Kiersten Mooney is a highly accomplished and renowned yoga teacher, speaker, and founder of greenmonkey® formerly known as Bala Vinyasa Yoga. With more than 20 years of experience in the wellness industry, Kiersten has achieved degrees in sociology, exercise sports science, and sports medicine, with graduate studies in exercise physiology and nutrition, all from the University of Miami. Kiersten has a vast experience with creating and leading innovative and research-driven yoga programs, teacher trainings, and retreats.
As the founder of Bala Vinyasa Yoga, Kiersten has partnered with the University of Miami since 2012, conducting extensive research on yoga and its benefits. Her research includes “Muscle Utilization Patterns Vary by Skill Levels of the Practitioners Across Specific Yoga Poses (Asanas) (2016)” – “Core Muscle Function During Specific Yoga Poses (2014),” and The comparative impacts of Tai Chi, power training, and a specially designed yoga program on functionality and other physical measurements in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (2013-2014) among others.
Kiersten is an E-RYT 500 certified yoga teacher and is globally renowned for empowering students and cultivating powerful teacher leaders. She is a sought-after international speaker and has presented at events including Yoga Journal LIVE!, ECA World Fitness Conference, OMEGA, The Holistic Holiday Sea Cruise, and The Weight Watchers Cruise.
Kiersten is a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer since 1992 and has done extensive research in sports-specific training, with published work in the field. She came to yoga in 1996 and has been an ongoing student of Baron Baptiste, one of the most influential yoga teachers in the world. Kiersten’s teaching style gracefully blends a sense of self-acceptance with an invitation to exceed any unnecessary self-imposed limitations. The core of her personal practice and teaching is Baptiste Power Vinyasa Flow, an energizing sequence of yoga postures designed to facilitate physical and spiritual transformation.
In addition to her teaching and research work, Kiersten has as well been a member of the Africa Yoga Project, where she mentored and supported fellow yoga teachers. She taught a weekly complimentary class to students in recovery from substance abuse.