Following injury, yoga lineage, and the rigid path of conventional healthcare, I set out on an educational odyssey. From cadaver labs to a doctorate in Medical Sciences, I am discovering how fascia weaves us into the spiral web of Nature—holding the keys to movement, perception, and vitality.
ALL ABOUTÂ DR KAREN Â Â Â Â
    KIRKNESS
GLIDE BEFORE GAINS
I'm a movement educator and anatomist who studies the gel that helps your tissues glide. I turn that science into simple movement that helps you feel at ease in your body, then build capacity for life, for you and your family.
“GLIDE FIRST DOESN'T MEAN GLIDE INSTEAD. IT MEANS PRIME THE SYSTEM, THEN BUILD.”
After 25 years of teaching, researching, and writing about movement, I developed the Five Filaments: a spiral motion rubric built on the science of fascia and hyaluronan. Whether you lift, run, chase after children or simply want to feel less stiff yet remain strong, I'll show you how to move with ease first, then build.
- WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \
- WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \ WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO \
MFA
ART, SPACE, NATURE
MSc
HUMAN ANATOMY
PhD
medical sciences
25 YRS
TEACHING MOVEMENT
Spiral Bound: Integrated Anatomy for Yoga
Handspring Publishing, 2021 · with Joanne Avison
Forewords by Corrie Ananda, Tiffany Cruikshank, David Keil and John Sharkey
THE BOOK THAT BRIDGES YOGA & SPIRALITY.
Before the CHA axis had a name, there was this book. It traces how the body takes shape in the embryo, and why that spiral blueprint still governs how we move, feel and heal. Written from two decades on the yoga mat and in the anatomy lab, it is the foundation everything I teach today is built on.
WHAT CAN WE
   DO TOGETHER?
- Get the free Glide Guide (sign up at the bottom of this page)
- Join the 2027 Glide Before Gains programme: Repertoire, Pleiomobility and Resisted Glide
- Teach this work as a Five Filaments Specialist
- Read the latest research on the blog
- Discover the principles of spiral anatomy in my book, Spiral Bound: Integrated Anatomy
for Yoga
COLLABORATIONS
I speak to clinicians, movement professionals and curious general audiences about how and why the way we move shapes the way we feel. Expect rigorous science translated with warmth and humour, and always with honestly: what we know, and what we're still testing.
Signature talks: Glide Before Gains · The calcium-hyaluronan axis in plain English · Strength, exercise and the ageing brain
Available for keynotes, conference sessions, podcasts, guest blogs and workshops
Talks, writing and research:
Anatomy · Teaching · Exploration
IN THE DISSECTION LAB
Studying human anatomy at the University of Edinburgh was an academic and deeply humbling experience. That close study of the body continues to inform how I teach movement.
I was invited to join John Sharkey’s guest faculty for his dissection retreats in London and Cremona—bringing my interests in anatomy, fascia and movement into a shared space of hands-on learning.
Anatomy · Body painting · Teacher training
ANATOMY, PAINTED ON
Painting the muscles onto a moving body makes anatomy something you see, touch and feel shift as you move. It’s one of my favourite ways to bring the dissection lab into the yoga room.
Founder & Director · 2008–2024
MEADOWLARK YOGA
Karen founded and directed Meadowlark Yoga in Edinburgh, running the busy studio and overseeing all its classes and training courses from 2008 to 2024.
Speaking · Podcasts · Community collaborations
STRONG VIEWS,
LOOSELY HELD.
I’m fascinated by the connections between fascia, movement and the ways we experience the world. I bring complex science into conversation through strong visuals, storytelling and practical exploration—helping your audience understand the foundations and find ideas they can use.
These themes run through my 2027 Community seminars and offer a starting point for a podcast interview, guest seminar or workshop for your community. We can shape the conversation around the people you work with.
Fascia’s “Second” Nervous System
Fascia’s sensory connections, calcium signalling and the conversations happening between cells.
Hormones Influence How Fascia Feels: Every Age and Stage
How hormones, life stages and everyday demands influence connective tissue and movement.
What’s So Cool About Von Economo Neurons?
Unusual brain cells, internal experience and social awareness: what we know and what remains open.
Pain, Gain & the Windmills in Your Cells
Calcium, CaMKII and neuroplasticity, brought to life through a memorable molecular metaphor.
The Five Filaments: An Heuristic for Movement Exploration
A practical framework for turning spiral anatomy into movement exploration and teaching.
Five Bodyweight HIIT Plays: Spiral Motion Meets Intensity
Adaptable bodyweight intervals that combine spiral motion, effort, recovery and play.
Beyond Stretching: Exploring Your Movement Options
Fresh ways to approach tightness through rotation, rhythm, resistance and changes of direction.
Different Brains, Different Bodies: Neurodiversity & Movement
Sensory preferences, clearer cues and meaningful choices for more welcoming movement environments.
The Latest in Hyaluronan Research: From Molecules to Movement
The gel component of fascia: connecting molecular research with useful questions about movement.
Glide Before Gains: Putting the Pieces into Practice
Bringing fascia, hormones and individual differences into a sustainable approach to building capacity.
HAVE A CONVERSATION IN MIND?
Invite me onto your podcast or into your community. Tell me who your audience is, what they’re curious about and the format you have in mind. From a conversational interview to a visually led seminar with movement and Q&A, we’ll find an approach that fits.
YOUR FREE GLIDE GUIDE
Stiffer, puffier or simply less at ease in your body lately? Discover how oestrogen, progesterone, relaxin and cortisol shape the way your fascia feels, and how to move with your hormones, not against them.