Meet Karuna (Caroline Ashley) Ashley of Light on Kundalini; Light on Light Magazine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karuna (Caroline Ashley) Ashley.

Karuna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My pedigree is an interesting one. I have moved from successful careers in international modeling and film to being a teacher and leader in the global yoga community. A retrospective on my life, with many links to other magazines, websites, and yes, even photography museums appeared last year [link: https://issuu.com/unityearth/docs/lightonlight_issue_1] and tells the story of how I modeled for Ford in New York, Storm in London, Paris-planning, Euro-planning and Mademoiselle in Paris, LA Models in Los Angeles, and Farrell Talent in Denver. I was one of the favorite photographic subjects of France’s famed fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, and current museum and fashion magazine retrospectives on his renowned career thus include photographs of me. After studying acting in New York with Larry Moss, the Actor’s Studio, Elaine Atkins, Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner, I then graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the United Kingdom and did films with Peter Greenaway, Robert M. Young, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Tom Bower and Xander Berkeley. I married and raised a family during this period. A long term practitioner of yoga, I co-founded the Life Centre in London in 1992 and, in 2004, I became a dedicated practitioner of Kundalini Yoga, completing the Teachers Training of all three levels at the Kundalini Research Institute and becoming an Associate Lead Trainer. I began working widely in international yoga circles, particularly through the United Nations and after numerous programs with them and other international organizations I became the Host Editor of Light on Light Magazine, a magazine on spiritual practice and inspired lifestyle, and a host also for VoiceAmerica on their series The Convergence– a program that brings together thought leaders from around the world. Light on Light annually produces a special edition for the International Day of Yoga with the United Nations Committee for the IDY [links: 2018 United Nations Special Issue: https://issuu.com/unityearth/docs/lightonlight_un_idy
2019 United Nations Special Issue: https://issuu.com/unityearth/docs/lightonlight_un_idy_2019.] I host annual retreats in Costa Rica, have taught at the European Yoga Festival and, in 2020, through Light on Light Magazine will host my own Yoga Teacher Training Program. I am just completing a book “WALKING INTO YOUR DESTINY: A handbook for finding what truly works for you”.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, there have been struggles. They make you strong and courageous but they are definitely difficult to get through when you are in the middle of them. I have always been a unique individual, an unconventional type of lady, and have had to explain myself various times to the extent that I would underestimate my own ability to communicate. This took me into a very hard and deep study of myself– including seven trips to India to study with spiritual masters, and, therefore, I started becoming a really involved yogic student, without any initial intent to be a teacher. But I just found that the yogic lifestyle and medium was more easily expressed through spiritual lifestyle than a conventional one. So, I uniquely fell in love with all styles of yoga practice and studied all styles of yoga in Los Angeles, New York, and London. This gave me a great sense of who I was as a yoga practitioner. I underestimated myself and my own intelligence and thought there were so many people out there who could teach me, so I studied under tons of brilliant teachers. These were similar to the struggles I had when studying intensely at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre as the mother of two and had to adjust my day to day lifestyles around theirs. So, indeed, as you would guess, there have been some struggles. So, you try raising two small children and memorizing Shakespeare, and having a leading role in a Jacobean tragedy, and see how that works. And add to that, in order to get around I also became a licensed helicopter pilot, one of fourteen at the time in the UK.

Light on Kundalini; Light on Light Magazine – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My yoga business, now of over a decade, Light on Kundalini, and simply my love of people and serving them,has led to the expansion of my work and teaching into media– the magazine Light on Light which is done with a global partnership of fellow dedicated change-makers, my role as a host on VoiceAmerica’s Convergence Series, and my frequent travel now to international events like the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and United Nations functions and events in New York City. Light on Kundalini provides diverse yoga and lifestyle related resources and events to a worldwide audience, and Light on Light Magazine works with countless wonderful change-makers around the world who want to explore and expand inspired lifestyle. I love working with people of all ages and have specialized programs aimed at all age groups. My role as a fellow change-maker worldwide, and in worldwide forums, allows me also to be active with regard to other major areas of concern, like environment, climate change, social justice, indigenous peoples, and women’s, children’s and elders’ issues. In the course of this work I have been ordained as am Interfaith-Interspiritual Cleric and “Wisdom Keeper” in Indian and Native American traditions.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Certifying 175 students to become teachers of Kundalini Yoga in Boulder Colorado and producing, yearly, with the United Nations Committee for the International Day of Yoga, the special editions of Light on Light Magazine showing the work of yoga around the world.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1050 Pine Gold Hill Street, Boulder, CO 80302
• Website: www.lightonkundalini.com; https://www.facebook.com/lightonlightmagazine/
• Phone: 310-918-4764
• Email: karuna@lightonkundalini.com
• Instagram: lightonkundalini
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightonkundalini/;
• Twitter: LOKundalini

Image Credit:
not applicable; all from Karuna/ Caroline Ashley

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