An Interview With Sara Connell
Perseverance is a powerful means to attain to success. When I first started teaching yoga, I taught yoga classes at times to just a few people. As I continued to teach, I was invited to teach workshops internationally. Then I began to receive requests for yoga teacher trainings, which have been very successfully attended.
Beginnings are a Genesis. That means that not only are they a start, but they are also the origin of all that follows. This means that the way we start something, the way we start our day, for example, creates a trajectory for all that follows. How do highly successful leaders start their day in a way that creates a positive trajectory for a successful, effective, productive, and efficient day? How do you create habits that make these routines permanent? How do you get inspired to develop the discipline necessary for such a lifestyle? In this new series, called Morning Routines and Habits Of Highly Successful People, we are talking to successful leaders who can share the morning routines and habits that have helped them to achieve success.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Caroline Klebl.
Known internationally as an outstanding yoga teacher since 1997, Caroline Klebl specializes in Ashtanga Yoga, which she learned from world-renowned Yoga Guru Sri K Pattabhi Jois in India. Klebl’s knowledge of the ancient art is extensive and reflected in the fact that her Yoga Teacher Training courses, workshops, and retreats have been enthusiastically received in the United States, Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. She produced an instructional Yoga DVD and published the book, The Illustrated Guide to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I started practicing yoga regularly at 18, when I lived in Breckenridge, a small mountain town in Colorado. After attending yoga classes for a couple of years, I began practicing the primary series of ashtanga yoga on five to six day a week basis. By the time I was 21, I took my first trip to Mysore, India to learn from renown yoga guru K. Pattabhi Jois. This was the beginning of my journey into a life of practicing and teaching yoga.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
I started teaching yoga prior to my first trip to Mysore, India. It was due to my delightful experience with ashtanga yoga, which quickly develops strength and flexibility. When my yoga postures improved, I felt strong physically and emotionally and felt as if I understood the nature of reality more clearly. This spiritual experience led me to teaching yoga.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
My experience with my yoga guru, K. Pattabhi Jois, was especially inspiring. He was 83, when I began learning yoga from him. He had been teaching yoga from a young age and had hundreds of students from around the world, with advanced yoga practices. Every day he started teaching at 4:30 in the morning until 10 or 11 in the morning. Additionally, he had an afternoon yoga class. I continued to attend his yoga classes in Mysore, India until he was 92, which was a year before his passing. He would sit in a chair to rest in between adjusting yoga poses and teaching new poses. On his last international tour, he led classes to over 100 students in his nineties. He never retired, he taught yoga until the end of his life. It could be his own very successful yoga asana practice, which enabled him to move as comfortable as he could late in life. I’ve always been inspired by his success and dedication to teaching yoga.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
After one of my yoga teacher training retreats in Kerala, India, I visited a therapeutic ayurvedic eye hospital, which uses ancient techniques and herbal medicines to heal and strengthen the eyes. This wonderful eye hospital had a Shiva temple, in which the patients were blessed at the beginning of their stay. The prayer used by the priest included, a blessing to awaken the third eye and cultivate psychic vision. In turn, I had a vision of god Shiva and had a supernatural experience at this eye hospital. It seems that Lord Shiva is able to bend time and change the course of past events to lead to more favorable present circumstances.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Perseverance is a powerful means to attain to success. When I first started teaching yoga, I taught yoga classes at times to just a few people. As I continued to teach, I was invited to teach workshops internationally. Then I began to receive requests for yoga teacher trainings, which have been very successfully attended.
Listening is important when pursuing your career goals. Since, yoga centers and yoga students asked me to teach yoga teacher trainings, I created a 200 and 500 hour yoga teacher training curriculum. I have since, successfully offered these yoga teacher trainings around the world.
Peacefulness is an indispensable character trait. It is essential to maintain a peaceful state of mind, while pursuing your career goals. If the mind becomes too attached to a specific outcome, it may cause a disturbance in the mind, when it is not attained. Opportunities are presented frequently, which are important to stay attentive to.
I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Do you have a book in your life that impacted you and inspired you to be an effective leader? Can you share a story?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a contemplative guide to yoga philosophy. Yoga means union and sutra means verse. In India, sacred texts are committed to memory by chanting. When I trained in India, we would sit in the lotus position, chant the Yoga Sutras in Sanskrit and translate them a few times a week. By chanting the Yoga Sutras regularly, they are committed to memory. Chanting the Yoga Sutras and contemplating their meaning purifies the mind. One of my favorite yoga sutras, is the second sutra. “Yogas chitta vrtti nirodha.” Yoga Sutra 1.2. This sutra is translated as, yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. The teachings of the yoga sutras emphasize the attainment of samadhi or absorption and the interconnectedness of all beings. The cultivation of virtue to eliminate negative karma is a likewise an inspiring truth, which aids in becoming an effective leader.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I’m currently offering yoga teacher training courses in Los Angeles and yoga teacher training retreats in beautiful retreat destinations around the world. Hundreds of students have graduated from my courses, who teach yoga around the world. My yoga teacher training programs improve the participants yoga practice and develop their yoga teaching skills. The course includes the practice of over 70 yoga postures, meditation instruction, ayurveda, anatomy relevant to yoga postures, yoga philosophy and teaching skills. My yoga teacher trainings are open to yoga teachers, aspiring teachers and all levels of yoga practitioner. Upon completion of the course a certificate is issued with which students can begin teaching yoga anywhere in the world.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain to our readers why it is important to have a consistent morning routine?
According to ancient Indian tradition, the most auspicious time of day for spiritual practice is Brahmamuhurtha, which takes place 1 hour 36 minutes before sunrise until 48 minutes before sunrise. When practicing yoga and meditation during this time period, yoga practice will be especially effective. According to Ayurveda, traditional Indian herbal medicine, it is healthiest to wake up at sun rise. It is important to sleep regular hours and keep a regular routine of not going to sleep late. Sleeping earlier hours when it’s dark out, facilitates deeper sleep and overall health.
Can you please share your optimal morning routine that can create a positive trajectory for a successful, effective, productive, and efficient day. If you can, please share some stories or examples.
The best time of day to practice yoga is early in the morning, on an empty stomach. Prior to starting yoga posture practice, drinking herbal tea, milk or eating a piece of fruit are good options. Taking a warm shower, relaxes the muscles and aids with flexibility. In ashtanga yoga and many other types of yoga posture practice, yoga practice begins with sun salutations. When practicing sun salutations, one faces the rising sun to the east. As yoga guru Pattabhi Jois states: “Sun salutations are the ultimate worship of the sun god.” The contemplation of Surya, the sun is said to lead to the knowledge of God. Surya, the sun god purifies the sins of his devotees. The sun salutations are likewise purifying, additionally they warm up and prepare the body for subsequent yoga postures. Since yoga practice purifies the body and mind, it is a very beneficial way to start your day.
Speaking in general, what is the best way to develop good habits? Conversely, how can one stop bad habits?
The best way to begin a yoga practice is to attend yoga classes. Many yoga centers offer classes in the morning, there are also many yoga videos which can be streamed at home. Yoga postures can be practiced 6 days a week, but it is more comfortable to begin with a couple of classes a week or a shorter yoga practice of only 20 to 30 minutes each day. Within a couple of months your body and mind will become accustomed to practicing yoga and you can slowly increase the frequency and length of time. Unhealthy habits, such the consumption of addictive substances, like caffeine or alcohol, can be reduced and eliminated over time. Adding a yoga practice, sufficient sleep and a healthy diet, can help to eliminate unhealthy habits.
Doing something consistently “day in and day out” can be hard. Where did you get your motivation from? What do you use to motivate you now?
The practices of yoga impart fruitful results. According to the Yoga Sutras, yoga practice cultivates a blissful state of mind, improves intuition, analytical thinking and a sense of the true self. Many benefits including strength, flexibility, health and stress reduction, are felt from the start. The benefits of yoga practice have always been my motivation to practice and teach yoga. Once accustomed to yoga practice, you are drawn to practice every day.
What other resources would you suggest to our readers?
I authored a book on ashtanga yoga and produced an instructional yoga dvd. These yoga practice guides can facilitate beginning or advancing your yoga practice. Additionally, I offer yoga teacher training courses in Los Angeles and in beautiful retreat destinations around the world. Everyone and all levels of yoga students are welcome to attend my yoga training programs. To purchase my book or yoga video and for additional information about my upcoming yoga courses, please visit sourceofyoga.com
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’d love to teach yoga to millions of people and help to improve their health, well-being and provide spiritual fulfillment.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I’ve written a script for a yoga television program and would love for it to be broadcast on a top television network. Lunch with a television network executive would be wonderful. I’d love to teach yoga to and share the benefits of yoga practice with as many viewers as possible.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
My website, sourceofyoga.com includes my current teaching schedule as well as links to my book on ashtanga yoga as well as my instructional yoga video.
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.
Yoga Expert Caroline Klebl On The Morning Routines and Habits Of Highly Successful People was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.