Refine your understanding. Teach with more clarity and care.

Led by Jessica Gonsiorowski 
4-Hour CE Workshop · Earn 4 CEUs

Open to 200-hour certified yoga teachers

Refine the Way You See & Teach the Upper Body

The shoulders are one of the most complex—and often misunderstood—areas of the body in yoga.

This workshop is designed to help you understand how the thoracic spine, shoulders, and neck function together, and how to translate that understanding into clearer, more effective teaching.

Through a blend of anatomy, movement, observation, and application, you’ll learn to recognize common compensation patterns and guide students toward movement that is more efficient, sustainable, and supportive.

Why This Work Matters

When thoracic mobility is limited, the neck often overworks.
When shoulder mechanics are inefficient, effort replaces support.

And when teachers can see these patterns clearly, cueing becomes more precise, helpful, and therapeutic.

This workshop creates space to slow down, look more closely, and build a stronger foundation for how you teach the upper body.

Why study with Jessica

Jessica is known for helping teachers see what’s actually happening in the body and translate that into clear, usable teaching.

Her approach is:

• Practical

• Observant

• Supportive

• Immediately applicable

She creates a learning environment that is both professional and deeply approachable, helping teachers build confidence in their own voice and decision-making.

Visit: resilientlifeyogallc.com

Workshop Details

Date: Sunday, September 20 2026
Time: 2-6pm
Location: Yoga Among Friends, Downers Grove, IL
Teacher: Jessica Gonsiorowski
CEUs: 4 Hours
Investment: $145

A Grounded, Practical Afternoon for Yoga Teachers

If you’ve ever wanted a clearer understanding of what’s happening in the shoulders, upper back, and neck—and how to teach these areas with more confidence and care—this workshop offers a meaningful place to begin.

Join us for an afternoon of study, movement, and insight designed to support both your personal practice and the way you guide others.

Embrace the Mystic Within

A Yoga Retreat Adventure in Turkey

We’ll have yoga classes, excursions, and the richness of the Mediterranean food prepared daily. Relax by the pool, hike the surrounding trails, and be willing to go deeper into a practice restoring the blessings of the female energy of Mary. The healing aspects of the Divine Mother await us as we venture into this healing land.

Using the practice of yoga and meditation, Laura Jane has designed this week to support you in exploring the tools of stilling the mind and embracing your authentic self. The yoga classes will blend the disciplines of vinyasa flow with a strong emphasis on pranayama and meditation to still the roaming mind, calm the system, and live in a state of balance. They will cover the fundamental principles underlying the therapeutic application of yoga and how to incorporate these principles into your practice. Work to dissolve old blockages, unravel samskaras, and create new pathways to vibrant health and happiness. The result will be one of the most incredible, unforgettable yoga experiences you will ever have.

This week is a perfect balance between rest and play. Laura has discovered through leading and attending many retreats that traveling together and saying yes to life and its opportunities in the moment create lasting friendships and a gratitude for life’s abundance that will last forever.

This yoga retreat is for all ages and all life experiences, including all levels of yoga practitioners, yoga teachers, and bodywork therapists.

Private yoga sessions will also be available.

(Optional to meet each student’s needs)
• Early morning hike and meditation
• Breakfast
• In-depth yoga practice with Laura Jane
• Lunch
• Free time to explore this beautiful and healing environment
• Late practice includes asana, chanting, sutra study and meditation
• Dinner
• Evening shared sanga

*Schedule is subject to change.

These include:

• Beaches

• Sailing

• Horseback riding

• Hiking

• Wine tasting and tours

• Visiting Ephesus's ancient city ruins and the Virgin Mary's house, which are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

• Visiting Claros, the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo

• And more!

*The cost of some activities is not included in tuition.

Join us for a transformative experience.

Rave Reviews: What Participants Are Saying About Laura Jane's Yoga Retreats

The family atmosphere, the delicacy of service, gardens, small corners, and interior spaces make it an ideal venue for yoga, retreats, and meditation. The restaurant and bar offerings are carefully curated to invigorate energy and cultivate health. Mediterranean cuisine, inspired by traditional gastronomy, fuses local fish, meat, and dairy products with seasonal fruits, local vegetables, Aegean herbs, and olive oil. The retreat emphasizes sustainable cultivation, with all products sourced from their own farms, local suppliers, or from the region. The kitchen caters to a variety of diets, offering vegan, vegetarian, and traditional Turkish dishes and can adapt menus to accommodate individual needs, such as allergies and special diets.

Investment

The cost of the retreat includes:

• 6 nights accommodations
  Note: The group will stay overnight at an airport hotel and depart for the retreat center the following morning.

• 3 meals per day (excluding alcoholic beverages), starting with dinner on the first night and ending with breakfast on the last day.

• Group Ground Transportation to/from Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB) to the Retreat Center (approximately 60-minute drive). Based on our flight window guidelines, there will be one group airport shuttle each way.

• Daily yoga practices

• Personal retreat time (having time to nap, explore, walk, read, and just be)

• 2 full-day excursions including Ephesus and Mother Mary’s House

• 1 half-day activity/excursion

The retreat does not include:

• Airfare to Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB) in Izmir, Turkey. Before booking tickets, please be sure you have received your official confirmation note that the retreat has met its minimums.

• Alcoholic beverages & personal purchases

• Optional excursions

• Travel insurance (highly recommended)

• Gratuities

Payment options, payment schedules, and cancellation policies

Ready for 6 days of movement, friends, and relaxation? Space is limited, and we will sell out.

Let’s do this!

Register

Paying your initial deposit of $350 and a non-refundable $50 Payment Processing Fee (added to the tuition rate upon registration) will lock in your tuition rate and hold your space for the trip.

Laura is planning this trip in conjunction with True Nature Travels, a holistic, educational travel company that provides planning, support, and guidance. For more information about our Spanish retreat, including things to do, sites to see, how to book your flight for the best price possible, and how to get to the Malaga Airport, visit the True Nature Travel website. All bookings and payments are handled on the True Nature Travel website.

Interested, but need some questions answered before you can commit?

A 90-Minute Journey into Harmony

Harmony

There are times when we simply need space to return to ourselves—to settle, listen, and reconnect with a steadier rhythm within.

Join Marian Kraus for a 90-minute Sound Bath Meditation Journey centered on Harmony. The evening begins with a softly guided meditation, followed by an immersive live soundscape created with large titanium and bronze gongs, didgeridoo, drums, handpan, Himalayan singing bowls, vocals, and more.

Through layers of sound and stillness, you are invited to rest deeply, soften what feels unsettled, and reconnect with a sense of balance and ease.

No previous meditation or sound bath experience is needed. Simply come as you are.

What to Expect

This 90-minute experience includes:

• A brief introduction to the theme of Harmony

• A guided meditation to help you settle inward

• An immersive multi-instrument sound bath

• Time for deep rest, reflection, and quiet

You’ll rest comfortably while Marian creates the sound journey around you.

Mats, bolsters, and blankets are provided. You are welcome to bring a pillow, an extra blanket, or additional layers so you can be as comfortable as possible.

Event Details

Saturday, October 24, 2026
5:30–7:00 PM

Yoga Among Friends
4949 Forest Avenue
Downers Grove, IL 60515

$40 prepaid online
$45 cash at the door, space permitting

You will receive an email confirmation after registering, along with reminder emails before the event.

About Marian Kraus

Marian Kraus is a certified Gong Master and Level 2 Spring Forest Qigong practitioner whose work brings together guided meditation, sound, stillness, and deep listening.

Born in Bratislava and shaped by life across three countries, Marian brings an artist’s sensitivity to each sound journey. Drawing from ancient sound traditions and his background in fine-art photography, he creates layered soundscapes designed to support rest, reflection, and inner clarity.

His intention is to create a welcoming space where you can slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with a greater sense of calm and possibility.

Learn more about Marian and Higher Frequency Living.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Join Us?

Give yourself this time to rest, listen, and return to a little more harmony within.

Enjoy 7 nights at Good Hope, an 18th-century Georgian estate in the Jamaican countryside.

Join Laura Jane Mellencamp and a community of like-minded friends for a weeklong yoga retreat at Good Hope in Trelawny, Jamaica. Set within lush green hills and peaceful tropical surroundings, Good Hope offers a beautiful place to rest, practice, connect, and experience the warmth of island life.

The private beach, scenic views, nourishing meals, and open-air spaces create the perfect environment for slowing down and deepening your yoga and meditation practice.

An Unforgettable Yoga, Meditation & Travel Experience

Laura Jane has designed this week to support stillness, self-inquiry, and the joy of practice in community. Classes will blend Hatha yoga, mindfulness meditation, sutra study, chanting, and therapeutic principles that can be carried into your daily life.

This week offers a balance of rest and play, with time for practice, beach visits, shared meals, quiet reflection, and connection. Whether you are newer to yoga or have practiced for years, this retreat is open to all levels and life experiences.

This yoga retreat is for all ages and all life experiences — perfect for all levels of practitioners, yoga teachers, and bodywork therapists.

Private yoga sessions will also be available.

Sample Daily Schedule*

(Optional to meet each student’s needs)
• Early morning hike and meditation
• Breakfast
• In-depth yoga practice with Laura Jane
• Lunch
• Free time to explore this beautiful and healing environment
• Late practice includes asana, chanting, sutra study and meditation
• Dinner
• Evening shared sangha

*Schedule is subject to change.

We will be going down to the private beach most days (15 min from the Coach House). Price includes daily transportation to the beach.

Accommodations

Good Hope is about forty minutes from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. Our group will have the entire retreat property at Good Hope, including the Country House (also known as the Great House), the Coach House, and a few detached cottages.

The Country House and Coach House are two beautiful cut-stone buildings with sweeping views of the valley. Each has seven bedrooms and a multi-level, open floor plan that offers a lovely balance of spaciousness and intimacy — ideal for a yoga retreat where there is time to gather, rest, and retreat inward.

Each bedroom includes air conditioning, ceiling fans, and an en-suite bathroom. Recently renovated, the property also features a 50-foot infinity edge pool, open-air dining terrace, tropical gardens, and access to Good Hope’s private beach house, located about 15 minutes away.

Meals are served family-style, and the pace is slow, relaxed, and deeply welcoming.

The cost of the retreat includes:

• Roundtrip airport transportation to & from the resort

• Deluxe accommodations for 7 nights. All bedrooms have bathrooms, A/C, and ceiling fans

• 3 gourmet, mostly vegetarian meals daily with some seafood meals during the week. Gluten/dairy-free options are available upon request

• Water, teas, & juices

• Daily yoga classes & sutra studies—Private yoga sessions are available

• Full use of all resort amenities - including pool, beach, boogie boards, paddle boards, kayaks, river swimming, hiking trails, movie night, yoga room, pool table, ping pong table, and ADSL internet access.

• Daily transportation to and from the private beach

• Sales & hospitality taxes

The retreat cost does not include:

• Airfare to Sangster Intl Airport in Montego Bay

• Spa treatments (massage, mani/pedis, reflexology, etc.)

• Alcoholic beverages & personal purchases

• Optional excursions such as golf, dining in local restaurants, pottery classes, painting classes, horseback riding, rafting, snorkeling, fishing, Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, Chukka Adventures (zip lines, river tubing, horse and buggy rides, dune buggy rides, ATVs, and history talk of local area)

• Travel insurance (highly recommended)

• Gratuities

Registration

Refund/Cancellation

A $700 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space. If you need to cancel before November 1, 2026, payments made beyond the deposit may be refunded, less any non-refundable costs already paid by Yoga Among Friends. Cancellations on or after November 1, 2026 are non-refundable unless your space can be filled by another participant.

All cancellation requests must be made in writing. Travel insurance is strongly recommended to protect your investment in the event of illness, travel delays, emergencies, or other unexpected circumstances.

Interested, but have a few questions before you commit?

with Laura Jane Mellencamp, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, MA

Step away from the familiar and into the spacious beauty of Scotland.

Join Laura Jane Mellencamp and the Yoga Among Friends community for six nights of yoga, meditation, friendship, exploration and renewal in the peaceful countryside of Perthshire, where the Scottish Lowlands meet the Highlands.

Surrounded by rolling green hills, ancient woodland and wide-open skies, we’ll have room to move, breathe, wander, rest and remember something we often lose in the pace of everyday life:

the simple joy of being fully present.

Laura Jane is bringing the spirit of Yoga Among Friends in Downers Grove, Illinois, to Scotland for a retreat designed around meaningful practice, spacious days, beautiful surroundings and the kind of community that has brought retreat participants back year after year.

All levels of yoga experience are welcome.

A Retreat for Practice, Presence & a Little Awe

There is something about leaving our usual surroundings that helps us see more clearly.

On retreat, there is nowhere else we need to be.

We can begin the morning in practice. Eat together. Walk. Explore. Take a nap. Read a book. Sit quietly. Laugh around a fire. Let the landscape surprise us.

Laura Jane has shaped this week to create room for stillness, self-inquiry, meaningful practice, and the joy of being in community. Our time together will weave Hatha yoga, mindfulness meditation, sutra study, chanting, and therapeutic principles into practices that are both grounding in the moment and useful when you return home.

There will be a natural rhythm of practice and rest, reflection and exploration, quiet time and shared experience. Some days may invite you inward; others may open into a walk through the countryside, a shared meal, laughter, or simply time to sit and take in where you are.

This retreat is open to all ages, all life experiences, and all levels of practice. Whether you are newer to yoga, have practiced for years, teach yoga, or work in the healing and bodywork professions, you are welcome here.

Come as you are, with a willingness to participate, explore, and listen.

What Your Week in Scotland Includes

The retreat package currently includes:

• 6 nights of accommodations in the Perthshire countryside

• 3 meals each day, beginning with dinner on arrival day and ending with breakfast on departure day

• Group ground transportation between Edinburgh Airport and the retreat center during True Nature’s designated transfer window

• Daily yoga practices with Laura Jane

• Meditation, breathing practices and opportunities for quiet reflection

• Personal retreat time to rest, walk, read, explore or simply do nothing for a while

The property includes beautifully restored accommodations, contemporary lodges, gardens, walking paths, outdoor gathering spaces and private hot tubs. A spacious, fully equipped yoga studio provides mats, bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets, meditation cushions and weighted eye pillows

Space to Explore Scotland

Practice is part of retreat.

So is adventure.

During free time, possible activities may include:

• countryside walks and nature hikes

• Scottish ceilidh dancing

• sound bath sessions

• massage

• evenings around the firepit

• whisky tasting

• excursions to places such as Edinburgh, Stirling, St Andrews or Perth

Optional activities are subject to availability and are not included unless True Nature specifically lists them as part of the retreat package.

And there is no requirement to fill every open hour.

A quiet afternoon with a book may be every bit as important as an excursion.

Meet Your Retreat Leader: Laura Jane Mellencamp

Laura Jane Mellencamp, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, MA, is the founder and director of Yoga Among Friends in Downers Grove, Illinois and has spent decades studying, practicing and teaching yoga.

Her work extends well beyond physical postures. Laura Jane brings together traditional yoga teachings, meditation, breath, yoga therapy and her graduate background in clinical and counseling psychology to help students explore yoga as a practice for the whole person.

She is a certified yoga therapist and member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and has led classes, workshops, trainings and retreats in the United States and around the world.

What students often remember most, however, is not a credential.

It is the feeling of being welcomed exactly where they are.

That same philosophy has shaped Yoga Among Friends for more than 25 years: thoughtful teaching, small classes, meaningful practice and a community where people at many different ages and stages of life can practice together.

Your Retreat Home in Perthshire, Scotland

Our retreat will be set on a private estate in Perthshire, Scotland, surrounded by rolling hills, fields and woodland.

The property brings together restored historic buildings and contemporary lodges arranged around a central courtyard. Rooms include ensuite bathroom facilities, and each accommodation category offers its own combination of location, room size and accessibility by stairs.

Shared and single rooms are available in several categories.

Retreat Tuition

Current tuition ranges from:

Shared accommodations: $4,495–$4,645 USD per person

Single accommodations: $5,295–$5,445 USD per person

A non-refundable $50 processing fee is added at registration.

True Nature requires a non-refundable, non-transferable deposit to reserve your place.

For the most current deposit requirements, payment schedule and registration details, please refer to True Nature Travels.

Getting to Scotland

Participants will fly into Edinburgh Airport (EDI).

True Nature provides one group ground transfer between Edinburgh Airport and the retreat center in each direction. Flights need to fall within the designated arrival and departure windows to use that transportation.

Do not purchase airfare until True Nature confirms that the retreat has met its minimum registration requirement.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

For specific flight windows, travel policies, insurance information and payment questions, use the current information provided by True Nature Travels.

Scotland Yoga Retreat FAQs

Ready to Come to Scotland?

If something in you is already imagining the green hills, morning practice, shared meals and time to simply wander, listen and breathe, perhaps this is your invitation.

Join Laura Jane and the Yoga Among Friends community in Scotland, September 27–October 3, 2027.

Registration, payments, accommodations and travel arrangements are managed by True Nature Travels.

Not quite ready — or wondering whether this retreat is right for you?

Laura Jane would be happy to talk with you.

One Last Question

What would it feel like to give yourself a week with nowhere else you need to be?

Maybe the answer is not something you need to figure out just yet.

Perhaps you simply begin by making a little room for the possibility.

With love,
Laura Jane