Some studios offer a change of pace. Wild Lotus Yoga Collective offers a change in presence.
Nestled in the mountains of Flat Rock, North Carolina, this lakeside studio feels less like a business and more like a retreat—one where nature, stillness, and deep practice converge. From the moment you arrive, something in your system exhales. It’s quiet here. Intentional. Sacred.
“The studio being in nature gives the energy of being on retreat,” says founder Leticia (Tish) Hilyer. “It is away from the hustle and bustle. It is quiet, peaceful and sacred.”
After years of leading yoga retreats around the world, the vision for Wild Lotus came to Tish during a powerful moment in Peru. “While our group was at Machu Picchu and we were setting intentions at an ancient altar, a condor flew over and the vision dropped into my heart.” The vision was initially of a retreat center that eventually became Wild Lotus Yoga Collective—and it’s even more than she imagined that day.
The surrounding environment isn’t just scenic, it’s integral to the experience. “The location of the studio brings an almost immediate sense of ease to our systems,” Tish says. She describes how the natural elements support the practice: earth to stabilize, water to connect, fire to energize, air to expand, space to breathe.
Inside, the studio holds that same energy. Phones and smartwatches are left outside, allowing students to fully arrive. Classes blend movement with philosophy, mantra, and breath. “There is a felt sense of the deep practices, transformation, healing and connection that occur in this container,” says Tish. “We hope everyone feels a sense of belonging here.”
A standout offering is Yoga Church, taught by Tish every Saturday morning. It’s a two-hour experience that mirrors her retreat-style approach: slow flow, yin, deep savasana, and teachings on living yoga off the mat. “Yoga Church is my favorite class,” she says. “People love it. It allows them to really touch this state of yoga… ease, peace, flow, presence, union, divine connection.”
On the deck outside, a panoramic barrel sauna and cold plunge overlook the lake—elements that extend the retreat-like energy into ritual. “The contrast therapy of sauna and cold plunge is refreshing to body, mind and spirit,” says Tish, inspired by her time leading a retreat in Sweden.
Now over a year in, Wild Lotus continues to evolve. The studio’s teacher training program, the Freedom Journey, blends studentship and teaching methodology into a communal path of growth. Monthly community kirtans will launch this fall, expanding the space for connection and shared rhythm.
“It is far more challenging than I thought it would be to have a yoga studio,” Tish shares. “It is way more work than I anticipated, & it is much more fulfilling than I could have imagined.”
Wild Lotus is still unfolding, but its roots are steady. In a fast-moving world, this space offers something different: presence, practice, and the quiet strength that comes from being held—by community, by care, and by nature itself.
Listen In: The Wild Lotus Playlist
Join the Practice
Wild Lotus Yoga Collective is located in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Learn more at www.wildlotusyogacollective.com and follow them on Instagram @wildlotusyogacollective.
All photography by @wildmariephotography.
Outfitting your own wellness space? Explore the Manduka Wholesale Program and see why studios like Wild Lotus choose Manduka mats and props to support meaningful, transformative practice.
