Owner/Founder, Buti Boss

Sami has been teaching yoga since the young age of 16. She has thousands of hours of teaching experience under her belt, has certified over 75 yoga instructors with her trainings, and is a Master Trainee with Buti Movement. Uprise is her third yoga studio. You can read more about her on “Our Story” page. Sami is a mother of two & a farmer. She has always loved music, but found dance in adulthood. Sami would pretty much rather do anything than go workout solo at the gym (lol!), which is why group fitness classes are so important to her. Her classes will leave you high on “Buti brain” and craving more!

Hot 26+2 Instructor

Rob is a husband, dad and yoga fanatic. A native Philadelphian who recently moved to Brunswick, Rob fell in love with the 26&2 after being introduced to the series in Ithaca, New York way back in 2000. In 2020, Rob received his teaching certification from Blue Moon Yoga in Fresno, California under the tutelage of Abria Joseph and Britney Easton. Rob truly believes his purpose in this life is to share the therapeutic practices of yoga with as many people as possible. When he’s not in the studio sweating, you can usually find Rob cooking meals, gardening or hiking the Maine woods with his family.

Hot Yoga Instructor

Kat is an experienced yoga teacher (500 hr RYT) who has been teaching powerful vinyasa classes for a decade in New England and at events and retreats all over the world. Her classes are based on fun, creative flows while paying close attention to safe alignment and intentional sequencing. Kat loves to make yoga fun and approachable while building strength and resilience! Outside of yoga, Kat is an online business marketing coach for wellness entrepreneurs who lives in Portland with her fiancé, baby boy, and French Bulldog.

Warm Yin Instructor

Heather Zachau was introduced to yoga at an early age by her mother in the 1970s. She rediscovered yoga in 2010, which changed her life. She wants to take that knowledge she has learned personally to all of her students to ensure they understand the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. She completed her 200-hour yoga certification at Boston Yoga School in 2016. She has finished her 95-hour RCYT training from Childlight Yoga, 500-hour training with the Yin Yoga School, Restorative Training, Aerial Yoga Teacher training, and Level 1 Sound Practitioner training. Recently, she completed her Level 1 & 2 Reiki certification. Currently, she teaches yin and aerial yoga, breathing techniques and mindfulness for the sports teams in local area high schools and in the private and public sectors.

Heather continues to be an avid biker, hiker, skier, traveler and outdoor enthusiast too! She and her husband recently bought a farm in Pownal, so farming is the next big adventure to come!

Lillian is a long time yoga teacher with extensive hours of training; she has, in fact, directed many teacher trainings, workshops, and owned multiple yoga studios. She is a continuous student and lover of the inner inquiry through yoga.

In her yoga class she will deliver a wholehearted, creative practice. Her classes are inspired by Hatha, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Katonah Yoga. She artfully crafts each teaching experience with intention and intelligence, providing a cohesive structure for an eye-opening, transformative journey. Present moment awareness is at the heart of each class.

She is a Registered Nurse and mom. Most days you’ll find her outside on their farm in Pownal: Exploring, chasing after her two wildlings, chickens, geese, while gardening and trying to juggle many things at once, finding the joy and excitement in it all.

Kelly Benson is a mother, clinical herbalist, and trauma-healing practitioner. She knows her purpose in this existence is to support others on their path of healing. After an open heart surgery in 2006, Kelly spent years in a cycle of addiction and self-destruction. She experienced my first series of yoga & meditation classes in a treatment facility. She got a glimpse of a very real shift within; it provided inspiration and deep devotion for the first time in years. Kelly completed a 9 week Bikram Yoga training in 2012 and taught until she birthed her son in 2014. She completed a 200hr training in 2015, and several Trauma Informed trainings, including a Trauma Sensitive Yoga training with David Emerson at the Trauma Center at JRI. In 2015 she started a local chapter of Pure Action-Yoga is Medicine and had the opportunity to work in local treatment facilities & with women who have endured sex trafficking and domestic abuse. Her focus shifted to herbal medicine when she had her daughter in 2017, and now runs Earth Spiral Farm & Apothecary.

Hot 26+2 Instructor

Kelly is a yoga teacher and graduated from the Nataraja School of Yoga in 2011, trained in the Iyengar tradition. She brings a warm, thoughtful and philosophical vibe into her classes.

Kelly is also an intuitive energy healer, conscious channel and holistic nutrition coach (practicing professionally since 2001). She is certified in polarity and cranio-sacral therapies, a reiki master teacher, licensed massage therapist and meditation teacher.

She is a seasoned and enthusiastic bio-dynamic bee-keeper and is in the process of building a honeybee sanctuary.

Studio Manager Extraordinaire