Karen Kirkness

Karen Kirkness MFA, MSc, E-RYT 500, is an artist and yoga anatomy investigator holding two masters degrees, one in fine art and the other a master of science in human anatomy. Karen's drawing and conceptual work revolve around body culture and somesthetics.


American by birth and now based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Karen founded her own yoga studio, Meadowlark Yoga, in 2005. Karen started practicing yoga while studying arts & sciences for her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida, in 1999. She studied Ashtanga yoga with the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore in 2003 and continues researching the power of inter-lineage yoga through daily personal practice.


Karen is fascinated with how art and architecture inform science. She is passionate about play, flexible working hours, and the adaptation of not-for-profit social enterprise. After over 15 years of yoga practice, Karen spent a year in the dissection lab learning about human anatomy at the University of Edinburgh. Her fascination with subtle body concepts comes together with art and anatomy to make her workshops fun, informative, and inspiring.


Karen guest-teaches workshops and trainings internationally, including the trainings at her home studio, and the 40 Hour Cadaveric Anatomy for Yoga course in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. She served as yoga presenter on the Neuro Yoga panel exploring the relationship between conventional neuroscience and yoga practice as part of several science festivals in Scotland. She is a member of the Anatomical Society and has presented in recent years at the International Symposium of Clinical and Applied Anatomists (ISCAA).


Get in touch with Karen's work through her website karenkirkness.com.