Instructors/ Staff
Molly Brosius
Childcare Assistant, Front Desk Assistant
Molly is a recent graduate of UW-Stevens Point; she majored in youth programming and camp management. Working with children is her true passion. In the past, she has worked at a couple of summer camps, as well as at the Cave of the Mounds as a tour guide. Her favorite part of her past jobs is being able to educate children while having fun and staying healthy outdoors.
Frieda Carlsen
Childcare Assistant, Front Desk Assistant
Frieda Carlsen has grown up in a world of dance and musical theater. She recently graduated with BFA in Dance and Minor in Somatic Scineces from UW-Milwaukee. It was there she first discovered her love for studying the human body’s movement and alignment. As a dancer she has suffered many injuries and found Pilates and Yoga to stengthen and recover. They have also helped her find a way to integrate the mind and body to facilitate healthy functioning. She is currently working towards becoming a certified instructor in Pilates to help people find that the depth of this work travels much deeper than simply fitness. Frieda finds a wealth of joy working with kids and looks forward to teaching Teen Yoga this summer!
Melissa Cheeks
Childcare Assistant, Front Desk Assistant
Melissa is originally from the south suburbs of Chicago, and is a recent transplant to Madison after finishing veterinary school at Purdue. In addition to loving animals, she has always enjoyed working with children through babysitting and church youth programs. Melissa started doing yoga in college and is excited to join the Blackbird team. In addition to this position, she works with the humane society, mentors vet students at UW, and continues to explore her new city. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, knitting, baking and cooking with local ingredients.
Nikki Cook
Kids/Teen Yoga Instructor
Nikki is a Madison-based Certified YogaKids Facilitator with YogaKids International, the award winning yoga program for children and teens ages 3 – 18 years. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Education. Nikki has 12 years of professional experience as both a teacher and counselor working with children ages 3 – 18 and their families. Nikki’s intention for every class is to create a welcoming, fun, and peaceful environment where students will be respected as individuals and feel free to be themselves. It is Nikki’s mission to bring yoga to the lives of children and their families; and in doing so empower them with skills and knowledge needed to live a happy, healthy, peaceful life. A student of yoga herself, Nikki has been practicing yoga since 2007. She is grateful for the amazing benefits yoga has brought to her mind, body, and soul. As a busy mom to three little yogis, Nikki finds the practice of yoga helps bring harmony and balance to her life.
Maureen Hebl
Adult Yoga Instructor
Maureen came into yoga through the referral of a physical therapist
after a bicycling accident in 1997. Her first exposure to yoga was
with chair yoga and after one year of practicing in a small group
setting, she was able to take more active flow classes in a studio.
Today she has been practicing yoga for the past 13 years and became a
certified yoga teacher in 2010. She is a registered yoga teacher with
Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level and completed training with Scott
Anderson in the Alignment Yoga Program at Mound Street Yoga Center,
Madison, Wisconsin. In addition, she’s received UW-Madison funding to
study with YES+ (Yoga Empowerment + Service), an innovative leadership training program. Maureen taught English as a Second Language to children while living in Thailand for four years. While in Thailand, she studied Thai massage and Tai Chi, as well as participated in workshops with Desiree Rambaugh in Anusara Yoga and Dylan Bernstein in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
Today she is inspired by the teachings of Scott Anderson, Sean Corne
and Michael Stone. Off the mat, she loves to teach Stand-Up Paddle
Board Yoga, travel, teach and volunteer her time to those in need and
help create a peaceful and stress-free world.
Sarah Higgins
Adult and Kids Yoga Instructor
Sarah offers from her heart in a cultivated and poetic way, empowering others to find freedom within their bodies and minds. For her, yoga is a natural artistic expression of creating deeper, more potent understanding of life’s experiences.She received a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has spent her working years involved in teaching and assisting others in the vast realm of health and wellness. Sarah is a licensed Anusara-Inspired TM yoga instructor who enjoys daily practice, participates in yoga workshops, and peruses teacher trainings all while balancing her family schedule. She is married, has three children and a very large dog that goes by the name Yogi.
Hannah Hubbard
Childcare Assistant/Front Desk Assistant
Hannah took her first yoga class in college, and recently rediscovered the benefits of yoga in a prenatal class. After many years of caring for children in daycare and preschool settings, she is excited to welcome her own child this April. Hannah also works at a craft store and is pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education at Edgewood College. She spends most of her time with her family and two cats.
Ceri Jenkins
Kids Yoga Instructor
Ceri began a regular yoga practice in 2003 to build and maintain her physical and mental health. She has practiced many styles over the years, and continued her practice during her pregnancies and postpartum periods with her two children (now 6 and 3). Ceri regularly “plays” yoga with her kids, both at home and at Blackbird, and she completed the Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training in 2011. Through creative and interactive play, games, and songs, Ceri engages children from toddlers to teens in the practice of yoga. Ceri works closely with kids to find their strength, to develop focus, to challenge them in a safe environment, and to relax and breathe fully. Also fluent in Spanish, Ceri integrates words and songs en español in her teaching, and also offers completely bilingual yoga classes. She believes that yoga builds community, and that experiencing yoga from a young age plants the seeds for a strong, healthy community.
Sarah Kissel
Prenatal and Adult Yoga Instructor
Sarah’s love for yoga shines out in all her classes. She meets each student where they are and helps them increase awareness and acceptance in their bodies and practice. Sarah finds yoga practice to be a microcosm of life off the mat; cultivating balance, strength, calm, and intentionality in yoga brings more of these qualities into daily life. During pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood, this experience can be even more profound, as it is a natural time to tune in with the monumental changes in one’s body and daily life. Sarah feels honored to share this special time with pre-natal students as they navigate their own transitions and are in a prime position to see more beauty and interconnectivity in the world.Sarah has nearly finished her 200 hour teacher training program.When not practicing on the mat, Sarah enjoys reading, cooking gourmand (and often on the fly), camping, biking, cross-country skiing, swimming, knitting, hula hooping and time with her spouse, three children and a puppy.
Mary McWethy
Childcare Assistant/Front Desk Assistant
Mary is originally from a small town in Illinois but moved up here for school. She plans to graduate in May 2012 with a BA in nursing and to become an obstetric nurse. While Mary does love working with children, most of her “free” time currently revolves around school.
Erin O’Neill
Childcare Assistant/Front Desk Assistant
Erin began practicing yoga six years ago to ease the stress of graduate school and has been hooked ever since. As a new mother, she has enjoyed bring son Finian onto the mat with her. Erin truly enjoys caring for children and helping busy moms carve out some much need time for rejuvenation. Erin also works as an international adoption social worker. She and her family live in Middleton with their silky terrier and five backyard chickens.
Adrienne Pederson
Adult Yoga Instructor
“I fell in love with yoga a few years ago after taking a hot yoga class. It was challenging! 90 minutes of pure focus and devotion to myself in a 105° room…WOW. I was amazed at how calm my mind was, yet how energized I felt, after my class. I was instantly hooked. I graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a degree in kinesiology in 2006. I like to weave in bits of my sports medicine knowledge into my yoga classes. As an avid runner, yoga has helped me build endurance, and to continue competing in races with very few injuries! Yoga has also taught me how to handle stress better in my life.”
Adrienne is a 200-hour certified yoga instructor, completing her training at Inner Fire Yoga, Madison WI. A dedicated yogi, she enjoys practicing yoga several times a week, attending yoga workshops, and deepening her yoga knowledge by becoming a yoga assistant – using helpful hands-on assists in classes. She believes that yoga can be life-changing and invites others to arrive on their mat to heal, learn to love oneself & others, and to break through the barriers of life that can prevent one from achieving their biggest dreams.
Marta Peterson
Prenatal and Adult Yoga Instructor
Marta’s love for yoga started to take root twelve years ago when she felt something gently “tugging” at her heart and mind following her very first class and continues to unfold 12 years later. “I felt like I had just scratched the surface of something big”… “I continue to be amazed by the power of yoga to keep me grounded, centered and happy!” Marta’s approach to teaching involves first helping her students realize their own innate goodness then emphasizing alignment, body awareness, mindful breathing, and self-acceptance. She teaches from a profound sense of service to help her students realize the transformative powers of yoga that helped change her life. Marta has been teaching since 2006 and holds a 260 hour teaching certification from Pure Yoga, Hong Kong.
In her free time Marta loves the outdoors, cooking, biking, reading, attend yoga workshops, and spending time with her husband and baby girl.
Lynn Peterson
Prenatal and Postnatal/ Yoga with Baby Instructor
Lynn believes becoming a mother is the hardest and most gratifying thing she will ever do! She loves helping expectant and new moms through this grand transition in life. To that end, she is currently training to become a doula because she believes having a positive birth experience greatly benefits the new family in many ways. After having her own two beautiful boys, Lynn discovered yoga as a way to rejuvenate herself and parent from a more peaceful and present state of mind. Before yoga study, she received a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree and taught music and movement to children and adults for over 15 years. Her prenatal and postnatal training was with Leslie Lytle (Om Mama). She also holds a 200-hour Hatha Yoga teacher certification from Yoga Yoga in Austin, TX. In her prenatal classes, Lynn encourages her students to acutely tune in to their bodies and practice the intuitive movement needed for labor and delivery. In addition, breathing and relaxation techniques are practiced, along with strengthening and stretching of the entire body to create more freedom and alleviate common aches/pains.
In her postnatal classes, Lynn focuses on rebuilding abdominal strength and total body strengthening/stretching for greater energy and positive mindset! Babies and moms have fun interacting with each other, and with the other moms and babies in the class through yoga and singing! Lynn loves making music and exploring nature with her husband and two young sons.
Emma Potter
Childcare Assistant/Front Desk Assistant
Emma discovered passion to work with youth from a young age and is now a fourth year at UW-Madison studying Elementary Education. While she loves children of all ages, she hopes to eventually become a middle school teacher. She was raised on the Eastside of Madison and loved the city so much she decided to stick around for another four years! Emma is a recent yoga fanatic, and is very excited to continue her practice. She hopes to become a yoga instructor and incorporate the practice into her classrooms in the future!
Heidi Ropa
Adult Yoga Instructor
Whether you come to yoga to build strength in the body or to practice quieting the mind — Heidi’s classes invite students to notice their inner experience. She encourages students to journey inward following the breath, to take time to notice the way breath softens tension, lengthens the spine, promotes healing and creates a greater sense of wholeness. Time spent on the mat — showing up to our life with compassion — brings us back to our center. From this centered awareness, we can open our hearts to the needs of our families, communities and the world without being overwhelmed. A regular practice of yoga cultivates a kinder, gentler approach in our relationships and a sense of mindfulness about the way we live.
Currently, Heidi is pursuing her 500 hour therapeutic yoga certification with Scott Anderson and Andrea Russell of Alignment Yoga. She is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance having completed her 200 hour training in Alignment Yoga in 2008. When not teaching yoga, Heidi enjoys spending time in nature with her children, Darshana 9, Ben 13, Sam 15 and husband, Dave.
Heidi Thorstad
Virtual Assistant, The Invisible Coworker
Here’s one staff member you’re not likely to see around the studio. Heidi is Blackbird’s Virtual Assistant, meaning she provides administrative support from a remote office. Her duties include everything from client relations to human resources. Find out more about The Invisible Coworker at www.theinvisiblecoworker.com.
Heidi’s personal interests include spending time with her three kids, health and wellness, travel, intentional living, minimalism, photography, reading and self-education.
Amanda Uphoff
Studio Owner and Kids, Teen, Family, and Adult Yoga Instructor
Amanda is an incredibly grateful mother of two zany kids, daughter, sister, friend, and self-proclaimed yoga freak. After discovering yoga, Amanda found the world to be a more beautiful place, both on and off the mat. Amanda believes that the basic philosophies of yoga can be taught to children of all ages, and is thrilled to be able to spread the yoga love to Middleton and the surrounding areas! Amanda received her kids yoga teacher training certification through Karma Kids Yoga (NYC). A longtime bibliophile, Amanda also has her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature.
Suki Warda
Adult Yoga Instructor
Suki’s introduction to yoga was as a stretching complement to her athletic repertoire, and so she was very surprised at how intense Yoga could be. The physical challenges of Power Flow Yoga kept her coming back for more. Slowly, the spiritual and mental benefits of “Moving Meditation” started to sink in. “Each time I stepped onto my mat, I realized the things I hold or withhold from myself in life; my breath, my guilt as wife and mother, and my fears. The biggest fear was that I was not ‘good enough.’ This fear stopped me from growing and kept me in my safe little box of life. Through each practice, my blocks began to dissolve. I became open to the possibilities inside of myself; I began listening more to my heart and less to the self-defeating and judgmental chatter in my mind.”To deepen her commitment to Yoga, Suki attended Baron Baptiste’s Teacher Training. “My goal is to share my love of yoga with others through my classes, and I hope to help others find their own true inner strength and power, and discover peace both on and off the mat.” Prior to Suki’s Yoga training, she completed Pilates Mat and Pilates Apparatus training through Physical Mind Pilates Institute, as well as TRX suspension training with Fitness Anywhere. “I believe with a strong Inner Core, you can take yourself anywhere in life.”
Mindy Wiseman
Adult Yoga Instructor
Mindy took her first yoga class 26 years ago when she was pregnant with her oldest son. In March of 2010, she graduated from the 200 hr Alignment Yoga Teacher Training. She is also certified as a Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga teacher. She continues to pursue advanced training in Alignment yoga. She has been working as an Occupational Therapist for 27 years and currently works for Care Wisconsin.
Mindy says, “Yoga restores my sense of well being and brings me inner peace like nothing else. Practicing yoga is the antidote for the physical, mental and emotional challenges of my daily life. I love that I can incorporate the wisdom of yoga into my O.T practice. I am honored to have the opportunity to share my love of yoga as a teacher at Blackbird Family Yoga Studio.”
