Naman Shrestha
Although the primary focus of NBC’s ‘Dateline: Deadly Connection’ is the homicide of 19-year-old Kenia Monge in 2011, the documentary also focuses on the killer, Travis Forbes’ other crimes, including the attempted murder of Lydia Tillman on July 5, 2011. Travis reportedly beat her severely before he set fire to her apartment in Fort Collins, Colorado. At the time, she was a well-traveled wine company representative. She suffered a massive stroke at the hospital due to her critical injuries and spent five weeks in a coma before being transferred to a local rehabilitation hospital. Travis ultimately pleaded guilty to Kenia’s murder and to the attempted murder of Lydia and was sentenced to life plus an additional 48 years in prison. Although Lydia relearned how to speak after 10 long months of recovery, the emotional and physical scars from the attack continued to linger.
Lydia Tillman is a Well-Established Yoga Instructor in Massachusetts Today
Hailing from Longmont, Colorado, Lydia Tillman has come a long way after surviving a life-threatening attack from Travis Forbes in July 2011. More than a decade and a half later, she has gradually learned to cope with the lasting mental and physical effects of the brutal attack. From what we can tell, most of her life now revolves around yoga and the betterment of her mind and body. She was first introduced to hot yoga by her mother when she was only 23. During her stay in New York, she didn’t think about yoga at all until she returned to Colorado and endured a brain injury and a massive stroke in the hospital after the July 2011 attack.
Although she survived the scare, Lydia was advised to turn to hot yoga as it helped with stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. As she tried again with a new perspective, she became hooked and found it extremely helpful on her journey towards recovery. Having noticed major changes in her physical and mental well-being, Lydia became determined to start her own practice and teach others. After completing her teacher training in 2014, she returned to Colorado to begin imparting her yogic knowledge to others. Soon, the former barista at Bean Cycle Roasters established her own yoga practice — L.Y.D.I.A. Yoga.
She also worked as a yoga instructor at the Denver Bikram Yoga studio between 2018 and 2020. From January 2020 to 2021, Lydia was employed at the NOCO Dyslexia Center in Windsor, Colorado. After spending time at a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, she decided to leave her home behind and relocate to Massachusetts. As of today, she is employed at Rogers Spring Hill Garden and Farm Center and at Wellness Hot Yoga, where she is a Bikram Yoga Instructor. Lydia leverages her unique speech pattern to teach her students in a personal and empowering way.
Lydia Tillman Finds Peace and Joy in the Company of Her Loved Ones and Nature
On the personal front, Lydia loves spending time with her friends and family. The resident of Haverhill, Massachusetts, takes time from her busy schedule to travel with them from time to time and create beautiful memories. Passionate about gardening, she enjoys digging and caring for her plants in her free time. Tragedy struck the Tillman household in October 2024, when Lydia lost her younger brother, Steven, a loss that left her devastated and heartbroken. She poured her love for her beloved little brother into a post, thanking him for always standing by her side and celebrating his generous and adventurous spirit, which she adored during their hiking and camping trips.
Reflecting on her brother’s memory, she penned, “I’ll forever dedicate each peak I climb to you. Thank you for standing guard and reading full novels to me when I was in the coma. Thank you for being my ride to all therapies, orthodontist appointments, even a road trip to California for my jaw surgery. Your generous and adventurous spirit will live on my cherished memories. Now I think of your energy floating in the air enjoying every sunset, each flower blooming, now you can be the world traveler, as you always wished.”
Lydia is also a devoted cat mom and makes it a point to stay connected with nature whenever possible, often finding comfort in the outdoors and surrounded by animals. Lydia is also a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and actively speaks out against racism, geopolitical tensions and other social and political issues. In December 2023, she shared that her father “disowned” her due to differing political beliefs. Despite the estrangement between them, Lydia fondly remembers her father, stating, “I love you, dad. I think of you all the time…”
