We admit it, we’re smitten with our rad new intern. The former UW Soccer player is a 3-year Athletes for Yoga veteran, world traveler, and shares our healthy obsession with the ocean. She also happens to be an amazingly athletic chick and purveyor of some seriously infectious good juju, not to mention can rap all the words to Baby Got Back. When she’s not globetrotting this summer — destinations on her itinerary include NYC, San Juan Islands, and Australia — catch Brianna Sweeney on Twitter (as one of the new voices behind @athletes4yogahq), or takin’ it around town at our outdoor studio…

How’d you first discover Athletes for Yoga?

It was something I looked forward to every week when I was on the soccer team. It was an opportunity to decompress from the stress of the sport and we always got to listen to awesome offbeat music. I enjoyed the slower pace and focus on muscle and mental relaxation.

Why have you continued to practice? (Like a boss, we might add.)

I like yoga because it is so flexible... pun intended. It can be a workout, a meditation, a recovery, an energizer, it can be anything you want it to be. I like it because it makes me feel that very same way — flexible and open to everything.

How do you keep it real?

To keep it real, I go outside! I garden in the dirt. I hike through the woods. I swim in oceans, lakes, and rivers. I ski mountains!

What else are you up to these days?

My major (about to enter senior year at UW) is oceanography with a minor in earth and space sciences. I love learning about ocean systems and circulation, the chemistry of the ocean, the geology (rocks) that makeup the coast and seafloor, and the marine biology that live in those environments. It's all so interconnected and I love discovering how those connections intertwine and interact.

I am super fascinated by all the goji berry (Athletes for Yoga term for hippy) ways to make my body feel better. Alternative medicine, remedies that start with your daily diet, energy transfers, etc., because I haven't even discovered them all yet — all the means to balance your mind, body, and soul, that don’t involve modern medicine or advanced technology. I'm just curious and excited about life and want to discover all the things that make me happiest and the most energetic!

Boom! Bring on the goji berries! Welcome to the team, gal!