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 offers 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. As landowners participating in Kingdom Trails, the studio is just a stone's throw from the White School trail and boasts an incredible view of Burke Mountain. 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.
Our once a month R&R Yoga is back for the winter beginning November 9, 2024.
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Treat yourself to the gift of a healing & restorative session aimed at reducing your holiday stress. While Karen takes you through restorative yoga poses, Janice provides Reiki to nurture the body and mind.
$30 per person
Register in advance at
www.vagaro.com/sweetwaterstudios
Future Dates:
December 14, January 18, February 8, March 29, April 12
Saturday, November 16
7- 8 PM
Lead singer and songwriter of Aresty Music, Ben Aresty, will be sharing some songs from his recent album at Sweetwater Studio. Aresty's songs are written from a place of authenticity and storytelling from personal life experiences.
Come enjoy an acoustic set, sing along and enjoy the space of connection.
This one-hour setlist will be BY DONATION only and all are welcome.
To listen to the current music by Aresty, please visit Aresty.com and follow Ben's journey of music on IG @aresty.music
Register at www/vagaro.com/sweetwaterstudios
Beginning in October the Sweetwater team will be offering POP UP classes on
Sunday mornings from 9-10 AM
Each POP UP will offer something different –
A change from the weekly classes – and a chance for YOU to try something new.
Check the calendar at
www.vagaro.com/sweetwaterstudios
to see when the POP Ups are happening and to register,
and then check the Facebook and Instagram pages the week before to see what that week’s class is all about!
BE CURIOUS is an opportunity for members of our community to come together in conversation on a weekly basis. Our conversations will be focused on those things that you might be curious about, or things you've never considered and are being invited to look at with a sense of wonder.
I have thought about such a group many times over the years - perhaps because I have been a curious person myself. I t could be because I have witnessed a variety of groups of people who come together by happenstance but instantly engage in meaningful conversation. Clearly there is a need for people to come together in the world.
Imaging gathering together with NO particualar agenda in mind. We will talk about what new things might have come into our lives recently, or what questions we have about life in the hope that someone else is the group can begin to answer them, or at least lead you to answer for yourself.
My hope is that each participant in the group of the curious will share their thoughts, listen respectfully to the thoughts of others, keep an open mind free from judgment, and learn something new about themselves along the way.
For now, let's gather at Sweetwater Studios on Tuesdays from 10 - 11:00 AM. I will provide tea or water, and all you need to provide is an open and curious mind.
Beginning JULY 16, 2024
No cost
Register at www.vagaro.com/sweetwaterstudios
Did you know that Sweetwater Studios has funds available to assist with the cost of wellness classes?
It's true ~ donations from Chair Yoga and other "by donation" classes (or from donations of kind members of the community) is put aside to help those who are interested in taking classes at the studio, but find the cost is more than they can manage.
To access funds simply send Karen an email at 135.sweetwater@gmail.com explaining what classes you are interested in taking!
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.
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.
Sorrel is a firm believer that yoga is for everyone, no matter what their age, fitness level, flexibility, gender or background, and ensures that her classes are designed with this in mind. Yoga has always been a safe haven for Sorrel and this nurturing element is something that runs through each of her classes. Expect flowing sequences that offer the chance to reconnect with yourself, whilst enjoying some great music and a welcoming atmosphere.
An English woman based in Vermont, she completed her initial 250 hour teacher training in 2017 under Keren Cooksey of Falmouth Yoga Space in the UK, but is on a continuous journey to learn more about the practice of yoga and the many ways of teaching it.
Michelle found her way to the practice of yoga during her college years, when she discovered how supportive the physical practice was to her passion for riding horses. Her connection to the practice quickly grew as she discovered the array of ways that it supported her being transcended far beyond the physical, and led to a more wholesome, empowered manner of showing up in the world.
After a number of years of practice under the guidance of an Ashtanga instructor, Michelle attended her first 200 hr teacher training in Ashtanga Yoga through Yoga Vermont in 2015.
For Michelle, yoga isn’t only found when you show up on your mat. It is a way of being in the world that enriches your experience, encourages you to grow, connect to yourself more deeply, live present, have increased awareness of your surroundings and develop a deeper connection with others and the natural world.
In a pursuit to delve deeper into her own authenticity and creativity, in 2023 Michelle enrolled in “Authentic Movements” 200hr yoga teacher training in Hatha Vinyasa; a training that invites creative expression and freedom of movement to bring enrichment to life and the practice.
Michelle’s passions extend beyond yoga with a delight for being in nature whether that means being with or riding her horses, hiking mountains, swimming in rivers and lakes, or sitting and enjoying a sunset.
She is the dedicated and compassionate manager of the “Mountain View Farm Animal Sanctuary” for over 10 years, representing and supporting the world of animal rescue.
She also holds a certification as an Equine Gestlatist in which her business, “Journey Within Equine Healing”, is motivated to guide individuals on their personal journey of healing and empowerment, with the powerful guidance of the horse as a co-active coaching partner.
Shelly Watts is a passionate individual who has recently embarked on a new journey to become a trapeze yoga instructor.
She is an experienced professional with a background in cosmetic sales spanning over 20 years. Throughout her career, she has developed strong communication skills, enabling her to effectively connect with others and create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere.
In June 2023, she became a certified trapeze yoga instructor through Yogabody, solidifying her expertise in this unique form of yoga. Shelly is also an outdoor enthusiast, enjoying activities like hiking and biking, which align with her healthy lifestyle.
Shelly's return to Vermont three years ago has been a fulfilling experience, particularly in the vibrant community of Burke. She has found a sense of belonging and camaraderie within the community and at Sweetwater Studios, where she feels inspired to grow and share her knowledge of trapeze yoga.
Sam was first gintroduced to yoga when she was about 15; she would regularly attend a weekly PiYo (pilates - yoga) class that her Mother invited her to. It was the poses that drew her in, but the savasana that made her stay. There was just something about someone giving her permission to lay in stillness for 10 minutes, and to work on turning off the constant noise. She began diving into an (almost) daily self practice. In her late 20s she dreamed of taking a yoga teacher training, but didn’t feel confident to become a teacher so she never pursued it. In February of 2022, Sam’s dog was healing from a very intense leg surgery, which led her to discover trapeze yoga at Sweetwater Studios, as she needed to find something to occupy her mind and fulfill the time she was missing out in the woods with her dog. Her love for trapeze grew deeply and in turn, re-discovered her love for a daily self yoga practice at home. It was almost two years later when she finally decided to take the leap and complete her 200hr RYT with Bodhi Yoga Academy, which is a Colorado based yoga studio that she was able to complete online, in March 2024. She is now registered with yoga alliance and is pursing the yoga trapeze training with Yogabody!
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.
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, the class focuses on creating increased flexibility, balance and strength.
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.
Prana Vinyasa Yoga guides participants into one breath, one movement yoga patterns of flow, with a focus on Movement Meditation. In this class, you will get your body moving, your breath flowing and learn ways to calm the mind. This is designed to be accessible to multiple levels of fitness ability, with both foundational practices for strength as well as options to deepen the challenge, mental or physical. Prana Vinyasa Yoga is a practice that invites the cultivation of inner transformational space. Offerings include breath work to both upregulate and down regular the nervous system, sacred body training to deepen core activation, energetic alignment principles for optimal inner experience of body strength and softening, dance and free form movement. We will focus on cultivating a sense of courage, strength, peace, inner balance, and ultimately the ability to self generate positive feelings of love and connection.
After a long day at work or 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.
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!
A highly dynamic and energizing class, Vinyasa Flow focuses on moving and strengthening the whole body from the roots up. Each class incorporates asana (yoga poses) and pranayama (breath practice), and meditation in a sequence that will enhance your mind, your body, and will lift your mood. This class welcomes beginners as well as seasoned yogis.
This is an inspiring blend of Hatha and Vinyasa which invites you into a space of peace, creativity and honoring of the self. the class is designed to be accessible for multiple levels of experience and physical ability with options that support personal exploration and expansion in a number of ways. slow down and invite balance to your being with a delightful blend of breathwork, movement, guided meditation and theming that invites a sense of calm, stirs inspiration, and fuels empowerment.
Rise and Shine is a calm and rejuvenating hour of movement to ease you into the week ahead. This vinyasa class welcomes all bodies, all abilities and will leave you feeling refreshed and energized.
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 "What's Coming Up?" above for detailed information.
If you have a group that would like to plan your own special event with us, our team is happy to work with you. Whether for a new family experience on the trapezes, a mellow class for the bridal party before your special day, or a relaxing restorative class after a group ride on the trails, let us know what you're looking for and we'll do our best to plan the perfect yoga retreat for you!
There is divine beauty in learning…. To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps.
— Elie Wiesel
Since opening the studio in October 2022, 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 open
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 bees have been overjoyed with the early flowering plants and prolific blossoms this year. they have been busy and we have done a July harvest. 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!
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.
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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 Hour 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. She recently received an additional 300-hour yoga certification in the Alaina Kaivalya Yoga Method and in March. Karen completed a 30-hour Restorative Yoga training in April and earned her Crystal Sound Bowl Healer certification in August.
Karen currently offers yoga and wellness classes in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in her studio!
Feel free to contact us with any questions or inquiries, or to learn more about our class schedules.
Copyright © 2018-2020 Sweetwater Studios - All Rights Reserved.
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