When Tish Hilyer first entered the building that would eventually house her new endeavor, she knew immediately that the warm and inviting room with an expansive view of Highland Lake would be perfect as a yoga studio.  “They opened the door and I thought ‘This is a yoga space.’ It just felt like a straight-from-the-divine opportunity.”

Less than one year later, Tish and her Wild Lotus Yoga Collective are thriving in their new home in Highland Lake Cove. Owning and operating her own yoga studio wasn’t exactly what she had planned when she walked through that door, but in a life full of challenges, personal growth, and unexpected opportunities, the door to a new and exciting chapter in her life had opened – both literally and figuratively.

Wild Lotus officially opened in July of 2024. In the beginning, there were two instructors and a handful of classes. Today, there are approximately 10 instructors offering classes and occasional workshops in the studio with a spectacular view.  The Collective’s class schedule offers a full range of alternative yoga sessions that accommodate a wide range of abilities and personal goals for those wishing to improve their physical and mental health through yoga. A quick glance at the class schedule confirms that there is something for everyone – from challenging strong flow classes all the way to very meditative sessions that focus on the participant's breathing and relaxation. With a wide array of options in between. Wild Lotus also has options for heated and room-temperature sessions. 

The Journey 

Organizing and directing all of this is Leticia “Tish” Hilyer. A native of Henderson County in her early 40s, Tish is a compelling presence despite her soft-spoken demeanor. She describes her childhood as challenging and chaotic at times. By the time she was 17, she was out on her own. Shortly thereafter she lost her mother. “Mom passed when I was 18, and I was just not okay,” Tish recalls. “Then at around 20 years old, I found yoga and slowly that practice really helped me to heal.”

Although far from an idyllic childhood, Tish believes the difficult experiences she endured make her a better yoga instructor today. “I think our challenges and our wounds can end up being like our superpowers,” she says. “The coping mechanisms I developed, and my healing journey, give me a lot of understanding of what others may have experienced in their own lives.”

In 2004, Tish trained to become a yoga instructor but did not immediately teach classes.  “I felt like I had my own work to do.”  She became a licensed massage therapist in 2007 and followed that career path for a number of years. She later spent one year in the study of Ayurveda - a traditional Indian system of medicine that emphasizes a holistic approach to health and well-being. Finally, in 2014 she felt ready to commit to being a yoga instructor. 

As her classes and reputation as an instructor grew, she began offering overseas yoga retreats beginning in 2018. “I usually do two to three retreats a year,” she explains.  Over the years, Tish has organized retreats around the globe - including Mexico, Costa Rica, Morocco, Spain, Croatia, Peru, Sweden, and Thailand.  Later this year, she is leading groups to Portugal and also to Ireland.  “It's a great way to travel and do yoga and be in community. Retreats are a very old spiritual practice to take some time away from your daily life.”

After 10 years of being an instructor at area studios and six years of leading retreats, Tish felt like it was time to take the next step in her professional career. Her first thought was to create a retreat center of her own. “My husband and I had a vision for opening a retreat center - something really aesthetically beautiful.”  Following their dream, Tish and her husband investigated an option in France but decided they weren’t quite ready for that radical of a change in their lives. They next looked at an option in Saluda - but that fell through when the seller went with another buyer.

It was then early 2024 and Tish was at something of a crossroads.  She knew a change was imminent – she just didn’t know what that change might look like quite yet. “So, I let go before I knew what was next.  Which is kind of stepping into the mystery - exciting in some ways but scary in others.” Then, on the advice of a friend who regularly attended Tish’s yoga classes, she went to Highland Lake Cove to look at a building originally constructed as a “glamping” site, but was currently unused.

It was at this point that she walked through the door of an opportunity on Highland Lake and her path forward began to crystalize in her mind.  “I didn't come with the intention of opening a studio. I came with the intention of doing a retreat at Highland Lake. But then it just felt like a ‘yes’”. Wild Lotus Collective opened on July 8th, 2024.

Wild Lotus Yoga Collective

From the beginning, Tish’s vision was of a yoga studio that was both affordable and accessible to people of all interests and abilities. Classes are just $10 and the variety of offerings is impressive.  Classes currently on the schedule include Kaiut Yoga and Meditation, Reiki and Restore, Gentle Yoga + Sound, Holistic Flow + Yin, Powerful Flow, Bhakti Slow Flow + Meditation, and Yin +Nidra - among others.   “It’s really a practice for every body, every age, every ability,” Tish explains. “That is one thing I feel like we do really well here. We offer a spectrum of classes.”

This wide range of classes acknowledges the reality that a yoga practice is more than the physical poses that most people associate with yoga.  “We honor that it's so much more,” says Tish.  There’s a focus on breath work and meditation and regulation of our nervous system as well.” She points to the Kaiut Yoga classes – sometimes referred to as “longevity yoga” as particularly advantageous for bones, joints, and the aches and pains associated with mobility issues.  The sound healing sessions help calm and restore balance to the student’s nervous system, and Yin classes are well-suited for participants of any age.

Ultimately, the Wild Lotus Yoga Collective focuses on the needs of each individual. “I feel like this is a space where we as the teachers are very intentional about helping people to feel safe and held energetically, “ says Tish 

Going Forward

Less than one year into the new studio, Tish’s plans for Wild Lotus continue to evolve. There are plans in the works to offer a sauna and a cold plunge on the deck overlooking the lake. She also envisions an area for students to relax before or after their classes and enjoy hot tea. Tish has also had conversations with friends interested in offering massages in nearby buildings. “It’s expanding into a kind of wellness space. And it feels to me very much like going on a retreat somewhere.” Then Tish adds with a smile, “But close to home.”

For now, Wild Lotus feels like an organic addition to the events and activities currently being offered in Highland Lake Cove – including dinner events at Treska’s at Highland Lake, the weekly Coffee Socials which resume later this month, the nearby community garden, the Cove’s Retreat House and the nearby Sanctuary Center.  “I think our studio is a nice compliment to the overall vision for The Cove at Highland Lake,” says Tish.

In the meantime, Tish is also adjusting to the challenges of being a business owner - and not only an instructor. Indeed, she found herself dealing with the implications – and disruptions of Hurricane Helene just months after opening her studio. Unlike traditional business owners, however, Tish is not primarily concerned with the financial results of her enterprise. “The business is operating more like a non-profit. It feels like an important service to the community.”

And that service seems very well timed given the chaotic and uncertain times many are facing in their lives.  “This is a place to practice self-care for our body and our mind,” Tish explains.  "A place to experience a sense of community - sangha. That community connection feels really essential.”

Tish is convinced that the sense of connection fosters empathy and compassion for others. “When we practice, it regulates the nervous system and helps us to expand our window of tolerance for uncomfortable emotions so that we can be less reactive out in the world.”  At the same time, she adds, it is a place where participants can find quiet and turn inward.  “It’s still your own space.”

It’s the possibility – and her personal experience  - of transformation that motivates Tish Hilyer’s vision for Wild Lotus Yoga Collective  “What I've seen in my 10 years of teaching and through retreats is that yoga is a way that people can change their life for the better and have more peace.” 

She pauses for a moment and considers the beautiful view of Highland Lake through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of her studio before concluding.  “And that's why I'm here.”