Written by: Melissa Lerner Photographer: Jonathan Landers
Three Rivers Yoga Festival Comes Home for a Landmark Third Year
There’s a special kind of energy that happens when good-hearted people gather with a shared intention for wellness. Right here in Northwest Georgia, the Three Rivers Yoga Festival will be hosting its third annual celebration, and this year’s shaping up to be the biggest and most inviting one yet. It’s a truly homegrown day dedicated to movement, mindfulness, and good community connection.
This gathering is so much more than a typical event; it’s a dedicated, judgment-free space for slowing down and tending to your own self-care. It’s designed to welcome absolutely everyone, from the simply curious who have never touched a mat to the seasoned practitioners looking to deepen their roots.
Where this Bright Idea Took Root
Every great local institution starts with a bright idea and more than a little bit of effort. Our founders, Tanaya Larsen and Melissa Lerner, had an uplifting experience at a large yoga festival down in the Atlanta area and came back with a powerful feeling: this kind of joyful experience belonged right here in Northwest Georgia.
Tanaya, who owns SpringStone Yoga in Rome, brought the notion to Melissa, a local and dedicated teacher working across Rome and Cartersville. They recognized a real, unmet need for a large-scale wellness gathering in our area—a place where we could all gather, learn, and breathe easy.
They poured their hearts into designing and launching that very first festival back in 2023. That inaugural event was a smashing success! The positive response proved they were on the right track, and it soon became clear they needed help to manage the growth. We are proud to share that the festival now relies on an incredible, closely-knit team that works alongside Tanaya and Melissa, making sure every detail—big and small—is handled with care. That solid team structure is the reason we’ve been able to grow so wonderfully
Growing Stronger, Together
The festival’s journey has been one of inspiring expansion. We’ve seen growth not only in the numbers who attend but also in the territory we cover, proving that folks far and wide are ready for a little mindful moment.
In our first year, we were a strong local gathering, welcoming over 80 participants and 16 talented teachers mostly from the Rome, Cartersville, and Calhoun areas. But by our second year, the word had traveled! We more than doubled in size, hosting participants and teachers who traveled from Metro Atlanta, Tennessee, and Alabama.
This year, we are building on that success by expanding our class options and expecting our largest community of participants yet. This growth ensures we continue to fulfill our mission: providing an accessible and powerful celebration of movement, mindfulness, and collective well-being.
Your Day of Exploration and Connection
If you’re coming out, you can expect a full day of inspiring practices, guided self-reflection, and genuine connection. Your experience begins gently with the Opening Breathwork Session led by Jeremy Harrison, a calming practice designed to help you settle in and clear your mind for the day.
The schedule is intentionally diverse, offering something for every soul:
- For the Active Seeker: You can move creatively in Tanaya Larsen’s Beyond the Horizon Flow or explore different traditions in Chandra Sosebee’s dynamic Tribal Flow. If you’re looking to master a skill, Jesse Mills Organ’s Handstands 101 will guide you safely toward inversions.
- For Deep Focus, Slow Movement, and Stillness: Enjoy deep alignment and meditation with John Reiners and Jeff Lidke’s Intentional Hatha Yoga (with live music!) or find stability in Kristi Wood’s Prop-Powered Vinyasa. You can also move mindfully through Gayle Monk’s Slow Flow, a vinyasa class focusing on alignment and breath-aware transitions.
- For Wisdom and Joy: The day includes unique experiences like Malia Behr’s Intro to Ayurveda and Leigh Anne Neal’s Storytelling Yoga. And for a bit of fun, don’t miss Melissa Lerner’s Bend and Snap—a joyful fusion of yoga and expressive dance inspired by movie soundtracks!
The day wraps up with a joyful Ecstatic Kirtan closing ceremony, fostering connection and shared celebration as one big community.
The Marketplace: Wellness and Local Finds
Beyond the mats, the atmosphere is alive in our expanded marketplace, which is filled with treasures supporting a healthy life.
We’ve carefully chosen local and regional businesses offering a wide variety of goods and services. You can expect to find:
- Wellness & Healing Services: Including therapeutic bodywork like massage therapy and Reiki or energy healing, as well as holistic health coaches and practitioners.
- Handcrafted Goods & Lifestyle: Featuring local artisans with products like essential oils, custom-blended teas and herbal remedies, jewelry, crystals, and all-natural bath and body products.
- Health-Focused Foods & Drinks: Vendors will be on hand offering wholesome options, such as healthy snacks, fresh juices, and nutritious prepared foods.
The Vendor Market is the perfect place to shop with intention and support those local entrepreneurs who share our vision. We are still actively seeking a few final vendors in these wellness categories to ensure we offer the broadest array of services possible. Interested businesses are encouraged to visit www.threeriversyogafest.com/vendors for details.
Doing Good Right Here at Home
Attendees can feel extra good about their presence because their ticket purchase reaches beyond self-care and supports our neighbors in need. We are proud that ten percent of all festival proceeds are donated directly to two vital local charities: The Hospitality House for Women in Rome and the Tranquility House in Cartersville. Your commitment to wellness also becomes a powerful act of community stewardship.
Grab Your Ticket and Come On Out!
Ready to join us? Tickets are currently available with an Early Bird Special price of $99. Don’t wait too long—attendees are encouraged to register soon to secure this discount before the price shifts to the regular rate of $120. A single ticket grants full access to the entire day of classes, workshops, and the vendor marketplace.
Come on out and share this beautiful day of movement, reflection, and community spirit with us. We can’t wait to welcome you!
February 21, 2026
River Forum Center,
For Tickets and Vendor Information: Visit threeriversyogafest.com
