Retreat Leader, Yoga Teacher

MS, RYT 200, Corepower Yoga Sculpt Certified, Economist

Amanda is a master at creating a welcoming group space. She teaches vinyasa, while you may be moving fast-paced, she keeps things light, upbeat, and fun. She loves breaking away from strict, straight lines and tapping into creative, fluid movements.

Amanda is an economist for the State of MN; twice each year she helps produce a forecast of Minnesota’s state General Fund revenues and expenditures for current and future bienniums. Amanda turned to yoga in 2009 to balance stress and anxiety and fell in love with the practice.

Amanda enjoys reading, hiking, camping, running, working out, laughing, travel, and spending time with her husband and two young children (nearly 4 & 2 years-old).

Amanda co-owns Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats. She was certified to teach Yoga Sculpt through CorePower Yoga in 2014. She’s taught around 1,000+ yoga sculpt classes in the past 8 years. She obtained her 200 RYT certification through a 250 hour trauma informed training at the House of the Gathering Yoga School in Duluth.

Retreat Leader, Yoga Teacher

MSW, LICSW, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Bryana is passionate about pursuing outdoor adventure, and loves to celebrate the benefits of yoga, meditation, breathwork, and nature immersion.

She enjoys teaching gentle and fluid vinyasa classes. Yoga philosophy and the subtle benefits of consistent practice are elements that she can never learn enough about.

In addition to co-owning Boreal Bliss, Bryana also owns Northern Yoga and Wellness. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISCW).

Bryana’s husband Dan Ryan is a fishing guide. They live outside of small-town Longville, MN with their two boys (4 & 2 years old), black lab Sunny, and cat Lucy. Entrepreneurial life in the Northwoods suits them!

Retreat Leader, Yoga Teacher, Sauna Expert

RYT 200, Yin Certified

Stacy lives with her husband 10 miles north of Two Harbors with their fur babies: two pups and two kitties. She also has many “outdoor pets”: deer, birds, frogs, and even a moose! Stacy enjoys the simple life and the great outdoors: fishing in both summer and winter, kayaking, and snowshoeing. Her favorite shows are Dateline 20/20 and Golden Girls. She uses essential oils for anything and everything.

Stacy owns her own yoga business in Two Harbors: Lake Effect Yoga. She also owns Silver Creek Sauna Co. & loves to bring her mobile sauna to retreats!

Stacy traveled to Isla Mujeres, Mexico in 2019 to complete her 200 hour YTT with Marianne Wells Yoga School. This was a transformational experience for her on many levels. This was her first time traveling out of the country, first time on a plane, and a huge leap to pursue the study of yoga, and continue to to work on a deeper understanding of herself.

Art Workshop Teacher, Retreat Assistant

PsyD, LP, CZT, RYT 200

Cat lives in Minneapolis with her husband, two kitties (Dash and Octavis) and a rescue turtle (Myrtle). Thank goodness her husband has restraint, otherwise she would have a house filled with animals! She loves creating art and teaching art, learning, and spending time outside.

She became a Certified Zentangle Teacher in 2020. Zentangle is an art form focused on gratitude, appreciation and building drawings “one pen stroke at a time.” Cat graduated from Boreal Bliss’s yoga teacher training program from the second cohort and enjoys teaching gentle vinyasa classes.

Cat is a doctorate level (PsyD) Licensed Psychologist (LP) who works in private practice. In addition to her private practice, she owns Catinka Ink, where she teaches Zentangle and other art classes (alcohol inks, mixed media, etc.), sells art and facilitates her own wellness retreats. Cat has also partnered with Jai Dee Wellness where she consults, co-facilitates retreats and teaches yoga and art classes.

Nature Guide

RYT 200, MS, Environmental Educator

Nora loves all things nature and outdoor recreation, especially in winter. She feels like she was born in the wrong latitude and dreams of moving further north.

Nora can't wait to share a bunch of nature facts with you that you never knew you needed to know! She's easily excitable, quick to laugh, and doesn't like to take life too seriously.

She's been a Boreal Bliss fan since its inception & can't resist a yoga retreat at Camp Olson. She grew up attending camp and has a Iong history of living at working at this special place!

Nora works as an Environmental Educator for a small nonprofit organization - Happy Dancing Turtle - to inspire wonder in youth and adults! She'll likely try to sneak some of the nature wonder & laughter into her yoga classes. 

Nora lives in Trempealeau, Wisconsin with her husband, Jake, and her adventure-loving pup, Stryder. 

Retreat Assistant

RYT 200

Brandi lives in South Beloit Illinois with husband (Will), 2 of 3 kids (Mercedes, Aspen, Logan), 3 dogs (Reese, Maui, Miss Molly), and her bunny (Muffin). She has family roots in Two Harbors Minnesota which is what originally connected her with Boreal Bliss.

Associates degree in Criminal Justice but learned early on in her career she had a passion to help others. As a store manager of a Goodwill for the past 15 years she has been able to do just that. Her team enjoys doing stretching during the morning meetings which turn into mini yoga sessions.

In her free time she enjoys traveling, kayaking with her dogs, camping, hiking, yoga, all things tie-dye, spending time with family, foodie and trying new restaurants. She has been to Germany, Russia, Peru, Alaska, Hawaii (6 times), and many other states. In 2022 she traveled to Alaska, Hawaii, and Minnesota within a month span realizing these were her favorite places to be for so many different reasons.

“Be Kind it costs nothing!”

Retreat Assistant

RYT 200

Michelle lives in Little Falls, MN with her husband John and their three year old Yellow lab, Finn.

She has two grown children and three grandchildren.

Michelle pursued her childhood dream and for the past 37 years has worked as a dental professional. She currently works at a dental office in St. Cloud, MN advocating the importance of oral health as both a dental assistant and a dental hygienist.

Michelle is an outdoor enthusiast. Although winter is her favorite season, she embraces the change of seasons with activities like hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking.

Michelle completed her 200hr YTT and Yin training with Boreal Bliss. If you ask her what the most valuable lesson in her training was, she will tell you “Learning the importance of proper breathing and self care.”

Michelle currently shares her yoga skills with friends and family. She teaches Yin yoga to her husband, and teaches a vinyasa flow class, using Skype, to a friend twice a week. She has also enjoyed making a few yoga videos for friends. Michelle likes to challenge herself with gentle flows and challenge others with a bit faster, intense flow.

Retreat Assistant

Erin is a Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats mega enthusiast. She has been retreating with the crew since 2019. She attended her 10th retreat this August at Birchwood Wilderness Camp on the edge of the BWCA.

Most people that retreat with Erin will strike up a conversation with her at some point. Her charm, humor, and warmth will draw you in.

Coming solo? Erin will bring you into the fold. Want more of the Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreat community after the weekend? Erin will organize a local book club.

Erin works for Vocational Rehabilitation Services/State of Minnesota, which is an agency that empowers and serves individuals with disabilities to reach their full capacity in a vocational capacity, she is a counselor by trade and now supervises and leads a team.

Erin enjoys all things that involve fresh air and sunshine. Some of her favorites are walks with her dog( Vince), camping with friends and solo, kayaking/canoeing/paddle boarding, and swimming. She also enjoys a good book and a tough workout along with trying yoga at new and unique settings.

Erin can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to retreats to help you connect with yoga, and nature and yourself!