Karalee Reed – yogi, teacher and eternal student

When I first attended one of Karalee’s yoga classes at Peace Yoga in Burleigh a few years ago, I was instantly hooked. Her profound wisdom and ethereal presence was truly captivating, and exactly what I was looking for in a yoga class.

Karalee’s extensive knowledge of yoga philosophy, Sanskrit and various yoga styles ensures each class is informative, authentic and well-balanced.

I caught up with Karalee to delve a little deeper in to her Yoga journey as a yogi, a teacher, and the eternal student.

1) How old were you when you first tried yoga, and what inspired you to start? 

When I was 13 years old, my Dad wanted to do something together, so he organized to attend my first Yoga class at a local hall on a Wednesday night. I had been experiencing a lot of changes in my life & I was struggling with the anxieties of High School and my parents being the spiritual humans that they are, thought Yoga and meditation would be the way to help me cope with the stresses of young adulthood. Even at such a young age I knew Yoga would remain a huge part of my life forever, and the growth that proceeded from those early years of practice has been enormous. I still believe what got me through was my Wednesday night practice. I learnt so much from those early years of Yoga that have been embedded within and continue to help me even now – 17 years on.

2) How long did you practice yoga for, before you decided to become a Yoga Teacher? 

I had been practicing 11 years before I decided to begin my training at the age of 24 with the same teacher I began my journey with when I was 13 years old. I was working 9-5 as a travel agent in Melbourne and I needed a change. I was no longer able to fit into the constructs of a regular job and I was eager to learn more and share with others what this amazing health science had done for me. At first I was not sure I would teach however I found that teaching itself was another way for me to learn and deepen the understanding of ‘the self’. I am infinitely grateful for my Yoga teachings from my first master Doreena Scales and all the others that followed as the doors opened to many diverse styles and modalities of healing for myself and my students. Since training under Doreena’s guidance the curiosity continued and I trained in Yin, Tantra, Kriya and Vinyasa Yoga as well as Astrology, Massage, Meditation and Reiki and all of these have helped me to develop my own style of teaching. We are a combination of everything we have been through and learnt throughout our journey and I feel very blessed to be able to pass this on to my students in my classes.

3) What advice do you have for newly trained Yoga Teachers as they embark on their new journey?

Become a teacher – yes, but never stop learning. Study any form of yoga that intrigues you and discover what works for you and teach what brings you joy! Your students will be able to feel your conviction and trust in your teachings.

Take inspiration from everything that you experience, through your own personal practice and through everyday life. Amazing revelations and insight can be found even when you are talking to a stranger, watching the clouds or simply washing the dishes, if we remain open to see it!

It is also okay to be nervous, it in fact means that you care deeply about your students and you just want them to enjoy their practice. But always remember, that no matter what happens in your class it is exactly the class that your students were meant to have. Trust in the universe! Even if your students are frustrated that they didn’t get the exact flow they wanted – their frustration, if they approach it as a true Yogi, can lead to deeper understanding of the self! So go with the flow, the universe is always guiding you.

4) What tools or flow do you use to teach your classes? 

I have trained in a few styles of Yoga so I teach according to the needs of my students on that day. I take inspiration from whomever is attending the class so sometimes it can be a very strong practice, other times a very introspective one. I love coupling the Asanas with philosophy as that is something that really resonates and interests me. So during the week I will always try to delve deeper into the lessons I’ve been given and pass some of that insight on within the class.

I try to remain very present in my life and I find that myself and my students are all connected, therefore my healing becomes their healing, and when they heal I also heal. We are all connected. I take inspiration from many forms of Yoga, Zen Buddhism, Tao, Astrology, and I love reading both modern and ancient texts on philosophy, poetry, modern science and see how this applies to my life and carry this into my classes.

5) How do you prepare yourself for each class you are about to teach? 

I would say that I have a more intuitive style of teaching as I don’t really plan anything before meeting my students. I normally ask if there are any areas my students wish to focus on and roll with that. But when I start to teach I close my eyes, take a magnificent breath and ask my guides and teachers to help me to teach a class for the betterment of everyone attending – including me! Sometimes I come out of class and think – wow that was a really cool sequence, i’ve never thought of doing that before. So I will always give credit to my teachers and the teachers of my teachers and the teachers before them. I just go with the flow, opening up to my own intuition with full awareness that the universe is working through me to deliver exactly what I and my students need at that moment. We are all connected and it’s all sacred.

6) How do you begin each day? Which rituals are a must in your daily routine?

My morning mantra – ‘Rise awake, stop not till the goal is reached’

Mornings for me consist of waking up before sunrise and beginning my day with an Ayurvedic self-care ritual that was passed onto me from my teacher. I do a dry body brush to stimulate and energise the body and massage from feet to head with warm sesame oil in a special sequence to nourish my skin and warm the joints. I then brush my teeth and use a tongue scraper to remove excess toxins followed by a gentle massage with Himalayan pink salt on my gums. If I am going to work then I will get ready and go! Otherwise I will do whatever my body is asking for, meditate, read, write or practice! Everyday is different so I try to remain in the rhythm with the universal flow. Sometimes I will not be able to step onto my mat until the late evening but it’s all divine and all in perfect timing! I think after you practice the physical Asanas long enough you become aware that the Asanas themselves are just a small part of Yoga and the true practice is ongoing and everywhere – not just on the mat!

7) What parting words of wisdom do you have for our readers?

There are many ways to achieve Peace in this world, probably as many ways as there are people! So find what works best for you and go with it. Just as you do this for yourself, allow that for everyone else. Watch for prejudice within yourself, try to remember that there is no right or wrong path, so remain open, so you can receive the lessons that are meant for you. Afterall we are all walking together in this life. Embrace our own uniqueness and that of others – it is what makes us all so perfect.

Practice your Yoga with discipline but also with surrender, do not be attached to it or identify with it otherwise we will lose the point! Remember we are using this sacred healing tool so that we can uncover, examine and observe all the layers of untruth within us until all that is left is the true jewel of our true self. The real you who loves and embraces all the colours of this existence.

 

You can see more of Karalee on her Instagram: @karaleereed_yoga