Our Mission, Our Purpose, Our Passion

At Strong Mind, Strong Body Bikram Yoga Retreats we are inspired to explore, awaken and heal the heart through immersive yoga experiences in naturally stunning environments. We see Bikram as more than a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. It is a prescription just for you to leave behind whatever is no longer serving you: narratives, roles, patterns, habits, anything that steals joy.

No matter how long you have been practicing, even if you have never stepped inside a hot room, we are here for you. If it's a teacher/student, group collective or one-on-one dynamic you need we tailor the experience for you. 

A woman wearing a patterned poncho on a boat ride, smiling. A man wearing glasses is seated beside her. They are on a river or water body with other boats and structures in the background.

Erin Gade, LCMHC, MS, Certified Bikram Teacher

Erin Gade, LCMHC, has transcended her own past adversities to pay it forward for others who have been impacted by their own challenges. She continues to focus her career on helping individuals find their space and healing. Erin draws upon an effective framework to foster a safe space and learning environment that facilitates learning skills in tandem with insight gathering in order to discover resilient adaptation with links of memory to traumatic experiences and behavioral patterns that no longer serve them with mindful compassion.

In 2016, the fearless founding of Center for Strong Mind, Strong Body and Bikram Williston was predicated by Erin's pioneering work in the treatment of trauma and anxiety disorders from her leading of Intensive Outpatient group therapy sessions for both men and women while she led Yoga and Pilates classes to bridge mind, body, and spirit, with community. Here she established a community of dedicated Bikram and wellness practitioners that continue to this day despite the center's closing in 2023. 

Much of her time has been dedicated to her private practice in Vermont and teaching trauma-informed yoga and Bikram Hatha Yoga, as a specialist in complex PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other disorders caused by the effects of trauma and adversity. Erin is excited to bring her decades of knowledge and Bikram practice to this latest adventure, Strong Mind, Strong Body Bikram Yoga Retreats!

A yoga class where participants are lying on mats in a relaxation pose. A woman is using an instrument with wooden knobs to apply pressure along the spine of a participant. The setting is a bright studio with ceiling fans, wooden floors, and a Buddha wall art in the background.