Kristin Haraldsdottir, PhD
Owner, teacher
Kristin hails from Akureyri, Iceland, and her classes are rooted in the life-changing experience that a rigorous physical and sweaty practice can have on emotion regulation and confidence. After a successful career as a rower and coach, she earned her MS and PhD in exercise physiology. After decades of high intensity training and performance in sport and academia, Kristin established a regular yoga practice and transformed her approach to her own physical and mental health. She is excited to share her highly physical and mental practice to the Hudson Valley at Lava.
IG: @kharaldsdottir
Halle Becker
Teacher, yoga
Halle is a master teacher with over 20 years of experience in hot yoga studios in New York City, and was one of the original instructors at SoulCycle. She was voted NYC’s favorite hot yoga teacher, and has a devoted following around the world. She teaches from the parts of her life that have needed healing and spiritual examination, and thus leads a class that is rigorous and sweaty, and keeps it very real. After decades in NYC, Halle now calls the Hudson Valley home and is excited to bring her energy and teaching to the Lava community.
IG: @hallehomegirl
Emily DeForest
Teacher, yoga
Emily DeForest is so excited to be teaching at LAVA! Certified in Power Vinyasa and Traditional Hot, Emily taught in the city for 3 years before moving to Hudson last fall. Having practiced yoga for 10 years, Emily’s classes are intended to build strength, lengthen muscles, and leave you feeling centered and ALIVE! She can’t wait to meet you on the mat.
IG: @em_deforest
Kristel Estrella
Teacher, yoga
Kristel is an avid yoga practitioner with 400 hours of yoga teacher training and over a decade of dedicated practice. Her journey from being a lifelong athlete led her to yoga, where she discovered the holistic approach to well-being. Kristel's classes focus on creating a calm environment to cultivate inner peace while building physical and mental strength. She recently relocated from NYC to the Hudson Valley and is excited to share her passion for yoga with the Lava community.
Amanda Huggins
Teacher, yoga
Amanda is a Holistic Anxiety Coach, Intuitive healer, author, and certified yoga instructor with 500+ hours of training. Her yoga practice and teaching career began long over a decade ago in Los Angeles, but she's been happily back on the East Coast since 2020 and splits her time between Catskill and NYC. Whether she's teaching yoga, talking with a coaching client, or holding an energy healing session, Amanda takes an integrative approach to all of her work: "start with the body, work with the mind, and tune in to the soul." Her yoga classes are alignment-focused, soulful, sweaty, and creative. More than anything, Amanda wants her students to feel comfortable, safe, and empowered - both on the mat, and off. She can't wait to meet you!
Jenny Bachar
Teacher, yoga
Jenny has been a yoga instructor for over nine years. She holds a 200hr YTT certificate and is certified through Yoga Alliance. She is comfortable teaching every style of yoga, all levels of yoga, and people of all ages. On top of her yoga training, she is also a dance instructor and dog walker. Jenny has a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, as well as an Associate degree in Dance and Applied Science. Jenny’s extensive background in movement makes for a more methodical way of teaching. She considers movement medicine and structures her classes accordingly. Her goal is to guide you through and to each asana (pose) with intention using, your breath. This technique helps prevent injuries both on and off the yoga mat. She lives to share her knowledge and hopes to see you in class!
Lauren Ferguson
Teacher, yoga
Lauren has been inspiring others to pursue their optimal life through healthy strategies for the past 11 years. She has a career in the corporate wellness space and is currently working with Calm, the mindfulness app. She holds a degree in Exercise Science and Psychology, is a 200hr Yoga teacher, and has taught in New York City studios Y7 and SurfSetNYC. Now living in Athens, she is excited to be a part of the Lava community!
Tara McIndoo
Teacher, yoga
Tara has been teaching yoga for over 18 years, and encourages you to meet yourself where you're at on the mat. Through an enthusiastic practice she hopes to guide you to a place of inner peace. "With each conscious breath we take we experience what it means to turn inward."
Tara completed 200 hours of teacher training with Lilly Leon of Om Shanti on Long Island, and completed a 500 hour certification with Shakti Yoga in Woodstock.
Rae Wilson
Teacher, yoga
Rae is a multimedia artist whose fluid practice explores ceramics, florals, and movement. She is less interested in perfection and is instead attentive to nurturing space for growth. Rae has been a steady practitioner of yoga since she was 15 years old, coast to coast, St. Augustine, Florida to the south of India, where she earned her yoga certification. Her classes integrate Ashtanga posturing with Vinyasa flow to create a strong and endurance-based class. After a 6-year break from teaching, the Lava community feels like a home away from home. Get ready to sweat hard in her 60-minute moving meditation!
Kate Devine
Teacher, Barre
Kate is a writer, teacher, and the creator of Notice, Wonder, Arrange: Writing Workshops and Mood Barre. She is interested in how movement can uplift our moods and usher us into more creative and receptive states of mind. On the mat and on the page, Kate sorts through lived experience to find deeper self-awareness and self-expression. Participants have described her classes as grounded, inviting, energizing, and joyful. Originally from coastal New Jersey, she calls Catskill home.
IG: @katemdevine and @moodbarre
Karolina Haraldsdottir
Teacher, FIT
Karolina brings the intensity and focus of a lifelong athlete to every class, creating a dynamic, high-energy environment where every student is encouraged to challenge themselves. As a former D1 NCAA Track and Field athlete in the heptathlon, she understands the power of movement to transform not only the body but the mind and spirit. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or new to fitness, Karolina’s classes are designed to challenge and uplift you, helping you tap into your full potential.
Karolina believes that fitness is a journey, not a destination. Her approach is both motivating and welcoming, making every student feel empowered, no matter where they are on their fitness journey. Beyond the gym, Karolina runs a business strategy consulting firm, where she helps entrepreneurs build sustainable, scalable businesses.
Join her for a session that will leave you feeling stronger, more energized, and ready to take on the world!
