About
About
Feel Good, Do Good . . .
We believe in the ripple effect that is created with a consistent Yoga practice. As we create a positive difference within ourselves, we also influence others; this not only impacts them, but everyone else on their journey as well. When we feel good, we do good . . . and that is The Yoga Effect.
The Yoga Effect is a warm, supportive, inclusive community founded in 2010. We believe in:
- The power of inner and outer connection
- Turning inward to foster self-love, compassion and understanding
- Walking more gently on this planet with those same qualities for others
Feel Good, Do Good . . .
We believe in the ripple effect that is created with a consistent Yoga practice. As we create a positive difference within ourselves, we also influence others; this not only impacts them, but everyone else on their journey as well. When we feel good, we do good . . . and that is The Yoga Effect.
The Yoga Effect is a warm, supportive, inclusive community founded in 2010. We believe in:
- The power of inner and outer connection
- Turning inward to foster self-love, compassion and understanding
- Walking more gently on this planet with those same qualities for others
Meet Our Teachers
Sally Gill
Sally Gill
Co-owner, Lead Teacher
E-RYT 500, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Practitioner
Sally has been practicing Yoga since 1992 when she discovered the practice as a dancer seeking to overcome performance anxiety. What began as a way to cope and feel comfortable in her own body, has become a lifelong practice that she loves to share with others. Sally has been part of The Yoga Effect community since it opened in 2010 and was trained to teach yoga through the studio with Mara Campbell in 2015. She is so grateful to now be a co-owner of the studio and continue to nurture the special community it holds. Sally received her RYT 500-hour teacher training designation in December of 2023 and is also a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Practitioner. Sally enjoys finding balance through the many forms that yoga can take from a more rigorous experience in a hot Yoga class to a gentle, restorative, or more mindful flow; Sally believes in listening to the cues our body gives us and finding peace through dedication to a lifelong Yoga practice.
Feel free to reach out to her at [email protected]
Anna Ottolino
Founder, Co-Owner, Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Anna has been teaching yoga since 2009 and loves helping people cultivate more meaning and presence in their lives by encouraging them to find connection through yoga and meditation. She believes that the stress-relieving qualities of a consistent yoga practice along with the mental, physical, and emotional strengthening can greatly impact one’s life on a multitude of levels. Her teaching style has a strong focus on alignment and turning inward for spiritual reflection, sprinkled with some fun and challenge. Anna founded the studio in 2010 and is a co-owner of the studio. Anna’s love for travel inspires her to plan spiritual retreats in beautiful destinations, bringing all her passions together. She is registered as an E-RYT 200 teacher with The Yoga Alliance and is currently pursuing her E-RYT-500. Anna originally received her yoga training with Martin Kirk, author of Hatha Yoga Illustrated. She is grateful to her students who helped her to grow as a teacher and to her many teachers for their wisdom and support. The Yoga Effect and the Grayslake community are dear to Anna, and she is thrilled to be part of this community. Anna recently published her first children’s book on the topic of loving-kindness. The Feathered Bridge teaches children that all beings: humans, animals, and the environment, are all interconnected and that our actions matter. You can get your copy at amazon.com.
Contact Anna: [email protected]
Cortney McPherson
Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
Cortney completed her 200HR YTT in 2014 under Jill Jerome. Her training was heavily rooted in Ashtanga and yogic philosophy. Cortney's teaching style is intuitive and flowy, with lots of room for student creativity and exploration. She strives to foster a safe, connected environment where each student feels challenged and supported and promises to always meet you where you are in your practice. When she's not teaching, you can find Cortney reading, watching a sunset, eating chocolate ice cream, or bingeing Tiny Desk Concerts. Cortney can't wait to see you on the mat!
Liz Carpender
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT-200
Liz has been practicing yoga for nearly twenty years and teaching for fifteen. From her first experience she truly felt an immediate connection. It was that simple discovery of how powerful our breath is that led her to further study, explore, and deepen her own practice and to share her love of yoga with others. She has been fortunate to practice with a great many amazing teachers and students over the years. She earned her 200-hour training certification with Blue Sun Yoga and is a registered E-RYT with Yoga Alliance. She loves to meet new students and always brings a playful yet focused style to her strong physical practice. She never teaches the same class twice; preferring a more in-the-moment approach, she is always happy to adapt her class based on a student request. She is married and has two wonderful children and enjoys many forms of physical fitness and recreation, as well as reading, travel, gardening, good wine and live music.
Sharon Gaughan
Sharon Gaughan,
MS, ERYT-200, YACEP
Essential Journey Yoga,
essentialjourneyyoga.com
Sharon took her first yoga class as an undergrad at the University of Montana in the mid-1980s and that experience marked the beginning of her yoga journey.
After considering the possibility for years, Sharon completed her yoga teacher training early in 2014 – blending her experience and passion for yoga, with her experience and passion for teaching. She is currently an ERYT-200 and YACEP, focusing her continued training and teaching on gentle yoga practices for healthy aging.
“Yoga is the journey of the Self, through the Self, to the Self.” - Bagavad Gita
Marla Tracy
Yoga Teacher E-RYT-200
Marla is thrilled to be teaching at the Yoga Effect! She began practicing yoga when her late husband began his journey and found the benefits to be extremely powerful in his life. Although she was very active and fit (running was her exercise of choice), she felt she was missing a way to calm her mind, slow herself down, engage her spirit and enjoy the present moment; Yoga has certainly been the answer.
Marla believes that when something is going on in one’s mind it manifests itself in our body and spirit; coming to her mat and practicing yoga better prepares for many of life’s challenges moving forward with grace and peace.
Stacy Wheeler
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Stacy began her yoga practice fifteen years ago with Barbara Spietz of Awakenings Yoga. Barb’s approach to yoga was making it accessible to everyone. During that first class, Stacy remembers barely being able to hold downward dog for 10 seconds, but soon learned that was not the goal. Whether it is your first class, a return to the practice after a break, or a daily practice, each time we step on the mat we are there to set the foundation, to learn to connect to our conscious breath and to begin that journey back home, where the mind, body and soul are one and where we can connect to our authenticity.
As Stacy fell more in love with the practice of yoga, she began taking lessons at The Yoga Effect. This time she not only fell more in love with the practice but the community. In 2016, after getting my RYT-200 certification with the Emerald Heart Yoga School led by Mara Campbell, she began her teaching journey. Being a new teacher was just like being a new student. It was all about taking it day by day and one step at a time. Seven years later, she has enjoyed teaching so many different students and different styles of yoga. All the while, remembering that this is all about taking it day by day, moment by moment because, in the end, yoga prepares us to be fully present and awake in the present moment.
Whether practicing on her mat or teaching a class, the journey is always evolving. It doesn’t mean that the trajectory is always on a positive slope, but it means that you take the time for yourself, to find some stillness, to create some space and to learn to reconnect with the divinity within you. It’s not about the pose. It’s not about doing a headstand. Hopefully, during our journey, we find that is more about all those moments, on and off the mat, that we experience being truly alive, where we learn to transition from ‘humans doing’ to ‘humans being'.
Bhante Sujatha
Bhante is singularly focused on adding more love to the world. He teaches loving-kindness meditation to people around the globe for all those seeking the art of happiness and contentment. His approach to meditation is deep and simple, bringing core Buddhist teachings to everyone in a way that is practical and easy to understand.
Jon Saesan
Yoga Teacher RYT-200
Jon received his 200 hour YTT in 2019 under the teaching of Mara Campbell. He has been an RN for 15 years, the last 13 working in Hospice. Jon has found in yoga a path to which he is able to live a joyful life emboldened by the knowledge that it is finitely informed by his death-work. He is excited to be teaching again and believes instructing with a beginner’s mind is the greatest way to an understanding of one’s body and self.
Jessica Spalding
Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
Jessica specializes in flow, restorative and gentle yoga. She completed her Hatha Yoga Training Program in 2019 under Terry Crews. Since then she has broadened her studies in Adaptive Yoga with Ryan McGraw, Alignment-based Yoga Immersion with world renowned Desiree Rumbaugh, and mentorship with Julia Jonson from TBY in Restorative Yoga & Hands-on Adjustments. Her teachings are deeply rooted in tradition with a modern day understanding of anatomy, physical fitness and alignment. Jessica believes strongly in incorporating meditation and breath work in her teachings, creating a full experience for the body and the soul. Jessica is also Reiki III Certified with a deep connection to spiritual practice. Creating a holistic approach, Jessica brings a healing intention to all of her sharings.
Mary Mantilla
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 500
Mary fell in love with yoga at “Namaste.” She felt immediately drawn to yogic philosophy and to the strength, flexibility, and increased confidence the physical practice of yoga brought. She received her 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training and is certified as an RYT through Yoga Alliance. She credits her immersion in the study of yoga with keeping her sane during the most difficult time of her life. Mary is a retired Speech Pathologist and is the mother of three grown children. In her teaching, she strives to help people connect to body, mind, heart, and breath in order to nurture strength and flexibility, both physically and mentally. She focuses on outer alignment and inner calm. Her comforting style encourages people to take time for themselves and find peace within. Her hope is that people step off the mat feeling more grounded and comfortable in their bodies, and more compassionate towards themselves, thereby helping to create a more conscious, compassionate world.
Lamaiya Lancaster
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Lamaiya Lancaster is an E-RYT 200 Hour Yoga Instructor and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. She is Dance and Yoga Faculty at the College of Lake County, Artistic Director for the L-Theory Collective Dance Company. As a dancer, she has incorporated regular yoga practice in her training. Lamaiya's dedication to inclusion through community engagement in movement arts has been realized through professional practice. She found that community engagement and community building through yoga practice strengthened this dedication while going through the teaching certification program at the College of Lake County and it is this that informs her yoga teaching practice. Lamaiya has traveled the United States from sunny South Carolina to the desert of Nevada to the shores of Oahu practicing yoga and more recently teaching community yoga workshops focusing on strengthening, stability, and flow. Throughout her travels, she has found that yoga practice has been the vehicle for individuals from these various communities to come together and share their cultures, both on and off the mat, creating a more diverse community. It is this open and welcoming sense of community that Lamaiya strives to create in each of her classes. You may enter the space as an individual but you will leave as a member of a community with those you have shared the class with, connected by the practice, breath, and flow.
Sarah Lill
Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
Sarah began her yoga journey over a decade ago during a challenging period of anxiety. She discovered that yoga brought a sense of ease to her body and mind. The calm and happiness she felt after each practice became vital to her life. This profound impact inspired her to share the transformative power of yoga with others.
In 2017, Sarah completed her RYT-200 certification with Emerald Heart Yoga School led by Mara Campbell. Since then, she has taught various styles of yoga, embracing the diversity of her students; ages, and abilities. Sarah finds joy in a challenging flow but has also developed a deep appreciation for meditation and restorative yoga, which have been instrumental in her
journey to de-stress and recover from injuries. Her teaching style integrates techniques for building a healthy mind and body, emphasizing the holistic benefits of yoga. Sarah is passionate about building connections and fostering community in her classes and looks forward to welcoming you to the Yoga Effect.
Off the mat, Sarah is a dedicated middle school librarian and an author.
Last year, she published her first book, Own Your Mind: A Teen's Guide to Discovering a Healthy Mind. She is committed to helping others find balance and well-being through her teaching and
writing.
Kristin Nelson
Yoga Teacher, RYT 200
Kristin first began practicing yoga 15 years ago. She started her practice to help relieve the stress of working full-time while completing her college education. In 2011, she made one of the biggest changes in her life and decided to complete a Yoga Teacher Training program with a focus in Anusara Yoga.
This opportunity opened the opportunity to begin living from the heart; It was absolutely a life-changing experience. Yoga gave Kristin a way to feel more comfortable in her own skin and be more connected to herself and others.
Kristin enjoys teaching to share the benefits of yoga and helping students get the most out of their practice and relieving stress, anxiety, and depression. Her hope in teaching is to help
students grow within their mind, heart, and body in any way that they need. Her passion is teaching with a focus on alignment, breathwork, and practicing from the heart. This allows students to have a safe and fulfilling practice that builds strength in the body and mind.
In addition to her love as a Yoga Instructor, she is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, a Certified Reflexologist, and Certified in levels 1, 2, and 3 Reiki.
Meet Our Teachers
Sally Gill
Sally Gill
Co-owner, Lead Teacher
E-RYT 500, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Practitioner
Sally has been practicing Yoga since 1992 when she discovered the practice as a dancer seeking to overcome performance anxiety. What began as a way to cope and feel comfortable in her own body has become a lifelong practice that she loves sharing with others. Sally has been part of The Yoga Effect community since it opened in 2010 and was trained to teach yoga through the studio with Mara Campbell in 2015. She is so grateful to now be a co-owner of the studio and continue to nurture the special community it holds. Sally received her RYT 500-hour teacher training designation in December of 2023 and is also a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Practitioner. Sally enjoys finding balance through the many forms that yoga can take from a more rigorous experience in a hot Yoga class to a gentle, restorative, or more mindful flow; Sally believes in listening to the cues our body gives
us and finding peace through dedication to a lifelong Yoga practice.
Feel free to reach out to her at [email protected]
Anna Ottolino
Founder, Co-Owner, Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Anna has been teaching yoga since 2009 and loves helping people to cultivate more meaning and presence in their lives by encouraging them to find connection through yoga and meditation. She believes that the stress-relieving qualities of a consistent yoga practice along with the mental, physical, and emotional strengthening can greatly impact one’s life on a multitude of levels. Her teaching style has a strong focus on alignment and turning inward for spiritual reflection, sprinkled with some fun and challenge. Anna founded the studio in 2010 and is a co-owner of the studio. Anna’s love for travel inspires her to plan spiritual retreats in beautiful destinations, bringing all her passions together. She is registered as an E-RYT 200 teacher with The Yoga Alliance and is currently pursuing her E-RYT-500. Anna originally received her yoga training with Martin Kirk, author of Hatha Yoga Illustrated. She is grateful to her students who helped her to grow as a teacher and to her many teachers for their wisdom and support. The Yoga Effect and the Grayslake community are dear to Anna, and she is thrilled to be part of this community. Anna recently published her first children’s book on the topic of loving-kindness. The Feathered Bridge teaches children that all beings: humans, animals, the environment, are all interconnected and that our actions matter. You can get your copy at amazon.com
Contact Anna:
[email protected]
Cortney McPherson
Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
Cortney completed her 200HR YTT in 2014 under Jill Jerome. Her training was heavily rooted in Ashtanga and yogic philosophy. Cortney's teaching style is intuitive and flowy, with much room for student creativity and exploration. She strives to foster a safe, connected environment where each student feels challenged and supported, and she promises always to meet you where you are in your practice. When she's not teaching, you can find Cortney reading, watching a sunset, eating chocolate ice cream, or bingeing Tiny Desk Concerts. Cortney can't wait to see you on
the mat!
Liz Carpender
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT-200
Liz has been practicing yoga for nearly twenty years and teaching for fifteen. From her first experience she truly felt an immediate connection. It was that simple discovery of how powerful our breath is that led her to further study, explore, and deepen her own practice and to share her love of yoga with others. She has been fortunate to practice with a great many amazing teachers and students over the years. She earned her 200-hour training certification with Blue Sun Yoga and is a registered E-RYT with Yoga Alliance. She loves to meet new students and always brings a playful yet focused style to her strong physical practice. She never teaches the same class twice; preferring a more in-the-moment approach, she is always happy to adapt her class based on a student request. She is married and has two wonderful children and enjoys many forms of physical fitness and recreation, as well as reading, travel, gardening, good wine and live music.
Sharon Gaughan
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Sharon took her first yoga class as an undergrad at the University of Montana in the mid-1980s and that experience marked the beginning of her yoga journey. Although born and raised in Chicago, Sharon has spent much of her adult life living, learning, and teaching in a variety of settings and locations throughout the country and abroad. Her formal education led to an MS in Curriculum & Instruction from Penn State University.
After considering the possibility for many years, Sharon completed her yoga teacher training early in 2014 – and is thrilled to be able to bring her experience and passion for yoga, together with her experience and passion for teaching. She is an ERYT-200, with additional interest and training in teaching gentle and chair yoga for boomers and seniors. She holds certifications specific to teaching both gentle and chair yoga, including a Dual Certification in Gentle and Chair Yoga (Yoga Vista Academy, Sherry Zak Morris), Yoga for Bone Health (Dr. Loren Fishman), Yoga for Healthy Aging (Dr. Baxter Bell), Chair T’ai Chi (Moon Willow T’ai Chi and Wellness), Chair Yoga (Silver Age Yoga), and Yoga for Osteoporosis (Sivananda Ashram).
Sharon is also the proprietor of Essential Journey Yoga, which focuses on health and wellness through yoga, herbs, and essential oils.
“Yoga is the journey of the Self, through the Self, to the Self.” - Bagavad Gita
Marla Tracy
Yoga Teacher E-RYT-200
Marla is thrilled to be teaching at the Yoga Effect! She began practicing yoga when her late husband began his journey and found the benefits to be extremely powerful in his life. Although she was very active and fit (running was her exercise of choice), she felt she was missing a way to calm her mind, slow herself down, engage her spirit and enjoy the present moment; Yoga has certainly been the answer.
Marla believes that when something is going on in one’s mind it manifests itself in our body and spirit; coming to her mat and practicing yoga better prepares for many of life’s challenges moving forward with grace and peace.
Stacy Wheeler
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Stacy began her yoga practice fifteen years ago with Barbara Spietz of Awakenings Yoga. Barb’s approach to yoga was making it accessible to everyone. During that first class, Stacy remembers barely being able to hold downward dog for 10 seconds, but soon learned that was not the goal. Whether it is your first class, a return to the practice after a break, or a daily practice, each time we step on the mat we are there to set the foundation, to learn to connect to our conscious breath and to begin that journey back home, where the mind, body and soul are one and where we can connect to our authenticity.
As Stacy fell more in love with the practice of yoga, she began taking lessons at The Yoga Effect. This time she not only fell more in love with the practice but the community. In 2016, after getting my RYT-200 certification with the Emerald Heart Yoga School led by Mara Campbell, she began her teaching journey. Being a new teacher was just like being a new student. It was all about taking it day by day and one step at a time. Seven years later, she has enjoyed teaching so many different students and different styles of yoga. All the while, remembering that this is all about taking it day by day, moment by moment because, in the end, yoga prepares us to be fully present and awake in the present moment.
Whether practicing on her mat or teaching a class, the journey is always evolving. It doesn’t mean that the trajectory is always on a positive slope, but it means that you take the time for yourself, to find some stillness, to create some space and to learn to reconnect with the divinity within you. It’s not about the pose. It’s not about doing a headstand. Hopefully, during our journey, we find that is more about all those moments, on and off the mat, that we experience being truly alive, where we learn to transition from ‘humans doing’ to ‘humans being'.
Bhante Sujatha
Bhante is singularly focused on adding more love to the world. He teaches loving-kindness meditation to people around the globe for all those seeking the art of happiness and contentment. His approach to meditation is deep and simple, bringing core Buddhist teachings to everyone in a way that is practical and easy to understand.
Jon Saesan
Yoga Teacher RYT-200
Jon received his 200 hour YTT in 2019 under the teaching of Mara Campbell. He has been an RN for 15 years, the last 13 working in Hospice. Jon has found in yoga a path to which he is able to live a joyful life emboldened by the knowledge that it is finitely informed by his death-work. He is excited to be teaching again and believes instructing with a beginner’s mind is the greatest way to an understanding of one’s body and self.
Jessica Spalding
Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
Jessica specializes in flow, restorative and gentle yoga. She completed her Hatha Yoga Training Program in 2019 under Terry Crews. Since then she has broadened her studies in Adaptive Yoga with Ryan McGraw, Alignment based Yoga Immersion with world renowned Desiree Raumbaugh and mentorship with Julia Jonson from TBY in Restorative Yoga & Hands on Adjustments. Her teachings are deeply rooted in tradition with a modern day understanding of anatomy, physical fitness and alignment. Jessica believes strongly in incorporating meditation and breath work in her teachings, creating a full experience for the body and the soul. Jessica is also Reiki III Certified with a deep connection to spiritual practice. Creating a holistic approach, Jessica brings a healing intention to all of her sharings.
Mary Mantilla
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 500
Mary fell in love with yoga at “Namaste.” She felt immediately drawn to yogic philosophy and to the strength, flexibility, and increased confidence the physical practice of yoga brought. She received her 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training and is certified as an RYT through Yoga Alliance. She credits her immersion in the study of yoga with keeping her sane during the most difficult time of her life. Mary is a retired Speech Pathologist and is the mother of three grown children. In her teaching, she strives to help people connect to body, mind, heart, and breath in order to nurture strength and flexibility, both physically and mentally. She focuses on outer alignment and inner calm. Her comforting style encourages people to take time for themselves and find peace within. Her hope is that people step off the mat feeling more grounded and comfortable in their bodies, and more compassionate towards themselves, thereby helping to create a more conscious, compassionate world.
Lamaiya Lancaster
Yoga Teacher, E-RYT 200
Lamaiya Lancaster is an E-RYT 200 Hour Yoga Instructor and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. She is Dance and Yoga Faculty at the College of Lake County, Artistic Director for the L-Theory Collective Dance Company. As a dancer, she has incorporated regular yoga practice in her training. Lamaiya's dedication to inclusion through community engagement in movement arts has been realized through professional practice. She found that community engagement and community building through yoga practice strengthened this dedication while going through the teaching certification program at the College of Lake County and it is this that informs her yoga teaching practice. Lamaiya has traveled the United States from sunny South Carolina to the desert of Nevada to the shores of Oahu practicing yoga and more recently teaching community yoga workshops focusing on strengthening, stability, and flow. Throughout her travels, she has found that yoga practice has been the vehicle for individuals from these various communities to come together and share their cultures, both on and off the mat, creating a more diverse community. It is this open and welcoming sense of community that Lamaiya strives to create in each of her classes. You may enter the space as an individual but you will leave as a member of a community with those you have shared the class with, connected by the practice, breath, and flow.
Sarah Lill
Yoga Teacher, RYT-200
Sarah began her yoga journey over a decade ago during a challenging period of anxiety. She discovered that yoga brought a sense of ease to her body and mind. The calm and happiness she felt after each practice became a vital part of her life. This profound impact inspired her to share the transformative power of yoga with others.
In 2017, Sarah completed her RYT-200 certification with Emerald Heart Yoga School led by Mara Campbell. Since then, she has taught various styles of yoga, embracing the diversity of her students; ages and abilities. Sarah finds joy in a challenging flow but has also developed a
deep appreciation for meditation and restorative yoga, which have been instrumental in her own
journey to de-stress and recover from injuries. Her teaching style integrates techniques for building a healthy mind and body, emphasizing the holistic benefits of yoga. Sarah is passionate about building connections and fostering community in her classes and looks forward to
welcoming you to the
Yoga Effect.
Off the mat, Sarah is a dedicated middle school librarian and an author.
Last year, she
published her first book, Own Your Mind: A Teen's Guide to Discovering a Healthy Mind. She is committed to helping others find balance and well-being, both through her teaching and her
writing.
Kristin Nelson
Yoga Teacher, RYT 200
Kristin first began practicing yoga 15 years ago. She started her practice to help relieve the
stress of working full time while completing her college education.
In 2011, she made one of the biggest changes in her life and decided to complete a Yoga Teacher Training program with a
focus in Anusara Yoga. This opportunity opened the opportunity to begin living from the heart; It
was absolutely a life changing experience. Yoga gave Kristin a way to feel more comfortable in
her own skin and be more connected to herself and others.
Kristin enjoys teaching to share the benefits of yoga and helping students get the most out of their practice and to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. Her hope in teaching is to help
students grow within their mind, heart and body in any way that they need. Her passion is teaching with a focus in alignment, breathwork, and practicing from the heart. This allows
students to have a safe and fulfilling practice that builds strength in the body and mind.
In addition to her love as a Yoga Instructor, she is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, a Certified Reflexologist, and Certified in levels 1, 2, and 3 Reiki.
