Lori Gaspar

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 300-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. Trained to Train Lori carries certifications in yoga therapy (C-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 21 years. Her primary teaching influences are Tias Little, Judith Hanson Lasater, Gabriel Halpern, and MovNat®. She has many, 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 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. Beyond Yoga 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 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 shares her life with her husband, Don and adult children, Ben, Kim, and son-in-law Sean.