Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)
Lead Instructor: Julia Jonson | Co-Instructor: Sally Gill
SEPTEMBER 2025 - MAY 2026
Hosted at The Yoga Effect
Deepen Knowledge, Gain Wisdom While Becoming a Light for Others
Yoga provides us with an opportunity to get to know ourselves from the inside out. When you say YES to embarking on training, you open up a whole new path of learning and growth. YTT is an opportunity to work through self-limiting beliefs and build confidence. It’s an opportunity to awaken the higher Self and shine like never before.
NOVEMBER 2026
Steady Through the Season: A Fall Retreat with Stacy, Sally and Anna
Friday, November 6, 2026 • 6:30pm-8:30pm
Saturday, November 7, 2026 • 9:30am-4:30pm
Hackmatack Retreat • Richmond, IL
$275 | Person (Full Retreat Rate includes both days)
All Levels Welcome!
As the pace of life begins to pick up and the holiday season approaches, this retreat offers space to slow down, reconnect, and come back to center. Surrounded by the changing colors of fall at Hackmatack Refuge, we are reminded of impermanence—the natural rhythm of release, transition, and renewal. Steady Through the Season is an invitation to cultivate steadiness within that change, so you can move into the coming months feeling grounded, clear, and supported.
Through alignment-based practice, we build stability and awareness in the body—finding strength in foundation. Through breath and mindful movement, we steady the nervous system, learning how to remain anchored even as life shifts. And through restorative practice, meditation, and rest, we soften into the truth that steadiness is not rigidity—it is the capacity to stay present as things change.
We’ll begin Friday evening by coming together to set intentions for the weekend, connect as a group, and ease into a gentle, grounding practice and meditation—cozying up with warm herbal tea as we settle into the space.
Throughout the retreat, there will also be time to be in nature—walking the trails, resting in a hammock, or journaling quietly—observing the natural world as it continues its reminder of impermanence and rhythm.
What’s Included:
- Alignment-focused yoga, all-levels flow, meditation, and restorative practice.
- Time in nature to walk, rest, or journal.
- A healthy vegetarian Ayurvedic lunch, featuring a nourishing cooked and spiced meal to support the seasonal shift.
- Snacks and tea served throughout the retreat.
- All props provided including bolsters, blankets, blocks, and straps.
Accommodations & Details:
Limited on-site lodging is available at Hackmatack (one double room and one single room with shared bathroom). Additional accommodations can be found nearby in Lake Geneva. Space is limited; early registration is recommended.
Cancellation Policy: As a courtesy to our teachers who plan their workshops thoughtfully, workshops are non-refundable if less than 24 hours' notice of cancellation is given. Thank you.
A Free Workshop for Educators: Mindfulness in the Classroom with Anna Ottolino
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 • 4:00pm–5:15pm • Free Event
All Educators Welcome!
Teachers give so much of themselves every day, and at The Yoga Effect, we want to give a little something back. Join Anna Ottolino for a free, interactive 75-minute workshop exploring simple ways to bring mindfulness into the school day. Through breathing exercises, guided meditation, and gentle movement students can do right at their desks, teachers will learn practical tools to help students manage stress, improve focus, and create a calmer classroom environment.
From grade school through high school, mindfulness can benefit students of every age. This is our way of saying thank you to the teachers who do so much for our community. Come take a little time for yourself and leave with tools you can share with your students the very next day. No yoga or meditation experience necessary.
About Anna Ottolino:
With extensive experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to both children and adults, Anna specializes in sharing accessible, age-appropriate practices that educators can seamlessly weave into their daily classroom routines.
Registration Note: While this is a free community event honoring our educators, space is limited to studio capacity. Please register in advance to secure your spot. Thank you.
Metta Sound Healing and Meditation with Bhante Rahula
Saturday, November 21, 2026 • 6:00pm-7:30pm • $40
All Levels Welcome!
Join Bhante Rahula of Blue Lotus Temple at The Yoga Effect for this profound experience. Combining the vibrations of sound therapy with crystal singing bowls, ancient Buddhist chanting, and Loving-Kindness meditation, this 90-minute workshop will guide you to discover mindfulness and wisdom within yourself.
About Bhante Rahula:
Bhante Rahula has been a Buddhist monk for over 30 years and is a certified sound therapist. He brings a deep wealth of ancient wisdom and healing practices to his sessions, allowing participants to experience a rare sense of profound peace and spiritual connection.
Cancellation Policy: As a courtesy to our teachers who plan their workshops thoughtfully, workshops are non-refundable if less than 24 hours' notice of cancellation is given. Thank you.
JANUARY 2027
Small Shifts, Lasting Health: A Wellness Workshop with Anna Ottolino
Friday, January 8th • 6:00–8:00pm • $35
What if some of the best things we can do for our health aren’t really new ideas at all?
Join Anna for an exploration of nutrition, longevity, and the everyday habits that influence how we feel and age.
Drawing inspiration from the Blue Zones, current research, and her own Southern Italian roots, Anna will look at how modern conveniences have changed the way we eat, move, and live, and what we might learn from generations before us.
We’ll explore blood sugar, protein, fiber, maintaining muscle as we age, healthy weight, and the small, practical changes that can make a meaningful difference in our long-term health.
Together we’ll create a warm, supportive space with no perfect diets, no quick fixes, and no one-size-fits-all approach. Just useful information, a little perspective, and ideas you can bring into your everyday life.
What to Expect:
• Blue Zones & longevity insights to explore how lifestyle and culture shape lifelong vitality.
• Everyday nutrition guidance focusing on blood sugar, protein, fiber, and maintaining muscle as we age.
• Sustainable, practical shifts you can realistically weave into your modern daily routine without rigid diet rules.
• Simple, nourishing recipes to take home and easily prepare in your own kitchen.
• Warm community connection around food, movement, and the art of living well.
• Homemade minestrone together! Enjoy a warm, fresh bowl of soup as part of celebrating good food.
Register Here
New Beginnings:
Chanting, Sound & Meditation with Bhante Rahula
Saturday, January 9th • 6:00-7:30pm
As we welcome a new year, we’re invited to pause, reflect, and make space for what we want to carry forward, and what we’re ready to release.
Join Bhante Rahula at The Yoga Effect for a beautiful 90-minute experience of ancient Buddhist chanting, crystal singing bowls, sound healing, and New Beginnings meditation.
Through sound, stillness, and mindful awareness, we’ll create space to let go of the past, reconnect with ourselves, and welcome the possibilities of a new beginning.
Whether you’re marking a major transition or simply entering a new year with an open heart, this gathering offers an opportunity to slow down, set an intention, and begin again.
What to Expect:
• Ancient Buddhist chanting to center the mind and quiet inner dialogue.
• Crystal singing bowls & sound healing to create vibrational harmony and release tension.
• Guided New Beginnings meditation to invite reflection, stillness, and fresh perspective.
• All levels welcome—no prior meditation, chanting, or sound healing experience needed.
• All yoga & meditation props provided (mats, blankets, bolsters) for full comfort and supported rest.
About Bhante Rahula: Bhante Rahula has been a Buddhist monk for over 30 years and is a certified sound therapist. He brings a deep wealth of Buddhist wisdom and healing practices to his sessions, creating a space for profound peace, reflection, and spiritual connection.
Cancellation Policy: As a courtesy to our teachers who thoughtfully plan their workshops, workshops are non-refundable if less than 24 hours’ notice of cancellation is given. Thank you.
Register Here
Trust Your Inner Knowing:
A Meditative Inquiry & Restorative Yoga Workshop with Sarah Lill
Sunday, January 17th • 1:00-3:00pm • $40
Start the new year by tuning into your body's natural wisdom.
The beginning of a new year often brings pressure to change, improve, or become someone new. This two-hour workshop offers something different—an invitation to slow down, soften, and remember that what you're seeking may already be within you.
Through guided meditation, nervous system education, restorative yoga, and reflective journaling, you'll explore how to quiet the noise of conditioning, reconnect with your inner wisdom, and cultivate greater trust in yourself.
Together we'll create a warm, supportive space to pause, listen, and simply be.
What to Expect:
• Guided meditation to quiet the mind and cultivate awareness.
• Gentle nervous system education to understand how safety supports self-trust.
• Reflective journaling (journal provided).
• Restorative yoga to rest deeply and reconnect with your body.
• A cozy cup of tea and a welcoming community.
• Beginner-friendly practices to help you begin the year feeling grounded, present, and connected to yourself.
Come exactly as you are. Nothing to fix. Nothing to change. Just an opportunity to pause, listen inward, and trust your inner knowing.
Cancellation Policy: As a courtesy to our teachers who plan their workshops thoughtfully, workshops are non-refundable if less than 24 hours' notice of cancellation is given. Thank you.
Register Here
