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.

Mariah Meyer LeFeber
Adult Yoga Instructor

Mariah Meyer LeFeber is a dancer, dance/movement therapist and licensed professional counselor. For her, the connection between the mind and body is a powerful and essential way to understanding the world. Mariah works with people of all ages and abilities, practicing dance/movement therapy, teaching modern dance for the University of Wisconsin and teaching yoga and creative movement for children. Mariah was certified as a YogaFitKids! instructor in 2008. Her favorite dancing partners are her husband Paul and daughter Adah, who will be a big sister in July 2012.

Anne Peters
Childcare Assistant/Front Desk Assistant

Anne Peters grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated last Spring from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where she earned a BS in Psychology. She is currently working toward a Master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies at UW-Madison. Interested in helping people achieve a healthy body and mind, she would love to eventually teach girls and young women about positive body image, wellness, feminism, and media literacy. A longtime babysitter, few things give her more joy than working with and learning from children.

Lynn Peterson
Prenatal and Postnatal/ Yoga with Baby Instructor

After several years of practicing and teaching yoga, Lynn is still AMAZED at the power of this practice! Through this simple practice of joining breath with movement, she believes all people can feel better, create more self-awareness, and be more tuned-in to their lives! She loves teaching beginners and experienced yogis, and has spent a lot of time in training and teaching therapeutic/gentle yoga and prenatal/postnatal yoga. In her classes, she always encourages students to listen to their inner-teacher and only do what is appropriate for them on that day. 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. In her parent and baby/toddler classes, Lynn weaves yoga, singing, dancing and laughing to create a joyful atmosphere for parents and children to bond with each other and make new friends! Lynn loves being with her two boys and husband – discovering the outdoors, making music and dreaming up a new adventure!

Her training includes: a 200-hour certification from Yoga Yoga in Austin, TX, Therapeutic yoga training with Gary Kraftsow and Donna Farhi, Prenatal/Postnatal training with Om Mama and The Doula Workshop(Madison). Before yoga study, she received a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree and taught music and movement to children and adults for many years.

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
Studio Director and Virtual Assistant

Heidi has been working as a Virtual Assistant (www.theinvisiblecoworker.com) for Blackbird since February 2011, meaning she primarily worked from a remote location. However, she has recently moved into the position of Studio Director and will be in the studio much more now. If you see her, please introduce yourself. She’ll be happy to finally put some faces to the names she already recognizes.

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.”

Lauren Werner
Adult Yoga Instructor

Lauren came to practice yoga after decades of long distance running. Needed a gentler way to meditate and stay grounded, Lauren discovered yoga was the answer she had been looking for, and has maintained a daily practice for the last four years. Her classes are suitable for all types of practitioners wanting to find peace on the mat through guided movement. She completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2011 and is excited to be a part of Blackbird Family Yoga. She is also a professional photographer, and lives in Middleton with her five children.

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.”