CONTACT US | LOGIN | LOGOUT
Our Founder and Director
Lori Gaspar, BFA, MA, C-IAYT, 500 E-RYT, YACEP, Natural Movement Specialist, Functional Movement Screener
Lori is the Founder of Prairie Yoga® and Yoga for Strength and Stability®. Known as a "teacher of teachers," Lori is passionate about training yoga teachers to better adapt the yoga practice so it is accessible to a broader range of students. Lori founded Prairie Yoga in 2006 with its 500-hour advanced yoga teacher training certification with a dedication to high standards and continuing education for yoga teachers. She wrote and developed the 250 hour Foundation and 300 hour Advanced Teacher Training manuals and curricula that have trained over 700 yoga teachers in the Midwest. As Founder of Yoga for Strength and Stability®, her personal interest is integrating natural movement into the yoga practice to reset our innate movement patterns back into the body, creating a more balanced approach to yoga.
Trained to Train
Lori carries certifications in yoga therapy (IAYT), alignment-based and vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga, natural movement (MovNat®) and functional movement (FMS). An enthusiastic student and teacher, she has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and training yoga teachers for 22 years. Her primary teaching influences are Tias Little, Judith Hanson Lasater, Gabriel Halpern, and MovNat®. She has many thousands of hours of study and experience and continues to be a life-long student of yoga and mindful movement.
Adding to Lori’s understanding of yoga is her study of Asian Classic Literature, Sanskrit and Eastern Philosophy at the University of Chicago. Her academic pursuits took her to India to study historic and current practices of yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Committed to Evolving the Classical Form of Yoga
Lori’s dynamic, evolutionary teaching emphasizes alignment of the body, mind and spirit and cultivating inner wisdom. Her teaching is informed by her 26 years of dedicated yoga experience and the latest in research; she believes that as we learn more about human physiology and mindful movement, the tradition of yoga can intelligently progress while it remains focused on guiding students to look within. Trainees appreciate Lori’s clear teaching, calm nature, caring spirit and professionalism.
Respected by the Yoga Community
Lori served on the Ethics Development and Standards Advisory committees for Yoga Alliance and was recognized as a reigning woman yoga leader in the Chicago-area by Yoga Chicago. Read articles about Lori: Yoga Chicago, Voyage Chicago, Yoga International, Mantra Yoga+Health, Yoga Chicago, Yoga Teacher Magazine, NoFate, and Illumine. Link to Podcast interview with Lori. To read articles written by Lori, click on the links under ARTICLES.
Beyond Yoga - Nature, Art and Education
Lori has a B.F.A., magna cum laude, in visual communications and a M.A. in design management. In 1986, she was awarded a NIU Graduate Fellowship. She is currently interning as a Master Naturalist and is certified by the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, in Home Landscape Horticulture.. She is very active in her community and served for 7 years as President, Board of Education, Community Consolidated School District 89 (12 years as a board member). Lori is an avid vegetable gardener and loves to be outside. As an artist, she photographs and paints from inspiration in nature.
Lori Gaspar - Teaching the Teachers, Serving the Community
by Sharon Steffensen | Yoga Chicago | September/October Teacher Profile 2016
MovNat Interview with Lori Gaspar
Lori Gaspar is available to teach workshops and trainings at your venue. Her in-depth teaching is geared toward committed yoga students and yoga teachers. To inquire about hosting Lori at your venue, please email her at prairieyoga@comcast.net.
Suggested Workshop Topics:
- Yoga for Strength and Stability® which combines yoga with natural movement.
- Improving Your Yoga Teaching Skills
- Effective Yoga Sequencing
- Yoga History and Philosophy
- Understanding Posture and Assessing Movement Patterns
- Adapting Your Yoga Teaching for Common Conditions and Special Populations
- Master Asana and Pranayama Classes
- Yoga and the Earth Elements
- Pancha Koshas: the Yogic Model of the 5 Sheaths
- Opening to Joy in Your Yoga Practice
Lori is also available for private and small group Yoga Teacher Coaching. Please email her at prairieyoga@comcast.net.
