LATEST YOGA

Meet Kristen Golden and Matt Wilson, YogaSlackers teachers based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. YogaSlackers is a unique approach to yoga teaching that combines yoga, slacklining, AcroYoga, adventure and conditioning.
 
YogaSlackers has gained a worldwide following for their fun, eclectic, and accessible teaching style. Despite teaching a combination of challenging disciplines, YogaSlackers teachers take pride in helping others discover what they’re truly capable of in a welcoming way.
 
As you’ll see from the interview below, Kristen and Matt certainly share this same friendly teaching method and overall approach to yoga. In addition to being certified YogaSlackers teachers, Kristen and Matt are also known as the AcroDorks, a nickname that has turned into a teacher collective in Colorado Springs.
 
Their fresh, fun, lighthearted approach to yoga and life is infectious, and we here at YogiApproved are excited to share more about this awesome yoga couple!
 

Meet AcroYoga Couple Kristen Golden and Matt Wilson

Let’s hear more from these fun yogis!
 

1. YA: Can you tell us a bit about YogaSlackers and the YogaSlackers community?

Matt:

YogaSlackers is an international community of teachers banded together by our love of yoga, slackline, AcroYoga, conditioning, and adventure.
 
Some slackers are stronger at one skill than the others, but we all believe that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and practice! We love to teach slackline yoga and acrobatics to students all over the world.
 

“The slackline is like a yoga mat that shows you whether or not you’re being present. It’s a great meditation tool and is often more accessible for those of us that have ‘the wiggles.’ -Kristen

 
It’s amazing to see students’ eyes get wide and do a happy dance when they realize they can do these amazing things they never thought possible!
 

 

2. YA: The two of you created AcroDorks, which is now an AcroYoga teacher collective in Colorado Springs. Please tell us more!!

Kristen:

I moved to Colorado in 2014 and Matt and I instantly started teaching AcroYoga together in Colorado Springs. We began to see a lot of potential in some of our students with a real passion and drive to learn more and more Acro from other high level Acro teachers, and soon they were teaching workshops.
 
When we saw what great teachers they were we thought, “Why not expand?” So we did.
 

3. YA: How did you each find yoga?

Kristen:

I first started practicing yoga in January 2010. I had just gone through a really tough emotional and physical trauma and a friend suggested yoga. After that I never looked back and I’ve been teaching since 2012. It has been such a blessing and I can’t imagine life without it.
 

Matt:

When I was in college, my best friend from high school told me about how she was getting into yoga, slacklining, and AcroYoga. I told her that it all sounded ridiculous, and that it definitely wasn’t for me.
 
A few years later when I moved to Colorado, I dived heavily into rock climbing. I started to realize that my climbing was limited by my mobility, so I started taking yoga classes at our local climbing gym.
 
Shortly after, I noticed that they had AcroYoga classes on the schedule and thought, “Oh yeah, I remember hearing about that.” I gave it a try, and was immediately hooked – I had found my tribe.
 

4. YA: How did you two first meet?

Kristen:

I love this story! Matt was back east visiting family and assisting a YogaSlackers workshop I was taking in Baltimore, MD. I asked him what he was doing with his summer and it was packed with super fun things and going back to Colorado where he lived, and I very sarcastically said, “Take me with you!”
 
And he very seriously said, “Okay!” I thought about it and decided to quit my job, break my lease, sell most of my belongings and got in a car with this guy I just met and went to Colorado, and the rest is history! A real YogaSlackers style love story! Haha
 

 

5. YA: For those who are new or haven’t yet tried AcroYoga, how would you summarize this unique practice? What would you say are the main attributes and benefits of the AcroYoga practice?

Kristen:

I like to view Acro as a beautiful addition to your yoga practice. So often we roll out our mat and have our “me time,” which very important, but often we don’t interact with other people.
 
Acro teaches community, trust, connection, and so many other important lessons we don’t necessarily learn on the mat by ourselves.
 

 

6. YA:

The two of you are known for your “dorky spin” on movement-based activities (which sounds so fun, light-hearted, and welcoming), hence the name AcroDorks! Tell us what makes your practice and teaching “dorky”?

Matt:

That’s exactly what we were going for with the name! In a lot of classical circus acrobatics, you’ll see tiny ‘flyers’ on top of huge ‘bases.’ This allows for a larger margin for error and an ability to progress through higher and more strength-dependent skills.
 
As same size acrobats (we sometimes share shoes and gloves- we are very much same sized!) we explore the fine tuning of techniques so that we can find ease and fluidity.
 
We trade roles as base and flyer, and always encourage our students to do the same! In this way, we focus very much on the process and the experience of learning rather than the final skill. For us, that’s the best kind of dorkiness.
 

7. YA:

You’re teaching at Hanuman Festival in Boulder this summer! Some of your classes are already full – you are quite popular! What makes these classes so unique, and what can attendees expect from their time with you?

Matt:

Hanuman Festival is a consistently wonderful experience. We absolutely love it, especially because we get to share our passion and play throughout the festival and help create an ambiance that everyone shares.
 

Here’s the most important thing about things like AcroYoga and slacklining: even though it can look impossibly hard – it is absolutely accessible for everybody.

 
Just like in traditional yoga asana, everyone will have their own strengths, challenges, and starting point; none of the ‘Instagram superstars’ started out at where they are now!
 
Have you ever been in an asana class and your mind wandered off to your to-do list or something that has been nagging you? With slacklining, as soon as your mind goes, the slackline knows, and kicks you right off. It’s an amazing tool for moving meditation, which has helped me learn to stay more present in all aspects of my life.
 
AcroYoga is a similarly powerful tool and additionally teaches us so much about how we connect and relate to each other. Most of all, both modalities are fun and remind us how to play like kids!
 

8. YA:

What’s next for you two?! Any exciting announcements or things to look forward to from YogaSlackers? And AcroDorks?

Matt:

The YogaSlackers community is always active all over the map with workshops, festivals, retreats, and even a YogaSlackers teacher training starting August 31st (there are still a few spots left!).
 

 
As AcroDorks, we (Matt and Kristen) have been reigning in our travel bug to focus more on supporting our local communities and on building up our homestead. We just recently added 5 ducklings to our little urban farm, and will be adding honey bees by the end of June!
 

A Big YogiApproved THANK YOU to YogaSlackers Kristen and Matt For Their Lovely Interview!!

If you’re interested in learning more about the YogaSlackers, you can check out their website. Want to attend a class with Matt and Kristen at Hanuman Festival? You can find their class on the festival’s schedule page.
 
You can also follow Matt and Kristen with their AcroDorks adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
 

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