Karen Roberts

After decades immersed in the study and practice of yoga in the West, my path led me faithfully to India—home to the ancient wisdom that first gave birth to this sacred art. There, I met Anand Mehrotra, a renowned spiritual teacher of Kriya Yoga. At his esteemed Sattva Yoga Academy, nestled in the serene foothills of Rishikesh, I deepened my practice and awakened to the true essence of yoga as a complete science of body, breath, and consciousness.

In that tranquil setting—where the golden light of dawn touches the Ganges and the air carries whispers of timeless wisdom—Kriya Yoga revealed itself as a sacred dance of energy and awareness. It taught me that mastery of life begins with mastery of the mind, and that our thoughts are the architects of our reality.

For over 25 years, I have practiced and taught vinyasa yoga, including at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Yet even after completing over 800 documented teacher training hours, I realized how much deeper yoga truly goes beyond the physical form. This realization drew me to the spiritual depths of Kriya Yoga and to ongoing study in India, where each breath becomes a bridge between intention and manifestation.

In my classes, I invite students to stretch not only their bodies but their minds—to explore their edges, release limitation, and awaken their own inner power. True transformation begins when we understand that the mind can shape every experience, emotion, and outcome. Through focused awareness and breath, we learn to quiet the noise, align with truth, and live consciously from a place of balance and peace.

Yoga’s roots trace back to the dawn of civilization, when sages sought communion with the divine through meditation and self-inquiry. Their wisdom, preserved in the Vedas and Upanishads, reminds us that yoga is not something we do—it is who we are when the mind is still and the heart is open.

In today’s fast-paced, distracted world, yoga offers sanctuary and sovereignty. The mat becomes an altar; each movement, a meditation. True strength lies not only in the body’s capability but in the mind’s capacity to stay calm, present, and compassionate.

To me, yoga is a living legacy—a pathway of love, awareness, and liberation. It reminds us that when we master the mind, we reclaim our lives, and through that mastery, we rediscover our boundless potential.