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

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

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.

300hr RYT

Stacey Forend, RYT300, Yoga Teacher, Psychic Medium, Energy Therapist, Birth & End of Life Doula and Lifestyle & Spirituality Mentor. In addition, Stacey is a certified Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health Practitioner and the creator of the organic anti- inflammatory super food Super Golden Blend TM. She began her journey of healing herself of an autoimmune disease in 2009 which led to her Dharma, life purpose, of teaching yoga and guiding others in their healing and self remembrance. She opened her own healing arts practice in 2017 and offers a multifaceted approach to healing.

250hrRYT

Sarah attended yoga classes on and off for nearly a decade, until a long-term battle with Lyme Disease left her without the ability to continue her primary passion - running. She dove more deeply into her yoga practice, and became a student of the history, science, and philosophy behind the asana practice that had been of such tremendous benefit to her physical body. Sarah believes that yoga is truly for every body and every ability by encouraging a gentle, mindful approach and sharing yoga in a compassionate, caring, and inclusive way. Her approach comes with a full understanding that each person is on their own journey – needing space to explore both the mind and the body.

Sarah is a certified yoga teacher through FLY Yoga School’s 200hr Teacher Training Immersion, and Yoga San Kalpa's 50hr Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra Teacher Training Program.

Certifications and trainings: 200 hour RYT, I got my training done at Bending Bodhi in Dover in 2023. I am looking forward to doing some continued learning this year!

Styles taught: All-levels Vinyasa

What does yoga mean to you? I started practicing yoga when I was 14 and immediately noticed how much it helped me manage anxiety and stress. My practice stayed with me through my teens and into college, where I completed my 200-hour training during my junior year at UNH. That training opened up an entirely new way of living as I learned the roots of yoga and how to truly integrate its teachings into everyday life. I discovered the importance of using props for support and creating classes that are accessible to all abilities. I like to joke that yoga keeps me sane, but it really does. Yoga taught me how to breathe, how to balance emotions, and how to connect more deeply with my body so I can step into the “real” world with compassion and awareness. It has strengthened not only my relationship with myself but also my relationships with others.

What to expect in class with me: My classes are designed for all levels, with options for everyone. I encourage students to listen to what their body needs and do what is best for them, including the choice to simply pause in stillness and breathe (the most challenging part of yoga, in my opinion!). Each class begins with a few minutes of grounding, where I introduce a theme or intention for students to carry through their practice. Classes include a warm up and gradually build toward a “peak” moment, often a balancing posture, after a few rounds of variations of Sun Salutations. A cool down and well-deserved savasana closes out class. Breath is cued throughout, options are offered, and props are always encouraged.

In addition to teaching yoga: Outside of teaching, I work at Ski New Hampshire and spend as much time outdoors as I can. I’m an avid skier, love to hike and camp, and travel whenever possible. I’m also passionate about photography, especially film photography, because I love how it captures the feeling of a moment. And above all, I’m a huge animal lover.