Who of us hasn’t been encouraged to follow our calling, to seek fulfilment? Heeding such advice, though, comes with a risk spectrum, at the other end of which lies a more meaningful life.

Anna Kleb, 33, is one of the lucky ones to have been able to pursue her passion with success. Settling into a comfortable cross-legged seat on a yoga mat, the Reebok ambassador is in her element.

“Yoga is a character thing,” knows the professional yogini who goes by the moniker Yogaliebe (German for ‘yoga love’). “You have to be willing to let go, to go with your breath and instincts. The lack of structure might scare some.”

This philosophy is the perfect metaphor for Anna’s jump from a well-paying job in the automotive industry to the world of zen. The idea started brewing already seven years ago at a time when her life was unraveling.

“I had a lot of stress at work, I was breaking up with an ex, and I was leaving my home town. I needed something in my life.” In search of that something, she ended up going to a yoga class with a friend. The next day, she went again.

blonde woman gesturing anna kleb reebok yoga entrepreneur
At exactly the right moment, yoga took Anna on a path to bravery.
two women sitting in gym on yoga mat anna kleb yoga entrepreneur reebok
Through Strala, Anna connected with herself and discovered she needed a change.
two women sitting in gym talking anna kleb reebok yoga entrepreneur
Yoga is not just a work out – it's also a work in.
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The basics of happiness

In the beginning, Anna was lured in by the physical benefits yoga. “I wanted to move. I wanted to do my sports. Little did I know yoga would end up changing my entire life.

She recites her old career in a way many can relate. “Since leaving school my life was geared towards the corporate sector. Yes, I had a safe job and financial security, but I was too busy to see what was really good for me. And once you’re in the hamster wheel, it only goes faster and faster. I kept running for 12 years.”

Lost in the tumult of inner pressure and external expectations, over time she became unhappier and more unsatisfied. What, then, is Anna’s definition of happiness?

“Early on, my mother saw how much I enjoyed working with people, not numbers or money. She was right.”

Let go and set your own rules

Quitting her job was a long process, the apex of which came one year ago after a three-month sabbatical. Today, in her own yoga studio in Metzingen near Stuttgart, Germany, Anna’s professional domain is Strala Yoga.

“It’s essentially yoga without rules, “she boils down the method founded and popularized by Tara Stiles. “Emphasis is on freedom, and on transitioning to poses one breath at a time. There is no ‘wrong’ or ‘misaligned’ way of moving. If it feels good, it’s right. This is why Strala is also called the yoga rebel.”

The Strala approach underpins Anna’s values. “I don’t want to have rules, or better yet, I want to make up my own rules,” she says, quickly followed by an elaboration. “It’s not that I don’t follow traffic rules or the rules of society, “she laughs. “I just don’t want to have rules that prevent me from being myself.”

Anna recalls having a lot of barriers to engage in introspection, and also lacking the confidence to do so, in her previous life. This is why she sees freedom as the most important thing also in business.

As a leader, you need to give people freedom to explore, to find out what they’re capable of,” she encourages.

blonde woman smiling anna kleb reebok entrepreneur strala yoga
In her classes, Anna can show you what you can do, but you are free to flow your own way.
blonde woman sitting on yoga mat in gym Anna Kleb Reebok Entrepreneur Strala Yoga
In Strala, your breath is your guide. Music varies – sometimes it’s spiritual, sometimes it’s AC/DC.
yoga pants and mat Anna Kleb Reebok Entrepreneur Strala Yoga
Anna inspires her yogis and yoginis to be more human.
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So you think you can flow?

Yoga has the power to mold both mind and muscle. Anna has witnessed this over and over again both in her classes and in herself.

“People often ask me what else I do besides yoga. To me, yoga is the best sport. On the mat, we work with our own bodies, shifting our weight side to side, forward and back. And the injury rate is low.”

As an athlete at peace with herself and her community, Anna thanks Strala to showing her the way to bravery. Any fitness, she believes, has the power to transform lives by sharpening the mind.

“And with that mind-body connection, you can go out and do great things.”

Whether you’re a hooked newbie or a veteran yogi, Anna’s Instagram is full of inspiration and positive energy – for the love of yoga.

8 COMMENTS

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by Gabriela Moscoso 04.08.2017
What a great post! I'd love to meet Anna and do a few sessions next time I'm in Germany. Indeed going out of the hamster wheel is not easy. I've been practicing Yoga for a couple of months now, and find it incredible, the happiness and energy it brings me every day is something everyone should try at least once in a lifetime!
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Maria Nokkonen
Maria Nokkonen | Community Gabriela Moscoso 04.08.2017
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Gabriela! I’m glad you enjoyed the story and could relate. It was a pleasure to interview Anna. Her entire presence oozes joy and calm.

Years ago, when I started doing yoga, I only focused on ‘power yoga’ and did it for sport. Throughout my journey, I’ve come to appreciate and absorb the mental benefits of yoga. To me, it’s the perfect moving meditation and full-body-and-mind workout. But in the end, your yoga is unique to you, so keep doing whatever feels right to you.

Have you read our other yoga stories?

https://www.gameplan-a.com/2016/10/want-to-become-a-top-performer-do-yoga/

https://www.gameplan-a.com/2017/03/stop-check-in-and-find-what-feels-good/
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by Gabriela Moscoso Maria Nokkonen 04.08.2017
Thanks Maria!

I had read them, becauseI hardly miss any post :) However, it was great to read them all together and connect the dots from each message. Indeed there is much more to Yoga than we think, or give credit for, I used to do HIIT quite often, and run at least three times a week, so when I started doing Yoga I thought to myself how hard it was to hold a pigeon, feeling all the energy being liberated from within, and I was only holding a position on my mat!
Besides it is a great complement, or the core more like, to my meditation practice!

Please keep writing inspiring stories, I like very much your style!
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by Maria Nokkonen Gabriela Moscoso 07.08.2017
Many thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear our stories resonate with you.
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by nitesh 04.08.2017
Hi team - what a lovely post! I must admire you going off beat and interviewing her and sharing her perspective with all of us. I love the way she found her true happiness and totally with her about the hamster thing.. it only grows faster. Lot of inspiration and learning to take away from this post personally for me and to reflect upon so much so that I will give Yoga a try full next week and see what happens.
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by Maria Nokkonen nitesh 07.08.2017
Thanks for commenting! Let us know how your yoga experiment goes.
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by Nadin 23.11.2017
It is always amazing to meet Anna. She is full of pure joy and a true inspiration. I admire her ability to encourage people to discover their mind and body without loosing the fun.
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by Maria Nokkonen Nadin 24.11.2017
Thanks for your comment, Nadin. Having had the pleasure to meet Anna in person as well, I can only agree with you. She’s definitely on the right path, inspiring people to find their flow – on the mat and in life.
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