NOVEMBER 2025

Nourish and Restore: A Pre-Holiday Reset
at Hackmatack in Richmond, IL 

Led by: Anna Ottolino, Sarah Lill and Stephanie Bersh

Saturday November 15, 2025 • 9:00am 6:00pm • $225

Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged.

Join us for a full-day retreat designed to ground your body, calm your mind, and restore your energy. Through a thoughtful blend of mindful movement, meditation, breathwork, restorative and yin yoga, and reflective journaling, you’ll be guided back to your center just in time for the busy season ahead.

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Activities in this program will include:

• Gentle, grounding yoga practice
• Breathwork and guided meditation
• Restorative + yin yoga for deep release
• Journaling prompts for clarity and intention
• A nourishing vegan lunch + healthy snacks
• A closing sound healing experience to restore your nervous system and elevate your spirit.

This retreat will conclude with a beautiful sound bath led by Stephanie Bersch, a soothing, vibrational journey to seal in your self-care practice.

Thank you

DECEMBER 2025

Metta Sound & Healing Meditation
with Bhante Rahula

Sunday December 7, 2025 • 3:00-4:30pm • $40

Join Bhante Rahula of the 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. During this 90-minute workshop, you will be guided 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.

All proceeds of this workshop will benefit the Blue Lotus Temple. 

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

No More Dharma Candy: A Deeper Look into the Teachings of the Buddha

A continuing series with Bhante Sujatha

In our practice, it’s easy to reach for what feels sweet and the teachings that comfort and inspire us. But the Buddha’s path was never meant to be candy; it was medicine. True dharma doesn’t just soothe us, it wakes us up.

No More Dharma Candy is a continuing series of conversations and reflections with Bhante Sujatha, offering a deeper exploration of the Buddha’s teachings. These teachings ask something of us, and reveal the truth of life as it is, while pointing toward genuine freedom.

Together we’ll explore how these ancient insights come alive in modern practice, not as ideas to admire, but as ways of seeing that transform how we live, love, and let go.

See the first three dates and topics below. More dates and topics to come! Most sessions will be in person with some remote to accommodate Bhante's traveling schedule.

Session 1 (Remote): The Four Noble Truths and The Noble Eightfold Path - The Way of Liberation

Sunday December 21, 2025 • 3:00-4:30pm • $20

The Buddha’s first and most complete teaching begins not with belief, but with seeing clearly: that life includes suffering, that this suffering has a cause, that its end is possible, and that there is a path leading there.

This way, the Noble Eightfold Path invites us to live with wisdom, integrity, and mindful awareness. Through right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration, we learn to meet life’s challenges with clarity and compassion.

This session explores how these timeless truths can guide us through modern confusion, showing that awakening is not distant or abstract, but a lived experience available in each moment.

Workshop Details

• Remote Session: This workshop will be held remotely. A link to join the session will be included in the confirmation email sent to all registered participants.

Session 2: The Three Marks of Existence: Seeing Life As It Truly Is 

Sunday February 1, 2026 • 3:00-4:30pm • $40

Everything we experience, our bodies, relationships, emotions, and even our beliefs, shares three universal qualities: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. This teaching invites us to look deeply into the fabric of reality, loosening our grip on what can never stay the same.

When we see clearly, peace becomes possible not in control, but in understanding. These truths ask us to stop fighting the flow of change and to rest instead in wisdom, which delivers a freedom born of insight, not escape.

Workshop Details

• In-Person Session: This workshop will be held in person at The Yoga Effect.

Session 3: Karma and Intention: The Subtle Art of Cause and Effect 

Sunday April 5, 2026 • 3:00-4:30pm • $40

Karma is one of the most frequently discussed and least understood teachings of the Buddha. It is not about fate, reward, or punishment; it is about intention (cetana). Every thought, word, and action plants a seed. Over time, these seeds ripen into the conditions of our lives and the states of our hearts.

When we see karma clearly, it no longer feels like a system of judgment, but a path of freedom. We begin to recognize that each moment offers a choice to create suffering through confusion or to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and release.

This session explores karma not as a distant moral law, but as an intimate, moment-to-moment practice: understanding how our intentions shape our experience, and how awakening begins with what we choose right now.

Workshop Details

• In-Person Session: This workshop will be held in person at The Yoga Effect.

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 2026

Trust Your Inner Knowing: A Meditative Inquiry & Restorative Yoga Workshop with Sarah Lill

Sunday January 18, 2026 • 3:00-5:00pm • $40

Start the new year by tuning into your body’s natural wisdom.

This two-hour workshop invites you to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with your inner guidance. Through meditation, restorative yoga, and journaling, you’ll cultivate trust in yourself and step into the year ahead, grounded in your natural strengths.

What to Expect:

• 🌿 Guided meditation to quiet the noise and foster clarity.
• ✍️ Reflective journaling (journals provided).
• 🕉️ Restorative yoga to rest deeply and embody presence.
• 🍵 A cozy cup of tea to sip as you reflect (tea provided).
• 💫 Beginner-friendly practices to help you start the year grounded in trust and inner strength.

Come as you are! This workshop provides a nurturing space for rest, reflection, and 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

October 2026

The Yoga Effect presents:
Yoga, Meditation & Hiking Retreat
in Boulder, Co

**Please note: This retreat is now sold out.

To request to be on the waitlist, please email Anna at:
[email protected]

Historic Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Co
Thursday, October 1 | Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Led by Bhante Sujatha, Anna Ottolino & Liz Carpenter 

Pricing:

All rooms include 1 queen bed and 1 private bathroom.

• Single Occupancy: $3,200 per person
  
  
• Discounted pricing: $2,650 per person
  (For couples or friends sharing 1 queen bed)
  
  
• Check-In: Thursday, October 1 at 4:00 pm
  *Please note: The Denver airport is approximately 1 hour from Boulder.
  
  
• Check-Out: Tuesday, October 6 at 10:00 am
  
  

Payment Schedule:

• A 50% deposit is required at the time of registration. 

• Remaining balance due August 31, 2026

• Details below
   

Every autumn, for just a fleeting moment, Colorado’s aspens turn to gold, setting the mountains ablaze with breathtaking color. This brief and magical time is one of nature’s most spectacular displays a season of transformation, beauty, and deep reflection. Because this time of year is so sought after, we’re securing this retreat far in advance to ensure a truly special experience.

Nestled in the historic Chautauqua Park, this retreat offers a powerful blend of yoga, meditation, and guided hiking, creating space to reconnect with yourself and nature. Led by Bhante Sujatha, Anna Ottolino, and Liz Carpenter, you’ll be guided through practices that nourish the body, mind, and spirit as you move through the golden-hued trails and stillness of the mountains.

 
General Itinerary:

• Daily yoga and breath-work sessions with Anna and Liz
• Teachings, Meditation, and Wisdom from Bhante Suhatha
  
• Guided hikes among the golden aspens
• Inspiring practices for mindfulness and renewal 
• Accommodations at The Historic Colorado Chautauqua
  
• Included: All meals and transportation to and from the hiking locations
   

Not Included:

• Airfare
• Transportation to and from the airport
  
  

This is more than a retreat, it's an opportunity to immerse yourself in nature's beauty, deepen your practice and witness a rare, fleeting moment of autumn's brilliance. Because this one of the most sought-after times in Colorado, space is extremely limited. 
 
Reserve your spot ASAP!

To reserve your spot, please email Anna Ottolino at [email protected] for instructions on
submitting your 50% deposit. Thank you