Ashtanga Yoga With Caroline Klebl MysticMag Interview

Caroline Klebl from Source of Yoga practices and teaches Ashtanga Yoga. She studied traditional Ayurveda and Pancha Karma, Sanskrit and Yoga Philosophy in South India. Prior to teaching Yoga, she was an avid snowboarder and worked as a vegetarian chef. Sarah Kirton from MysticMag finds out more.

Why did you choose to pursue Ashtanga Yoga particularly?

My first yoga teacher had just returned from practicing with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. She taught a class that was a mix of Iyengar yoga and Ashtanga yoga and she introduced me to the primary series of Ashtanga yoga.

I took her classes regularly and then started my own practice after a couple of years. Once I had mastered the first series, I took a trip to India to train with Pattabhi Jois directly.

In the meantime, I had met a couple of his other students and attended their classes. I found that Ashtanga yoga was a more powerful practice compared to others. Flexibility is gained more quickly and therefore the poses can be mastered in less time.

In what way does Yoga qualify as ‘liberating’?

Yoga is designed for spiritual liberation, or Moksha which is the Sanskrit word. It lives up to this spiritual accomplishment. Yoga is designed not only for your health, flexibility and physical accomplishments, but the breathing techniques and yoga postures are designed to purify the energy channels and awaken the subtle energy system in the body – the chakras. It awakens intuition and psychic powers.

These spiritual results are noticeable when you master many different Asanas. One becomes more in tune with one’s body and life and this increases your health. There is liberation from suffering, whether this be physically, emotionally or psychologically. One is likely to have more confidence, insight and more energy in accomplishing one’s goals. It is a spiritual liberation but may also be physical, emotional and psychological and this can all be developed from Asana practice.

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