Bernie began practicing yoga at the age of 27 in February 2012. Within One year he began teacher training with Sarah Starnes and Pavla Haluskova at the Elmhurst Yoga Shala where he received his first 200 Hour Hatha/Anusara Yoga Teacher Certification.

He started teaching in June 2013 for Lifetime Fitness and freelancing at studios in the Chicago-land area. In June 2014, Bernie went to Minnesota to train with Jason Hulshof of Lifetime Fitness and received his 2nd 200 Hour Vinyasa/Ashtanga Teacher Certification.

In my 19 years since discovering Yoga, I have learned and practiced pretty much any style I had opportunity to practice. Iyengar, Baptiste, Kundalini, Hot, Bikram, Yin, Restorative, Ashtanga, Hatha, Buti… each style has had something more to teach me about myself physically, mentally and spiritually.

Yoga has turned out to be so much more than what I had thought it was going to be when I took my first ever class. I think that most people must feel that way about yoga after practicing a few times.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that yoga is for everyone, every level of physicality and flexibility. You do not need to be flexible or bendy in order to practice, you just have to show up and get on a mat. And just keep coming back, be gentle with yourself, give it some time and the healing benefits will permeate your entire life.

I am very much looking forward to meeting you and having you in class soon!

Erika

“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.”
― B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life

To me, yoga is a way of living. It is not only on the mat that I make choices what to teach or practice, but also in the outside world by choosing how to respond in certain situations and how to stay true to myself no matter what.
Like many of us, I came to practice yoga years ago as physical exercise. I would leave the class before the practice of breathing and meditation; I felt that asana was all I needed. It took time for me to realize that the actual yoga starts where pranayama – breath regulation – and meditation begins, asana being only preparation.

Another lesson I learned while teaching yoga is that having a very flexible body isn’t an advantage of practicing asana. There is a higher degree to injure yourself, and you need to work harder on strengthening your muscles to support stability. That’s why, if someone tells me: “I can’t do yoga, I’m very inflexible.” my answer is: “You are made for it! That’s why you come to yoga – to get more flexible in your body and your mind.”

Five plus years of teaching yoga has allowed me to find my own style and set my values. I prefer not to put people into proficiency levels, believing that no one can assess the level of one’s meditation practice. Everyone is welcome to join; I love diversity.

My motto is:

“We don’t need more speed, what we need is quality”

I have attended classes that were described as ‘yoga’ and were so fast I could barely catch my breath. I stand behind the principle of less being more.

I like teaching sequences where there is an initial and final relaxation with a more dynamic flow in between; we all need to gather and center first before we are ready to move mindfully. There is no specific time when pranayama and meditation are practiced; instead, they are weaved throughout the entire session. I encourage people to close their eyes frequently, so the practice becomes a meditative experience throughout with a focus on observing their bodies, thoughts, and emotions. As someone with a degree in clinical psychology, I strive to motivate everyone to explore and get a deeper understanding of who they really are. We tend to look outside while all the answers lay within.

Yoga is the way to get our questions answered.

Currently, I also teach workshop series at the Lithuanian World center Museum of Art, chair yoga at St. Francis of Assisi Residence, a semi private early morning session and lead silent Mindful Weekend retreats for Women in Beverly Shores, IN.

Ruth was transplanted from Southern Ontario in 2003, with three, now grown somewhat sassy, children. A famous dabbler she has tried everything from meditation to martial arts, from warrior dashes to Improv comedy, but Yoga and meditation have remained her physical, emotional and spiritual refuge and the only thing that slows down her madly off in all directions brain.

She’s completed multiple 200hr yoga teacher trainings and finished her 500hr in 2018. She also leads 200hr and 300hr teacher trainings in multiple formats.

She has certifications in Personal Training, Life Coaching, Yoga as Integrative Medicine, Advanced Yoga Assists, and Advanced Vinyasa teaching.

She has a wicked cool crystal singing bowl and an equally cool ocean drum and she is not afraid to use them.

She is also an avid mixed media artist, photographer, writer, and editor.

Ellen first came to the practice of yoga in 2005 to help heal injuries sustained through years of martial arts training. A student of hot yoga since 2010, she gravitated toward both the discipline of the practice and the health benefits of the intense heat.

Ellen completed her CYT 200 hour training at Prairie Yoga in May 2013 and has been teaching ever since. Ellen views yoga as a continuously evolving process that can be approached with a fresh perspective in every class for everyone. She believes that understanding the anatomy behind the movements and the “why” of the postures is essential for students in developing a mindful practice.

Once the postures are deeply felt and understood in the physical body, the mind is then free to focus on the more spiritual aspects of practice. She is passionate about the role of yoga in recovery from addiction and is focusing on the integration of mindfulness practice and therapy in her career as an addictions counselor. 

Ellen also runs “Sober Yogis”, a social recovery network (please check back for times and dates). She enjoys teaching a variety of class styles, including traditional Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Power Fusion, Restorative and Fitness.