Jody has been a long-time advocate of YogAutism. She is a registered yoga teacher and body work professional. She is trained in Alignment Yoga  and has both her 200 hr. and 500 hr. Yoga Teacher Training certification. She is also a licensed massage therapist, a certified Zero Balancing practitioner and  is a TRE Provider for trauma prevention.  She has a long history of supporting individuals with autism through her volunteer service with such programs as Gi Gi's Playhouse and the Special Olympics, and has worked with MSCR, the MARC Center and Madison Metropolitan School District.  

She has a lifetime of personal and professional experience with developmentally disabled people. From growing up with a sibling with a disability to working among diverse populations throughout her adulthood and participating in activities like meditation and yoga,  Jody’s experiences have shaped her into a patient and compassionate person. She is full of creativity and playfulness, and is committed to "thinking outside the box." 

Jody enjoys serving all ages and populations. In her spare time you can find her  cooking, reading, hiking, and enjoying other outdoor activities. 

Terri Buechner is a 200 hr and 500 Registered Yoga Teacher and Breath Coach, initially trained by Scott Anderson in the Alignment style of yoga.  Having done extensive training in Yin, Breathwork, Alignment yoga, and Adaptive Yoga, Terri is most fulfilled when she is bringing the healing benefits of yoga to communities that may not have experienced it before. She’s taught both chair yoga and adaptive yoga since 2016 and has been teaching group classes and private sessions since 2008.

Terri was certified in 2008 but has practiced yoga for much longer. Having been involved in two back-to-back car accidents in her twenties, by her 30s, she was living with daily pain.  Yoga was the answer for her, helping to heal both physically and emotionally.  

Terri is also the Director of Special Needs Planning for a Madison-based financial planning firm and is currently working on her ChSnc certification to more fully understand and serve those with special needs.

Bruce Kiefaber has been practicing yoga since 1997, first studying with Madison’s pioneering yoga master, Roger Eischens, and becoming a RYT certified instructor in 2011. He turned to yoga in his 40’s when back and knee pain announced that he had arrived at midlife. His joy is to find movement that feels good and helps improve each student’s physical state. His “no dogma” focus on individual students brings curiosity, fun and knowledge to the session.

Kat has been in the fitness industry for more than 20 years and has taught yoga for the past 17 years. She is 200 RYT, Aqua Kriya yoga certified and also has extensive training in Yin Yoga.

Outside of studio classes, Kat often organizes and leads yoga workshops for small groups and businesses. She has recently partnered with CAMP, an organization for caregivers of autistic or neurodivergent individuals.

Kat’s objective is to create a welcome, healing environment; a place where you can explore asana, pranayama and self-study. She is extremely passionate about creating a space where everyone feels successful. Kat hopes to inspire others to discover their own inner strength.

Off the mat you will find her teaching a wide variety of other fitness classes on land, in the water and through digital media. She is the Aqua Fitness programming manager for Prairie Athletic Club and an on camera trainer for TreoWellness/Johnson Health. You will also find her utilizing her Radio/TV/Film Bachelor of Arts degree from UW Madison as an actor and host.

Facilitator & Trainer

Kelly Petrie is the founder of the Maitri Center for Mindful Living, located in downtown Oregon WI, where she is dedicated to cultivating a sense of wellbeing, impassioned learning, and interconnectivity through the development of innovative programs that employ contemplative pedagogies and creative modalities for optimal human flourishing. 

She holds a MA in contemplative education from Naropa University where she dedicated her graduate studies applying contemplative wisdom to the cultivation of meaningful relationships between autistic and non-autistic people. She received 500 hours of yoga teacher training from Scott Anderson’s Alignment Yoga and holds the following Yoga Alliance designations: E-RYT® 200, RYT® 500, YACEP®. Kelly is a professional mindfulness teacher, with a specialty in teaching mindfulness-based social emotional learning skills to youth. She is also a practice leader with Tergar International meditation community under the guidance of meditation master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. 

Kelly has had a lifelong passion for people with autism and a wealth of experience supporting autistic individuals through her many years working in public schools, serving on an autism support team, and her involvement with autism research at UW-Madison. Kelly’s longtime personal practice in meditation, yoga, and contemplative arts and 25+ years of experience educating adults and children of all ages and diverse needs serves as the inspirational ground for her teaching.