Today we’d like to introduce you to Larissa Noto.
Hi Larissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has unfolded through many seasons of becoming. I began my professional life in law, drawn to advocacy, language, and helping people navigate complex systems. After a major chapter working in New York City and in the corporate world, yoga and mindfulness became more than something I practiced for stress relief — they became a way of living, healing, and coming home to myself.
Over time, I began to see how all of my experiences were connected: my background as a lawyer, educator, mother, advocate, yoga therapist, and wellness consultant. That path eventually led me back to my roots in the Lehigh Valley, PA & Jersey Shore, NJ — to the creation of The Lovely Little Lotus, where I share movement, mindfulness, breathwork, yoga therapy, sound, and nervous system support with people of all ages — from babies to seniors. in conjunction with this, I began writing about my story, having written my first children’s book, The Adventures of Pyrgos, in 2011, about mindful travel and am currently in the process of publishing my second children’s book as well as an adult memoir about this journey through life’s seasons.
My work has also been shaped deeply by motherhood (I am a mom to 3 boys), by advocating for my middle son Gavin through his hearing loss journey, by volunteering in community spaces, and most recently by my own breast cancer experience. Each chapter has reminded me that healing is not linear, wellness should be accessible to every body, and we are allowed to become again and again as each new season is upon us.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but I also don’t think I would be who I am without the harder parts of the journey. Like many people, I have lived through many seasons where life asked me to pivot, stretch, grieve, begin again, and trust that the next version of myself was still unfolding.
Leaving one professional identity and allowing myself to grow into another was scary, intense and made my more vulnerable than ever. Moving from the corporate and legal world into wellness required courage, humility, and a willingness to follow a calling that did not always come with a clear roadmap. Motherhood has also shaped me deeply, especially navigating my son Gavin’s hearing loss journey and learning how to advocate within medical, educational, and support systems. That experience opened my eyes even more to how much families need both practical resources and compassionate guidance.
Most recently, my breast cancer journey has been one of the most challenging chapters of my life. It took up physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual space in ways that rocked me to my core. Treatment may end, but healing continues. There is recovery, “scanxiety”, tenderness, gratitude, fear, and the slow process of learning to trust your body again.
So no, it has not been smooth. But each bump, detour, or dead end has deepened my work and my understanding of healing. It has taught me the importance of being resilient in the face of chaos, struggle, fear and grief. It has also taught me that resilience may simply be taking the next breath, next step. It also means letting people help you, showing up imperfectly, and remembering that even through the mud, the lotus still rises.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Through The Lovely Little Lotus LLC, I offer creative movement, mindfulness, breathwork, yoga therapy, sound meditation, and nervous system support for people of all ages and stages of life — from babies and children to parents, professionals, healthcare communities, and seniors. My work is rooted in the belief that wellness should be accessible, practical, and deeply human. It does not have to be complicated or exclusive. Sometimes the most powerful practice is one conscious breath, one moment of stillness, or one gentle reminder that we can begin again.
I specialize in adapting yoga and mindfulness practices so they meet people where they are. That may look like playful yoga and breathwork for children, chair yoga for seniors, workplace wellness for busy professionals, yoga therapy for those navigating stress, grief, illness, or recovery, or sound meditation for people who need deep rest. I am known for weaving together evidence-informed practices with creativity, compassion, and a strong sense of community. I teach folks on the national level with several classes online and others in person!
What I am most proud of is creating spaces where people feel safe, seen, and supported. Whether I am teaching a child how to use their breath, helping a caregiver soften for a moment, guiding a survivor through gentle movement, or bringing mindfulness into a workplace, my hope is always the same: to make people feel more connected to themselves.
What sets me apart is the way all of my life experiences come into the room with me. I bring the lens of a lawyer, educator, mother, advocate, yoga therapist, wellness consultant, adjunct professor, and breast cancer survivor. I understand that healing is not linear and that life asks us to adapt again and again. My work is not about perfect poses or performative wellness. It is about real tools for real life — breath, movement, rest, compassion, resilience, and the reminder that these tools are still available to us at all times, we just need to remember to use them!
How do you define success?
I define success much differently now than I might have in earlier seasons of my life. At one time, success may have looked more like achievement, titles, credentials, or checking certain boxes. Today, success feels much more connected to living my life’s purpose, making meaningful impact with presence & grace, and the ability to live and work to fulfill my life’s purpose in a way that feels aligned.
For me, success is creating spaces where people feel safe, seen, supported, and more connected to themselves. It is knowing that a child learned how to use their breath, a caregiver found a moment of softness, a senior felt included, a professional paused before burning out, or someone moving through illness or grief remembered they are not alone.
Success is also being able to honor all the parts of who I am — mother, wife, advocate, educator, lawyer, yoga therapist, business owner, and survivor — without feeling like I have to separate them. It is building something rooted in service, accessibility, creativity, and community.
And personally, success is having the courage to keep becoming. It is healing at my own pace, savoring my life, being present with my family, and remembering that growth does not have to be linear. Sometimes success is one breath, one brave step, one meaningful connection, and one more reminder that we can begin again.
Pricing:
- Online Adult Yoga Classes on a sliding scale $5-25
- Online Kids Yoga Classes is on a sliding scale $5-25
- YTT’s & Other Trainings beginning at $250
- Online Sound Meditations on a sliding scale $25-50
- Online Poses in PJ’s Evening Class on a sliding scale $5-25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lovelylittlelotus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelovelylittlelotus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelovelylittlelotus/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissa-noto-a6b03010
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thelovelylittlelotus
- Other: Additional IG: @kids.yogastorytime
