We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Klaus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I graduated from Yoga Teacher Training at a time when there were very few options for teaching yoga in my area, so I took a position teaching at a studio that was about a 30 minute drive from my home when there was no traffic. Generally, yoga teachers don’t make a lot of money, and after awhile I could no longer justify the long commute and the extra time away from my family (I had two young children at the time). After taking a break from teaching yoga I realized how much I missed it, and since there weren’t opportunities to teach in my local community I knew I needed to create my own opportunities.

Coming from a small town I wasn’t sure how successful a yoga studio would be, so I took a leap of faith, rented a small space, found a couple of other teachers in the area looking for a place to teach, and opened a small studio. To my surprise, the response has been overwhelming! I was able to open a second studio just a few years later in a neighboring small town, and eventually combine the two studios into one space when my husband and I purchased a 100 year old school building in our neighborhood and converted it into a holistic health and wellness center called The Kula Center.

My studio, Element Yoga and Ayurvedic Wellness, is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary! In addition to teaching in person yoga classes, we also offer ayurvedic wellness consultations, private 1:1 yoga sessions, yoga teacher training, and a number of special workshops and programs, including travel retreats!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think I got to where I am today, professionally, through my curiosity. Ever since I took my very first yoga class there was something about yoga that drew me in and left me hungry for more. That curiosity not only led me to pursue my first teacher training program, but to continue my studies in advanced trainings, special workshops, studies with world renowned teachers of yoga as well as academics that study yoga and its origins (shoutout to the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies), and yoga’s sister science of ayurveda.

My insatiable curiosity about yoga, its history, its philosophy, and the culture in which is developed has led to a unique body of knowledge that I believe sets me apart from other teachers, and in turn sets my studio apart from others. Although yoga was scarce in my community when I first got started, there are a number of options for the community to choose from these days, and when they choose Element Yoga and Ayurvedic Yoga, not only do they get to reap the physical benefits of the practice, they also gain a deep understanding of the true purpose of yoga — how to live a more skillful life.

It hasn’t always been easy because the Western world has one idea about what yoga is — exercise — and I have another. It can be tempting at times to give into the “fad” of the moment (yoga with goats, pairing yoga with wine tasting, etc.), but I believe the secret to my success as a yoga teacher and business owner has been to always stay true to myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Not sure what city you’re talking about in this question. My city?

I live in a small town in Southern Indiana. We are suburb of Louisville, KY, but our town was founded in the 1800’s and has a cute downtown with old buildings that have been restored and now house restaurants, boutiques, bookstores, etc. If my best friend were visiting me I’d, of course, take her to yoga — I mean, I might be biased, but I think my studio is one of the coolest, most beautiful spaces in town! Then we’d grab a bite to eat at a local favorite, Dragon King’s Daughter, and do some thrifting at Mariposa.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My business wouldn’t exist without the support of my husband who found our first location, enthusiastically supported the purchase of the building where our studio is currently located, and who manages all of the financial aspects of my business.

In addition to my husband, Rob, I owe a debt of thanks and gratitude to the teachers who help me maintain a full schedule of classes, as well as each and every student of yoga that has ever walked through our doors, especially the members that have made a committed yoga practice with us a priority in their lives.

Website: www.elementyoga.me

Instagram: @element_yoga_ayurveda

Youtube: Element Yoga and Ayurvedic Wellness

Other: info@elementyoga.me

Image Credits
Jamie Slye Meredith Needham

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