I am so grateful to know this woman and yoga teacher, Kristen Sweeney. I have taken many of her classes and it is apparent that she is a great yoga teacher. She has a passion, yearning and love for yoga.
And, let's find out why...
1. How long have you been teaching?
Since 2011.
2. What motivated you to start teaching and what have you learnt from teaching?
I knew I wanted to start teaching after I had been practicing hot yoga (Bikram) about a year. I considered doing the Bikram training but opted for vinyasa instead. At the time, I was an actor living in NYC. In between acting jobs, I was making money as a caterer, personal assistant, receptionist, restaurant host, etc. None of these things were particularly fulfilling, and the highs of booking those acting gigs weren't sustaining me through the in-between times. I wanted to teach yoga because I realized that it would be something I could that would be rewarding and fulfilling every single day. Becoming a teacher has taught me a lot. It's called me to step up to the responsibility of caring for the students in my room. It's pushed me to learn more about yoga in every aspect, from anatomy to philosophy. Probably the most important lesson I've learned as a teacher is the value of living yoga when I'm not in a class (I think of that as the practice of living).
3. What is something that you have learnt from a fellow teacher?
So much! There have been teachers who illustrated creative class sequencing that inspires me to mix things up and innovate, and teachers who really lead by example when it comes to letting go of your ego, and so many teachers along the way who inspire me with their commitment and dedication to their practice, however that manifests for them.
4. How many times a week do you practice?
I try to get my butt to an actual class 4 times a week. I move my body, connect to my breath, and ground myself in the present every day, so I guess it depends on your definition.
5. Who inspires your practice?
Students, hands down.
6. Why is it necessary for you to practice? Oh, I get so cranky if I don't practice regularly! :) For me, practicing yoga has a funny way of bending time. So if I think I'm too busy to get to class, but I go anyway, it seems like everything I had to do rearranges itself to all get done with plenty of time. Yoga makes me calmer, happier, and healthier.
7. What message do you like to spread through teaching?
That the practice of yoga goes beyond the mat, and is really a practice of living.
8. Where are you currently teaching? I am in the Boston area, teaching at: Coolidge Corner/Sadhana Yoga, JP Centre Yoga, Om Births, and Healing Tree Yoga.
9. How has yoga helped your character develop?
It's forced me to be more honest with myself, more aware of my habits and patterns, and more willing to sit with being uncomfortable during periods of change.
10.What has kept you practicing all these years?
Yoga is really the bedrock of my life. It's the foundation that informs and supports who I am.
11. How do you take use yoga practice in your daily stressful life? When my mind is starting to spiral out into unhelpful thought patterns, I get into my body. When I feel overwhelmed, I pause and take some breaths. When I'm making decisions, I'm guided by the principles of truth, honesty, and integrity.
12. What is your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook name? Instagram: @edgeofthemat, Facebook: /edgeofthemat and for teachers, I have a Facebook group called "Yoga Teachers Who Mean Business"