Yoga unites the mind, body, and soul in a way that eases tension, reduces inflammation, and promotes health and well being. Regular practice will help you reach, improve and perfect poses, correct posture and positioning, and improve your breathing and outlook on life.
Sweetwater Studios intends to offer a variety of wellness options for everyone. Whether it's some form of exercise, or a class designed to ease anxiety or depression, or an opportunity to learn about natural ways of taking care of your health, we want to help you lean into the light and live the life you deserve.
Sweetwater Studios is nestled in the gently rolling hills of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Surrounded by the natural world, we offer a place of peace and tranquility. We have been raising bees for about 8 years and continue to grow each year. Join us and experience the world in a way that is intended to refresh and restore.
Yoga is a complicated practice with so many valued components ~ the physical practice ~ meditation ~ pranayama ~ mindfulness ~ right living to mention a few. Part of taking care of the body we inhabit is by using all natural ingredients in the products we use on and around the body, as well as in what we consume.
“Very little grows on jagged rock. Be ground. Be crumbled, so wildflowers will come up where you are.”
― Rumi
Since opening the studios in October, it has been a whirlwind of excitement. I am humbled by the overwhelming response from the community and bow in gratitude to each and every person who has visited.
I am very much opened to feedback so if there is something you would like to share, or an offering you would like to see us support, please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know!
आनन्द अगद्यति
The Sweetwater bees have been very successful this year. Honey provides a number of essential health benefits including strengthening the immune system, relieving symptoms from allergies, nourishing the skin, wound healing, and so much more!
Reach out if you are interested in purchasing some.
We sell in one and two pound jars ~ $10 per pound!
I have recently earned my 300-hour yoga certification in the Kaivalya Yoga Method.
From myths to adjustments to chakras, and more.
I can't wait to share what I've learned with my students!
Room or linen sprays, soaps, bath salts, sugar scrubs, diffuser blends, soothing body lotions and balms, solid or roll-on scents. . .
I've been mixing these and more using natural ingredients and essential oils.
I am available to work with you individually to determine what you need for a healthier more natural lifestyle.
If you're interested in learning more or would like to book a session with me to meet your unique needs, please reach out to me using the contact information at the bottom of the page.
Karen has been a practitioner of yoga for many years, and in 2016 decided to go for her 200-hour certification through Heart Space Yoga under the guidance of Andrea Thibodeau. She then began teaching classes in her community regularly. In 2017 she traveled to Barcelona to become a certified Trapeze Yoga teacher through Yogabody. In 2020 she became a certified yoga coach. In 2021 Karen became a certified Aromatherapist and in 2022 earned her 300 RYT through the Kaivalya Yoga Method. She has taught classes in gentle yoga, chair yoga, all levels yoga, trapeze yoga, gravity coaching, and restorative yoga. She also teaches mindfulness classes and offers aromatherapy consultations. Her dream of owning her own studio became a reality when she opened Sweetwater Studios in East Burke in the fall of 2022.
Morgan first discovered her love for yoga and meditation through nature. Whether it was sitting on top of a mountain taking in the view or taking a walk on a cold winters morning, deep breathing and stretching seemed to come naturally. The two go hand in hand to achieve the ultimate mind-body connection. So when she began a mindfulness meditation group with Karen in 2020, she instantly fell in love with the peaceful art of yoga! After 3 years of practicing trapeze yoga on her own and taking Karen’s classes, she finally grasped the opportunity and became a certified trapeze instructor through Yogabody in January 2023. She is so excited to meet new people and teach the thrilling venture of trapeze yoga!
Nicole can't tell us how she felt about her first yoga experience but does recall sitting in the corner of her mom's class playing with toy horses for the entire hour. She grea up resistant to the idea of yoga (so she gets you, man!) and although she practiced growing up, she didn't catch the "yoga bug" until she left for college.
The Baptiste practices changed her right before her very eyes. She still finds it challenging to look back and recall that part of her adolescence before she began exploring her practice.
In 2019 she traveled to Thailand to participate in Baron's first training in Asia. It was there she became a certified level 1 Baptiste instructor. In 202 she took a second Baptiste Teacher course with Leandra at Lumi Power yoga in London. In the spring of 2022, she had the honor of studying under Brandon Sommers, who led her through an inspirational 200-hour yoga teacher training.
A yogi since childhood, Madeleine began the formal study of yoga in 1999 and began teaching in 2004.
Madeleine has been engaged in the healing dimensions of the spiritual world from a young age, attending large outdoor mediation retreats as a child and participating in a solo wilderness vision quest at age 17.
Madeleine’s primary teacher is Shiva Rae, founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga.
Prana Vinyasa Yoga draws on the wisdom of the Shakti (feminine) lineages that focus on the subtle body and energetic alignment. Prana Vinyasa classes are themed with the elements of nature and offer the full spectrum of yogic arts, engaging your body, breath, heart and mind.
Madeleine is also a Rostered Psychotherapist in the State of Vermont and Registered with the Yoga Alliance as E-RYT 200 (teaching 1000+ class hours) and RYT 500 after recently completing a 300 TT and Soulful Wellness Certification.
Classes may include Tantra-Hatha based mindful breathing, movement mediation, one-breath one-flow movement patterns, dance and kriya. Some workshops may also include journaling and life navigation or rituals to honor the seasonal transitions, such as the lunar cycle. Madeleine’s teaching empowers students to learn practices they can do at home to cultivate their own wellbeing.
Martha trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the Center for Mindfulness ( 2003-2008). MBSR was of interest because it is a secular program created to address chronic stress and pain and to tame the mind through meditation. She has led many MBSR programs with groups and individuals in local community wellness programs.
She has had the good fortune to study and practice many types of meditation in Buddhist
traditions with Tibetan teachers such as HH the Dalai Lama, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, H.E. Garchen Rinpoche and, Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1983-present)
She is a retired VT Educator living in Sutton, VT.
Beginner Yoga is for people with no previous yoga experience or for experienced yogis who like to step back into the beginner's mindset from time to time.
Themed classes are designed to help you become familiar with all aspects of yoga practice, while building strength, flexibility, and balance.
Taught by Karen
Yoga for men is designed for the unique needs of men, from targeted mobility training using passive stretching over time to help open the hips, hamstrings, and back (among other things.)
By holding specific poses for up to 5 minutes and relaxing to let gravity do the work, students can affect change and feel lasting benefits.
Taught by Karen
Trapeze Yoga offers a unique way of building upper body and core strength. In addition, the trapeze allows for certain poses to be passive, so you can assume deeper backbends and stretching in a way that lets you hold poses safely and for longer periods of time. Inversion therapy is known to have significant benefits including instant traction on the spine, relief of back pain, increased range of motion and more. Take a swing on the trapeze!
Taught by Karen
After a long day on the trails a Restorative Yoga class will allow your body to completely rest through simple movement, props for support, and guided meditations. The stillness of this peaceful class will allow you to regain a calm balance and soothe tired muscles.
Contact Sweetwater Studios to book this class.
Geared to the beginning practitioner, participants will be introduced to the principals of alignment. Working from a seated position or standing with the chair as a support you will work on flexibility, balance and strength.
Taught by Karen
In this challenging world it can be difficult to stay calm and healthy. Whether your are experiencing anxiety or perhaps even physical symptoms from life's difficulties, maybe I can help.
Contact me to schedule a personal session and together we will review your wellness and happiness needs so that I can personalize a blend that is just right for you.
Using natural ingredients and essential oils that nature has blessed us with we can enhance your well-being and joy in life.
Our goal is to offer regular wellness workshops each month - mainly on Saturdays, but they may be scheduled on other days as well. To learn about upcoming workshops, watch below for detailed information.
Unwind at the end of a busy week by enjoying singing mantra together. Mantra meditation through the practice of Kirtan is a very powerful way to connect, calm your mind and open your heart. It also creates community and brings so many people together.
Classes for your Physical and Mental Wellbeing
with Lexi McCaughey
Mental health is an important part of our daily lives, yet it is often left neglected. These classes will focus on taking care of our mental health by moving our bodies through asana, (yoga postures), to connect with the mind and spirit. Classes are for anyone who is looking to begin their self-care journey or add to their self-care repertoire. We will explore common areas such as chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and coping strategies/skills. Each class will be 1 hour and 30 minutes in length and include brief journaling prompts, and a contemplation period in which paper, and writing utensils are needed. You can expect to be moving and holding different postures, and weight bearing through different limbs throughout this series. Prior knowledge of stretching and yoga may be helpful but is not necessary. Adaptations and modifications will be available to all who sign up. If you have had recent surgeries or injuries, please consult with your doctor prior to class registration. Feel free to email me with any questions.*
*Disclosure: This class series is not intended to replace, or mimic individual or group therapy. This class serves as a self-care resource only. If you are looking for professional mental health support, please connect with your primary care provider about professional counseling support services. If you or someone you know have been contemplating suicide, contact emergency services immediately or call the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.
Each individual class is $20
Classes to be held March 26, April 9 and 23, May 7, 21 and 28, 2023
Join us on Tuesdays from 8:15 - 9:00 AM for a session of free dancing. There's no instruction, just a space for you to dance, dance, dance to some of the greatest dance music EVER!
Feel the freedom of moving the body any way you like ~ it's a great way to start the day.
No cost, but donations are accepted and will go into a fund to support those in need for wellness classes at the studio.
Once monthly 2-hour classes are an invitation to connect with your highest self.
Using movement, journaling, breathwork, mindfulness, meditation and conversation, we will strive toward a more enlightened way of being.
Classes begin Monday, April 17, 2023 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Each class is an $18 investment or purchase a 12 class package for only $195.
Anticipated dates for classes:
April 17, 2023
May 8, 2023
June 19, 2023
July 17, 2023
August 14, 2023
September 18, 2023
October 16, 2023
November 13, 2023
December 11, 2023
January 8, 2024
February 12, 2024
March 18, 2024
End the year with a practice that enables deep relaxation as you hold poses for longer periods of time with the help of props to completely support you. Restorative yoga also helps you to regain calm balance and soothe tired muscles. Reiki translates as: spiritually guided life force energy. Energy can become stagnant when there has been physical or emotional injury or pain. Reiki helps to remove these areas of stagnation, improving energy flow, providing relaxation, and reducing stress. While Karen leads participants into restorative yoga poses, Janice will provide Reiki while the poses are held. The workshop is limited to 12 participants, so register early!
Dates: Saturdays-
December 31, 2022
January 28, 2023
February 25, 2023
March 25, 2023
April 29, 2023
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Cost: $30 per person per session
For more information contact:
Janice Narey at 802-274-2130 or Karen at 802-535-5876
REGISTER BELOW
The growth season is just around the corner. Are you ready for the shift? As the world around us begins to thaw from winter we can feel the subtle shift in our bodies. Madeleine Balcom & Anna Crytzer OFFER this day-long retreat focusing on the alignment of the subtle body through yoga, dance, and energy balancing practices. We will spend the day in council with each other and listening deeply to ourselves. Together, we will experience shifting into a different gear, embracing the upcoming changes, and listening in to our nourishment needs.
Madeleine Balcom, MA, E-RYT (she/her) is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in mental health counseling from Northern Vermont University and Soulful Wellness Guide training from Shiva Rea ’s Samudra School of Living Yoga. www.mahayogacoach.com
Anna Crytzer is a heart centered healer and educator. She helps people get into their bodies through dance and energy work. Her goals in life are release, deep connection, and finding joy and pleasure in ourselves and our bodies. She loves movement, intentionality, and creating safe spaces. Anna is a certified educator, JourneyDance facilitator, and 450 hour energy healing master. www.sweetfirehealing.com
Saturday, April 1, 2023
9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
(12-1:00 lunch break on your own)
$125 Per Person
REGISTER BELOW
Join us for an afternoon of cultivating fierce and vital self-love practices. As we embrace the powerful emergence of the growth season we will feel Mother Nature guide us to truly mother ourselves from a place of deep strength. Using yoga, dance, meditation, energy healing, and nervous system regulation we will hold the tenderness of our needs, feel all the feels and re-emerge with more of our authentic selves to greet the world. We will honor, feed, and lavish attention on our bodies, minds and spirits.
Madeleine Balcom, MA, E-RYT (she/her) is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in mental health counseling from Northern Vermont University and Soulful Wellness Guide training from Shiva Rea ’s Samudra School of Living Yoga. www.mahayogacoach.com
Anna Crytzer is a heart centered healer and educator. She helps people get into their bodies through dance and energy work. Her goals in life are release, deep connection, and finding joy and pleasure in ourselves and our bodies. She loves movement, intentionality, and creating safe spaces. Anna is a certified educator, JourneyDance facilitator, and 450 hour energy healing master. www.sweetfirehealing.com
Saturday, May 6, 2023
1:00 - 4:30 PM
$75 per person
REGISTER BELOW
Sweetwater Studios is collaborating with community partners to offer opportunities for others to come together during open studio times throughout the week. These sessions are intended to assist you in your journey of well-being by giving you time to delve more deeply into your own beauty, compassion, healing, and transformation through a mindful practice.
Ben, Karen and Martha will be present to hold space for you, get you started, and facilitate a quiet space for each person’s own self-inquiry. Each 60-minute session will end with a brief talk.
There is no cost, though you are welcome to offer a donation if you feel you are able. Donations will be used to offer free or discounted classes at the studio to those in need.
Open Studio days and times beginning in February 2023:
Sundays 7-8:00 AM with Ben Tipton
Mondays 8 – 9:00 AM with Martha Tack
Fridays 10:30 – 11:30 AM with Karen Kennedy
In 2008, Ben began exploring the role of mind/body medicine, mindfulness and the neurobiology of change in helping people with lifestyle choices. He is a qualified teacher of MBSR through the UCSD Mindfulness-based Professional Training Institute and has been teaching MBSR since 2016. Ben was the founder/creator of the Mindfulness Program at Mid Coast Health Care in Brunswick, Maine.
Ben’s experiences have taught him that curiosity, attention, awareness, self-inquiry, compassion, and connection are the foundations of sustainable change and making healthy lifestyle choices (also helps with staying upright on a mountain bike).
Karen has been an avid yoga practitioner for many years and has earned her 200-hour and 300-hour RYS. She has been teaching yoga and mindfulness since 2016. Karen enjoys an ongoing practice of self-inquiry in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
Martha trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the Center for Mindfulness ( 2003-2008). MBSR was of interest because it is a secular program created to address chronic stress and pain and to tame the mind through meditation. She has led many MBSR programs with groups and individuals in local community wellness programs.
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Sweetwater Studios was established in 2016 by Karen Zaun Kennedy. Karen was an educator for 35 years and had long dreamed of teaching yoga.
She received her 200 RYS certification in 2016 through Heart Space Yoga Studios, and in 2017 earned her 50 YACEP certification to teach Trapeze Yoga through YogaBody in Barcelona. In 2020 Karen became certified in Gravity Yoga through YogaBody. In 2021 Karen became a certified Aromatherapist and she is currently working on an additional 300-hour yoga certification.
Karen currently offers yoga and wellness classes in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in her recently built studio!
Feel free to contact us with any questions or inquiries, or to learn more about our class schedules.
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