Prairie Yoga

What Prairie Yoga does

Prairie Yoga is a private yoga teacher training organization founded in 2006 by Lori Gaspar and headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. It operates as a Yoga Alliance Registered School (RYS 200 and RYS 300), delivering multi-style, alignment-focused 250-hour foundation and 300-hour advanced training programs that, when combined, yield a 500-hour certification recognized by the industry body. The core curriculum covers all eight limbs of yoga — asana, philosophy, anatomy, energetics, and teaching methodology — and is differentiated by the founder's proprietary "Yoga for Strength and Stability®" methodology, a trademarked fusion of yoga and natural movement (MovNat) based on neurodevelopmental sequencing. Coursework is delivered in person through a distributed model across partner studios in the Chicago suburbs (Wheaton, Batavia, Glen Ellyn, Schaumburg), with an annual week-long retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana.

The business model is professional services revenue from cohort-based training: teacher training tuition (with $500 non-refundable deposits and multi-payment plans), specialty intensives (~$700 plus optional $150 certification), and retreat packages ($2,295+ with lodging upgrades). Customer segments are individual aspiring yoga teachers seeking RYT credentials, current teachers pursuing continuing education toward 500-hour status, and experienced practitioners deepening their study. End customers are a long-tail of individual students rather than enterprise accounts; the host venues function as channel partners, not buyers. The company closed its dedicated studio in 2024 after 14 years and now operates asset-light through partner locations, with payments processed via Stripe and scheduling/bookings via MindBody.

Prairie Yoga has certified more than 700 teachers over 21 years and has earned national visibility through Yoga Alliance committee appointments, Yoga Chicago editorial coverage, and graduate outcomes described as "the Yale of yoga training" by alumni. The organization has no external investment and remains founder-led, with Lori Gaspar retaining creative and operational control over curriculum, branding, and the trademarked sub-product. Distribution is supported by content marketing (blog, newsletter, earned media, external publications), Yoga Alliance registry visibility, and a publicly listed alumni directory that facilitates job referrals into the broader yoga teaching market.

Name

Prairie Yoga

Legal name

Prairie Yoga

Website

https://prairieyoga.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prairie Yoga is a Yoga Alliance Registered School in Lisle, Illinois, founded in 2006 by Lori Gaspar, delivering 250-hour foundation and 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training programs across Chicago-area partner studios and an annual Montana retreat, with a trademarked Yoga for Strength and Stability® methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yoga Teacher Training

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) & Pilates Instructor Training (HSADACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Yoga Instruction (Hatha/Vinyasa/Flow) (HSADACAA), Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA), Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)

Keywords

• Yoga teacher training
• Yoga certification programs
• Continuing education workshops
• Yoga retreats
• Alignment-based yoga

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Yoga Teacher Training Programs: In-person 250-hour foundation and 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training programs. Programs include contact hours and non-contact hours. Completion of 200-hour + 300-hour leads to 500-hour certification.
2. Yoga Retreats: Week-long yoga retreats at Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana. Tuition starts at $2295 plus lodging upgrades. Includes accommodations, meals, yoga classes, and airport transfers.
3. Yoga for Strength and Stability Training and Certification: 24-contact hour intensive plus optional 6-hour certification. Pricing at $700 regular, $600 early bird for intensive; $150 additional for certification.
4. Registration Deposits: $500 non-refundable deposit required to hold spot in teacher training programs. Payment plans available with 50% due by specific dates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prairie Yoga operates a Registered Yoga Alliance School offering in-person 250-hour foundation and 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training programs that culminate in 500-hour certification, along with the trademarked Yoga for Strength and Stability® intensive and certification, multi-style alignment-based weekly classes, and week-long residential retreats at Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana. Programs are delivered by founder Lori Gaspar and core faculty at partner studio locations across the Chicago metropolitan area.

Product overview

Prairie Yoga is a yoga teacher training organization offering a platform of educational programs centered around its two core training products: the 250 Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training and the 300 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training. The company also offers a proprietary sub-brand, Yoga for Strength and Stability®, which includes a trademarked training intensive and ongoing classes. Additional modules include yoga retreats at Feathered Pipe Ranch, a library of trainee research papers, Lori Gaspar's educational blog, published articles, and press coverage. The organization operates as a Registered Yoga Alliance school established in 2006 and has certified over 700 yoga teachers in the Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 250 Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training A 250-hour Yoga Alliance registered foundation teacher training program for individuals with at least one year of yoga experience who want to become certified yoga teachers. The multi-style, alignment-based program covers all eight limbs of yoga and is delivered in-person over an extended schedule at partner studio locations across the Chicago metropolitan area.
• 300 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training An advanced 300-hour teacher training program (270 contact hours plus 50 non-contact hours) for already certified RYT-200 teachers, leading to 500-hour certification upon completion with a prior 200-hour program. Focuses on therapeutic yoga, advanced anatomy, energetics, philosophy, and teaching special populations.
• Yoga for Strength and Stability® Intensive and Certification A 24-contact hour intensive that teaches natural movement integration into yoga practice, covering neuro-developmental sequencing, ground movement, balance training, and transitions, plus an optional 6-hour certification. The intensive counts as 24 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education. Permission to use the 'Yoga for Strength and Stability®' trademarked name is granted to teachers who earn the certification.
• Yoga Retreats at Feathered Pipe Ranch A week-long residential yoga retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch in Helena, Montana featuring daily yoga practices, natural movement, pranayama, meditation, and community activities. Base tuition starts at $2,295 and includes lodging in basic shared accommodations, meals, yoga classes, and airport transfers; deluxe lodging upgrades are available as add-ons.
• Yoga for Strength and Stability® Classes Ongoing classes that incorporate natural movement into yoga practice, teaching everyday movements for strength and stability with precise, powerful cues and creative use of movement patterns, based on the founder's trademarked Yoga for Strength and Stability® methodology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 yoga teachers certified in the Midwest since 2006
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Balance Yoga + PilatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2026Host venue for Wednesday 250 Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training program, October 2026 - May 2027 in Glen Ellyn, IL.
• Theosophical Society in AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2026Host venue for 250 Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training program on weekends, September 2026 - May 2027 in Wheaton, IL. Partnership enables in-person training delivery in suburban Chicago.
• Fearless Living Yoga & WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2026Host venue for specialized 250 Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training with focus on Yoga for Mental Health, September 2026 - June 2027 in Batavia, IL.
• TribalancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Host venue for 300 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, September 2025 - December 2026 in Schaumburg, IL. Upcoming workshops also hosted at this location.
• Feathered Pipe RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Annual week-long yoga retreat venue in Helena, Montana. Partnership provides retreat accommodations, meals, facilities, and activities. Prairie Yoga teachers lead yoga programming.
• Feathered Pipe FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Co-organizer of annual yoga retreat with Prairie Yoga. Manages venue operations and logistics for retreat programming.
• YogaUminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for online education content. YogaU videotaped Dr. Gill Solberg's Adaptive Yoga Therapy workshop at Prairie Yoga as part of their online education offerings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CorePower Yoga: National yoga studio chain with its own teacher training program (CPY Teacher Training). Comparable as a multi-site operator delivering Yoga Alliance-registered training, though at much larger scale and broader consumer positioning.
• Esalen Institute: Established wellness retreat and education center offering yoga workshops and teacher-relevant programming. Comparable in combining yoga instruction with multi-day residential retreats, although broader in scope than Prairie.
• YogaWorks: Multi-region yoga studio operator with registered teacher training programs. Comparable as an established RYS offering multi-style foundation and advanced certifications with employer placement pathways for graduates.

Others

• Feathered Pipe Ranch: Montana-based retreat venue and yoga/wellness host. Listed here as a partner and indirect ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor — comparable only insofar as it enables similar week-long yoga retreat experiences that compete for the same consumer wallet share.

Direct peers

• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Major yoga and wellness organization offering registered yoga teacher training (RYT-200/500), workshops, and retreats. Both are RYS-credentialed schools delivering multi-style alignment-based training at premium price points, with Prairie operating a regional version of Kripalu's teacher-training-plus-retreat model.
• Baptiste Power Yoga: Well-known yoga teacher training school offering 200- and 500-hour certifications and signature methodology. Comparable as a multi-style, brand-led teacher training program with a lead-founder-developed proprietary curriculum.
• The Kaivalya Yoga Method: Yoga teacher training school offering 200/300/500-hour certifications with a distinctive methodology. Comparable as a founder-led training brand with trademarked curriculum elements and Yoga Alliance registrations.
• Laughing Lotus Yoga: Yoga studio and registered teacher training school with 200/500-hour programs. Operates a similar distributed training model combining studio-based classes with multi-style certification pathways.
• YogaFit: Large-scale provider of yoga teacher training programs and continuing education for fitness professionals. Competes directly in RYS-credentialed teacher training, especially with corporate wellness and health club placement of graduates.

Emerging players

• MovNat (Natural Movement Network): Natural movement education and certification system founded by Erwan Le Corre. Prairie Yoga's founder is MovNat-certified and integrates MovNat methodology into her trademarked Yoga for Strength and Stability® program, making this a direct methodology peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/prairieyoga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prairie-yoga

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prairie Yoga