Julia Jonson

Yoga Educator, E-RYT 500®, YACEP®, Creative Director, lululemon Ambassador 2024-2026

Julia Jonson is a yoga educator who has been practicing yoga for more than 30 years and teaching for nearly 20. She has devoted much of her life to yoga and to helping others live with greater awareness and ease. A dedicated student since 1991, Julia apprenticed with Gabriel Halpern at the Yoga Circle in Chicago and had the honor of serving as one of his assistant teachers for two years. She continues to study consistently with Prasad Rangnekar and has also trained with Desiree Rumbaugh and Venerable Bhante Sujatha. With over 1,000 hours of training and decades of experience, Julia co-owns her own yoga studio, created and leads a highly rated 5-star Yoga Teacher Training program, mentors teachers one-on-one, and has guided international yoga retreats in Spain, Italy, and India.

Julia discovered yoga in college, at a time when she was experiencing scoliosis-related back pain, migraines, and emotional stress. Yoga gave her a direct experience of the connection between body and mind, empowering her to manage physical, mental, and emotional pain and ultimately transform how she cared for herself.

Passionate about sharing yoga widely, Julia is also a traveling teacher, collaborating with esteemed Chicagoland studios as a workshop presenter. She specializes in therapeutic, functional movement and nervous system regulation — and teaches pranayama in every regular class to help students experience the power of conscious breathing.

Julia holds a degree in Broadcasting & Film with a minor in Sociology from the University of Central Missouri and worked for more than a decade as a television newscast producer in top markets including South Bend, Orlando, and Chicago. Drawing from her background in media, she brings communication skills and storytelling into her teaching. Her children’s book Just Me & The Trees: A Children’s Guide to Meditation reflects her mission to make well-being accessible to all ages.

Julia is the proud mom of two young adults (and two rescue dogs). She loves nature walks, plant-based cooking, traveling, ballroom dancing, barre classes, and of course—yoga. She is an avid reader of all things yoga and is currently immersing herself in learning a second language.