Instructors
The people who teach at Yoga Loft.
Two owners who still teach, and seven more instructors across hot, power, Ashtanga, flow and strength classes. Read who they are, then pick a class on the Oak Park schedule.
Co-owner and lead teacher trainer
Jill Jerome
Jill has practiced yoga for over 12 years and has taught since 2009. She came to her first class, a two hour Ashtanga practice, after a running injury and a friend’s advice, while she was CEO of a corporate recruiting firm. She is a Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher (E-RYT) with further training in the Full Primary Series of Ashtanga, Power Vinyasa Yoga and Hatha. She teaches a powerful, athletic and vigorous flow, plus open level classes inspired by the Ashtanga and Vinyasa system, and practices Mysore and meditation daily. Expect to be challenged.
On training with Jill
“I have loved the instruction on foundational principles of Ashtanga yoga, and Jill is not only knowledgeable but always willing to answer our many questions to help us grow as teachers!”
Sonia, Google review. See the 200-hour teacher training.
Co-owner
Tim Ceurvorst
Tim is a lifelong student of fitness and wellness who wants to help others build a healthy lifestyle. He teaches daily classes, bootcamps and private personal training, and holds corporate fitness classes both in the studio and off site. Expect to be challenged, motivated and to laugh. His students quickly become devotees and often form friendships outside the studio.
Corporate classes are covered on the private events and corporate page.
The rest of the roster
Seven more teachers, one loft.
Class times change weekly, so the live schedule on Mindbody is the place to find who is teaching what. New here? The classes page lists every room by its temperature.
April Quealy
Hot yoga, with Bikram, Ashtanga and Vinyasa influences
April has practiced hot yoga for 13+ years and completed her teacher training through Yoga Loft Studios in 2020. Her main background is traditional Bikram, which she blends with Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow into a fluid 26&2 class. She loves backbends and twists, teaches through the eyes of the student and calls herself a student for life.
Anne Elyse Hartigan
Vinyasa and traditional hot yoga
Anne Elyse found yoga as a runner and musical theatre actress in New York City and has studied asana and philosophy for 15 years. She has taught at studios across the US, most recently owning her own studio in Seattle, and works weekly with athletes, dancers, corporations and people with injuries. Her classes balance a vigorous physical practice with careful alignment, accessibility and attention to the breath.
Tracy Lawrence
Mindful practice, prenatal trained
Tracy came to yoga over a decade ago to counterbalance running and ultimate frisbee, and found the mindful and meditative side just as powerful. After her 200hr teacher training she completed the 85hr prenatal training while pregnant with her third child, and she also leads expectant and new mothers. She lives in Oak Park and wants to help others find their path in an uplifting, approachable environment.
Divya Chandran
Power yoga and vinyasa flow
Divya started yoga at a Hatha studio in West Loop and took teacher training at Yoga Loft soon after. Divya teaches an energetic power class as happily as a flowy vinyasa class, and likes to introduce students to a new flow and a new challenge while encouraging them to breathe, move and stay mindful throughout.
David Driscoll
Ashtanga, Iyengar and tantric lineages
David is a yoga teacher, writer and father of three young girls. He completed a 200-hr training at the Hatha Yoga Center in Seattle in 2014 and a 500-hr training with Tejas Yoga in Chicago in 2020. His classes blend heating movement and restorative pause, with pranayama, mudras, bandhas and seated meditation as staples, and he aims to help students guide their own yogic inquiry.
Sarah Letson
Strength based yoga
Sarah took up a regular yoga practice in 2020, looking for strength training she could do indoors with no equipment, and learned how much functional strength a mat and determination can build. Her classes confront you with challenging holds and movements. Expect to sweat, shake and hold a warrior three pose for far longer than you ever intended.
Amit Kutty
Vinyasa power flow, Ashtanga influenced
Amit’s yoga story began in India, seeing mom practice regularly. Amit’s style is closely influenced by Ashtanga, with the emphasis on uniting mind, body and breath. Amit builds sequences that strengthen the whole body toward a final posture. Amit loves teaching a vinyasa style power flow with handstands, creative transitions, arm balances and backbends.
And Jules teaches flow.
Jules teaches flow, and the Google review here is about that class. Thinking about teaching yourself? Ask about the 200-hour teacher training, read the studio’s story, or get in touch.
Flow with Jules
“Took Flow w Jules and loved it. Challenging in the best way. Sequencing was smooth, and the small alignment cues really added up. Highly recommend if you’re into a deeper practice.”