Wellness Hot Yoga

Lydia Tillman

Bikram Yoga Instructor

Meet Lydia – Bikram Yoga Instructor

Lydia’s Bikram yoga journey is unique—she’s had not one, but two “first” classes. Her initial introduction to the practice was in Longmont, Colorado, at just 23 years old. Encouraged by her mom, she signed up for a 30-day special and even took her first class with a friend who was teaching. While she enjoyed the experience, after a few classes, she noticed knee pain and—unaware that she wasn’t doing the postures correctly—decided hot yoga wasn’t for her. She moved to New York shortly after and didn’t think about it again for nearly a decade.

Fast forward eight years, Lydia had moved back to Colorado when life took an unexpected turn—she suffered a brain injury and a massive stroke. During her recovery, she heard that yoga could help with stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. This time, she stepped into a hot yoga class with a new perspective. In Fort Collins, she found a warm, welcoming studio, and from that first class, she was hooked.

Yoga as Healing

Bikram yoga became a cornerstone of Lydia’s recovery. The structured, repetitive nature of the practice made her feel safe, giving her a foundation to rebuild strength and balance. The mirrors in the hot room became powerful tools for relearning movement, improving coordination, and finding her new normal. More than just physical rehabilitation, the practice helped her process and heal from trauma. This deeper healing sparked a passion in Lydia—not only to continue her own practice but to share it with others as a teacher.

Training to teach was one of the biggest challenges she had ever faced, particularly the long hours and constant noise. But Lydia approaches life with a steady determination: keep moving forward and do your best. She completed teacher training in 2014 and returned to Colorado to teach. A yoga retreat in Costa Rica later inspired her to make a bold move to Massachusetts, where she found her place in the Wellness Hot Yoga community. Leaving behind her home and resources wasn’t easy, but she knew it was the right choice. “It was worth it to be part of this special community,” she says.

What to Expect in Lydia’s Class

Lydia’s teaching style is welcoming, empowering, and deeply personal. Due to her unique speech pattern after her stroke, students naturally slow down and listen more carefully in her class. They see firsthand how yoga has helped her overcome challenges—and realize they can overcome their own, too.

Her philosophy? “If students go step by step, slowly, it creates more love and more room to make ‘good trouble’ in the world.” She wants every student to feel strong, capable, and empowered—just as she does every time she steps off the mat.

Beyond the Yoga Studio

Lydia has a deep passion for using yoga as a tool for healing and transformation. In Colorado, she started a program teaching yoga to incarcerated youth, an experience that was both meaningful and humbling. Though it was difficult to leave, she’s continued this work in Massachusetts, now teaching yoga to individuals in recovery from mental health and substance use disorders. She finds this work deeply fulfilling, knowing she is helping others find stability, healing, and hope—just as she did.

When she’s not in the hot room, you’ll find Lydia at a garden center, happily digging in the dirt. She loves gardening and working with plants, seeing it as another way to connect with nature and cultivate growth.