05/21/2026
Morning yoga classes are included as part of your festival pass! They will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings.
Meet your 2026 Rooted Festival yoga instructors:
Carissa (she/her) was born & raised in the Pocono Mountains, where life on two wheels began early. Banana seat bikes turned into MTB’s, BMX to gravel & so on.
She has been exploring yoga & esoteric studies since the 1900s ;) & has been a certified yoga teacher since 2008. Her path has taken her through a wide range of experiences—from reading Tarot & Human Design charts to hosting yoga retreats & beyond.
Carissa has spent the past eight years working in the bike industry in events & marketing, helping build community both on & off the saddle. She’s also a Little Bella’s Mentor in a program that creates opportunities for little groms to experience success using mountain biking as the catalyst.
When she’s not teaching or riding, you can find her traveling, chasing waves, camping, skiing, or soaking in the live music scene whenever she can.
Kara (she/her) has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has been a certified yoga teacher since 2013. She holds certificates in Hatha Vinyasa Yoga, 200 hrs, from Radiant Yoga School in Nicaragua and Hatha Yoga, 300 hrs, from Paramand Institute of Yoga in India. Kara has taught yoga in studios, private homes, corporate yoga, and online since her initial certification. She is currently working towards her Prenatal Yoga certification, 85 hrs, and can be found teaching pop up classes at Sukanya Burman Dance in Jamestown until she resumes her regular weekly vinyasa classes after her extended maternity leave. She is a loving mother of two amazing girls and one small senior dog.
When it comes to bikes, she used to be an avid road cyclist who commuted to work by bike for years, but since having children, she has unfortunately ridden less and less, save for some fun family cycling trips. That is why she values time spent at Rooted to be in community with like minded women, spending time outdoors. Kara has taught at every Rooted festival since the beginning, except for 2025 when her youngest daughter was only two weeks old.
Sue (she/her) started mountain biking in 2019 and is grateful to the pandemic for keeping her from giving up too soon! She's based in Buffalo NY, where her day job has her focused on helping hospitals and health systems in financial distress. When she's not biking, building and maintaining singletrack, or working, you can find her cooking, rooting for the Bills and Sabres, supporting local music, and spending time with her husband and two cats. She also serves as the Secretary of the Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association (WNYMBA).
Sue completed a 200-hour yoga training at East Meets West Yoga, and a second 200-hour yoga training at Love in Motion Training. Her classes
invite people to experiment with movement to find strength, stability,
and grounding.
Be sure to pack your yoga mat!
