Karuna DiLibero started her Yogic journey through books as a way to find relief from the severe depression she suffered as child into early adulthood. She was so deeply depressed that thoughts of suicide brought her feelings of relief. After practicing from from books for about a year, she decided she should go to a Yoga class to make sure she was doing things correctly. After moving around a bit she landed in Bend, Oregon and found an instructor, Ela whom she resonated with and took every class she could from her. Ela encouraged Karuna to privately study with her for 6 months in a personalized Yoga Teacher Training. Karuna had absolutely no intention of teaching, she just wanted more knowledge because the practice was shifting her life perspective dramatically and she was finally feeling happy again!
One day Ela called Karuna and asked for a favor. How could Karuna refuse her beloved teacher? But when Ela asked her to sub her Yoga class later that afternoon, Karuna panicked and used every excuse not to teach! Ela was able to persuade Karuna and after that first teaching experience, she wanted more! So she started learning everything she could about the vast subject of Yoga. Through her Yoga practice, nutrition, and counseling, Karuna has managed her depression to the point where she very rarely ever feels that way anymore! Please listen to Karuna talk about this in her own words to the left here. It is a recording of a a radio show she was asked to do for Om Zone in Santa Fe, New Mexico back in 2011.
Formally trained in Ashtanga and Anusara Yoga, Karuna has been passionately teaching and developing her Yoga mastery for nearly two decades. She has travelled the world, feeding her passion for exploration and adventure, seeking wisdom, deepening her personal sadhana (practice) and finds fulfillment in ritual, teaching international retreats, sharing the practice of Yoga, and it's sister science of health and well being through Ayurveda.
When Karuna lived in Mysore, India, she studied pranayama, meditation, Sanskrit, Vedic chanting and Advaita Vedanta, and under the guidance of Guruji Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and the Jois family, she deepened her understanding and practice of Ashtanga Yogasana. “One of my most memorable life experiences was living in an ashram on the Ganges River in India. It changed my life on a profound level by planted seeds within me that are watered and nurtured daily through my own practice.”
Karuna owned and directed a Yoga studio in Bend, Oregon and later held the position of Senior Yoga Instructor in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she taught weekly classes and workshops. She has certifications in Pre/Post Natal Yoga and the Benefits of Yoga.
Karuna completed the Connected Warriors Yoga Teacher Training, being one of the first 6 Yoga Instructors to start a Yoga program for combat war veterans in Rhode Island.
She enjoys teaching people in private sessions because this allows her to customize the practice for individual needs, on a case by case basis and connect with people on a more intimate level. Which is one of the many reasons why she was drawn to study Ayurveda. She studied in Albuquerque at the Ayurvedic Institute and is certified to give Ayurvedic Spa/Bliss Offerings. She graduated from the Ayurvedic Health Counselor program at SAMA in Newport, Rhode Island, her home state, in 2015. She is also a certified Panchakarma Specialist through the Maharani Academy.
Karuna specializes in diverse teaching environments and working with a wide demographics of people from around the world. For example, she has worked with people who have suffered severe disabilities and those with terminal illnesses, to the professional dancers of the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet, the Outside Magazine staff and in corporations. With an active interest in living wellness, she has designed Corporate Wellness Programs, teacher trainings, lead workshops, retreats and Yogic adventures nationally and internationally.
She continues to diversify and refine her teaching and practice, by continuing her studies and delving into the ocean of Tantra. She combines her talents of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Aromatherapy to offer her students an applicable, comprehensive approach to their own health and wellness so they can learn to live life to its fullest potential.
“I am devoted to being a living example of how transformative sadhana can be. The mysteries and benefits of Yoga & Ayurveda unfold for me on a daily basis. I have continued my studies throughout the years by attending trainings and workshops worldwide as part of my commitment to deepening my understanding of this multifaceted practice. I am humbled on a daily basis and grateful for these gifts of my gurus.”
When she was living in Bend, Oregon, she was first asked to model various Yoga postures for an organic clothing company. Since then, she has been enjoying being a model for various Yoga-related ads and projects. She is currently authoring two Yoga books, being the featured Yoga model in both of them. Radiance Particles of Silence is her first (self) published book available on amazon.com.
Karuna’s classes are taught in a classical manner with a lightness and joy that is infused into each and every class. She pays particular attention to the fine details of alignment and is skilled with verbal cues which aide each student more deeply into each pose, while weaving Yogic philosophy into each class theme. Her voice is melodic and her instruction is metaphoric as she strives to create a contemplative, sacred space for people to do some deep spiritual work, and self reflection. She is inspired by the living knowledge of ancient cultures that teach and encourage us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature as we learn to become more sensitive to our own needs and of those around us. It is her greatest desire to continue to awaken herself and others to act selflessly as respectful and loving stewards of the Earth!
“I am grateful to all of my teachers who have blessed my path with their guidance and inspiration. I am driven by a deep and sincere desire to share what I have learned and what I love with others who wish to participate in this spiritual journey."
She enjoys her family, laughing out loud with her friends until her belly and cheeks hurt, dancing on the beach, under the stars, to an awesome dj, until the sun comes up, travel, life, love, loving, nature and everything green, photography, taking care of herself like a Goddess, living the life she loves, staying at home when it rains, curling up with a good read, alone time, dōTerra's essential oils, dark chocolate, sfogliatelles, Mediterranean living, European men, gardening, cooking, hosting dinner parties, snowboarding, hiking in the mountains, the beach, the ocean, watching the sun and moon rise and set, sustainable and organic practices for healthy living and nutrition, using food for optimal health and of course, everything relating to Yoga (which is everything)!
“I express my deepest gratitude for the opportunity to be able to carry on the centuries old traditions of wellness throughout my lifetime. I bow down to all my teachers, those living and those passed, and to you lovers, the fringe walkers, you wild ecstatic dancers of this devastatingly celebratory life we walk together!”
~Yoga Alliance Certified + Experienced Yoga Instructor (E-RYT) ~Yoga Alliance Certified Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) ~Certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor (AHC) ~Certified Panchakarma Specialist + Ayurvedic Bodywork Therapist
~Professional Member of NAMA
~Traditional Thai Massage practitioner / instructor
~Essential Oil Educator / dōTERRA Wellness Advocate
~Traveling Yogini, Keeper of Sacred Rituals
~Co-Author & Model of the Book:
RADIANCE: Particles of Silence
She is traveling through Mexico with her cat, Bunny, in her RV and teaching people like YOU, how to GET PAID TO LIVE HEALTHY with the ArŌMa Yogis Program!