About Us

Prairie Yoga is the Midwest's premier yoga center for yoga teacher training certification. We have been called the “Yale of Yoga,” and “The Harvard of Yoga Teacher Training”— the destination for enthusiastic students of yoga. Our students come from as near as Naperville and other Chicago area suburbs* and as far as Central Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan.

What Draws Students to Prairie Yoga?

Our warm, highly-skilled staff and friendly students. You will feel at home quickly and receive personalized attention from your teacher. Whether a beginner or experienced - all sizes, shapes, colors, ages and abilities are welcome!
Our highly respected 250 Hour Foundation and 300 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Certification Programs prepare yoga instructors in the modern application of traditional yoga.
Our workshops, taught by leading international yoga experts, provide in-depth yoga immersions and continuing education for yoga teachers in the latest yoga research and techniques.

We Are Known For:

Our passionate and skilled teaching staff are considered some of the most highly-trained and experienced faculty in the Chicago area.
Offering multi-style yoga with a strong emphasis on safety and aligning the body, breath and mind – Align Your Self®
Teaching authentic yoga and all its 8 limbs, not just the physical postures (asana).
Our small class sizes that allow for individualized attention.
Producing the Midwest’s very best and most sought after yoga instructors, skilled in adapting the practice of yoga to all body types.
Supporting our community. We have donated our yoga teaching to help others including cancer survivors and their caregivers at Living Well Cancer Resource Center as well as students at local elementary schools. We currently coordinate and teach free yoga classes for National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) DuPage.

A Modern Practice Built on a Traditional Foundation
We are committed to helping students understand and practice yoga in its most authentic forms. We offer a contemporary approach based on current principles of biomechanics yet deeply rooted in the ancient wisdom of traditional yoga. Our multi-style teaching integrates techniques from: alignment-based yoga (Iyengar), vinyasa flow, restorative yoga, Ayurveda and yoga therapy. We use props as a teaching tool, and provide intelligent sequencing to safely guide you to deep levels of awareness. Students are often amazed at what they can safely experience in class and how good they feel afterwards.

Yoga for Everyone
We believe that yoga is for everyone– the young and the old, the stiff and the flexible, the novice and the experienced. We safely engage you at an appropriate level, whether it is making yoga more accessible or taking your practice to the next level.

Slowing Down
We do not teach fast-paced or hot yoga. If you want to transform yourself into a healthy, vibrant being, we recommend you slow down and pay attention to improve your posture, establish new movements and develop healthy habits. By challenging your own body and moving with intelligence, you generate the inner heat that creates long-term change and optimal health.

Our History

Lori Gaspar founded Prairie Yoga in 2006 as an exclusive yoga teacher training school designed to develop the very best yoga teachers in the Midwest. Unfazed by the latest yoga fads, Lori continues to be passionate about training yoga teachers how to teach with integrity, incorporate techniques from well-established yoga styles, integrate advances in biomechanics and adapt the practice of yoga to all body types.

Prairie Yoga started as the Midwest's first 500 hour Registered Yoga Alliance School and, soon after, added 200 hour trainings. These quickly spread to satellite programs in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Central Illinois. Since its beginning, Prairie Yoga has become the yoga destination for enthusiastic yoga students who are looking for rigor and deep-study.

Why Are We Called Prairie Yoga?
Prairie Yoga is based in what was once native Illinois prairie land. Did you know that prairie soil is the most fertile soil on earth? Some native prairie grasses have roots that are up to 14 feet deep and their decomposition provides the rich, deep, fertile soil for plant growth. Like the prairie, we provide the optimal foundation for your own personal growth and transformation.

* Lisle, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Lombard, Downers Grove, Woodridge, Naperville, Aurora, Oakbrook