a cool down and a well-earned savasana. Breath is intentionally cued throughout, options are consistently offered, and props are always encouraged. She invites students to listen to their bodies and choose what feels supportive, including the option to pause in stillness and simply breathe.

Outside of teaching, she works at Ski New Hampshire and spends as much time outdoors as possible. She is an avid skier, loves to hike and camp, and travels whenever she can. She is passionate about photography, especially film photography for the way it truly captures the feeling of a moment. Above all, she is a huge animal lover.

500hr RYT

Sarika is an E-RYT 500+ yoga teacher, Registered Nurse, Former Yoga Studio Owner, Ayurveda teacher, Song Leader, Vegan Home Cook/Activist, Wife, Dog Mom, Knitter, and Weaver of Community! 

Yoga has been transformative in every way possible for Sarika. Her yoga journey began as a child in India and again as an adult in 2011  with a pursuit for improved mental and physical health. What she found was much more. She began to love herself again and started treating herself and others around her better. Life has never been the same.  

Sarika enjoys creating classes that feel like “Soul Food'' by curating robust experiences including intelligent and creative sequencing, vibey playlists, heart opening/spiritual themes, optional hands on assists, ambiance, and encouragement for connection before and after class. Sarika teaches for longevity, you will never be pushed too hard or too fast, but can expect to make shapes leaving you feeling inspired and in awe of your body!

Sarika has had the pleasure of teaching and co-leading yoga teacher trainings internationally and hopes to bring a diverse wealth of knowledge to North Conway.  

Off the mat you can find Sarika hanging with her soulmate husband Griffin and their 3 dogs- cooking, hiking, reading, or planning the next wild adventure. 

She truly can not wait to meet, gather, and share time with you

200hr RYT

Christine has been a part of the Mountain Kula Yoga family from day 1! When the pandemic hit in 2020, and teacher training could be obtained online, in virtual classrooms, she knew this was her chance to deepen her practice. Eager to engage with the community, Christine completed her 200 hour YTT in 2021, and is continuing her education with a health coaching certification and obtaining her 300 hour YTT. Working as a massage therapist and being introduced to yoga over 20 years ago, she’s excited to continue her service in the healing arts. Though life has a way of throwing one off course from time to time, yoga has always remained fully in her heart.

Slowly but surely the ball is rolling! Though uncertainty still creeps up, Christine reminds herself to take a deep breath and whisper to herself "stop getting in your own way." She's learning to embrace her humanity and hopes to share how yoga has influenced her life beyond the physical practice, and shows her that it’s truly A WAY TO SHOW UP IN THE WORLD.

200hr RYT

Emily began her yoga practice while searching for community and connection—and that same longing is what gently guided her into teaching. She finds deep joy in creating spaces where people can come together and fully be themselves.

To Emily, yoga is so much more than movement. It is a feeling of coming home - a sacred space to gather, to breathe, to soften, and to listen to the quiet wisdom of your body.

In her classes, Emily guides students inward, inviting curiosity, awareness, and a deeper connection to breath, mind, and body. Her teaching includes optional hands-on assists and essential oils. Emily is committed to creating a warm, welcoming, and inclusive space where everyone feels safe, supported, and seen. She truly believes yoga is for every body—no flexibility, strength, or prior experience required.