Kamala Nellen Story

It was my heartfelt desire to become a great dancer from the age of six when I saw a performance by a professional ballet company. I had the great privilege at age nine to be part of a performance when the Bolshoi Ballet came to Indiana. What an honor and a thrill….I did become a professional dancer until I was twenty-six, when I broke my foot. This ended my performance career.

Life has a way of presenting us with openings; when this heartfelt desire ended, I was presented with an exceptional opportunity. I met an extraordinary Master of Yoga from India and then embarked on an eighteen year immersion —day in and day out, in close proximity to the Master, I studied, practiced, and began to assimilate this amazing education. I continue my daily practices to this day to deepen my understanding and assimilation—practices for the mind, body, and for skill in life. I will always honor and miss my teacher.

After my dance career ended, I added extensive Iyengar yoga studies and began teaching and sharing this education in a way that meshed with my other practices. It has now been nearly five decades on this amazing spiritual journey. I did pick up a credential as a life coach along the way and I am an avid practitioner of nonviolent communication.

When I had a yoga studio in 1999, and while attending a major league baseball game that I had a vision of using all I knew from the whole of my experience to radically increase performance for these top tier athletes. And I was finding this to be true: A mixed martial artist increased his kick by six inches, a free diver beat the US recored and another the world record. Baseball players increased batting averages and saved flagging careers. A cheerleader overcame fear of falling to get a medal and a swimmer came in third in the nation. An amateur tennis player who was the CEO of a fortune 500 company, increased his game and after working with Kamala, created an aparatus inspired by their sessions that is marketed around the world.

I embarked on offering of Coaching for Champions in 2009, and created a foundational program for athletes in 2010. Then in 2015 I wrote a hands-on book for athletes and high achievers. Working In; the elite athletes’ guide to working out from the inside was my first book, published on Amazon in 2016. The book offers time proven skills with hands-on practices that I used with some clients. The book is designed for athletes and all who seek to measurably increase performance and stay resilient for the long run. I hope to publish a book that highlights yoga practices for the body that I have taught elite performers over so many years.

My goal in all my work, including my recent writing is to support and inspire not only elite performers but those who aim high or want to aim high from all walks of life.

Some links to recently published articles:

We are Powerful Creators: A Reflection on the Pratyabhijñâ-hrdayam, by Kamala Nellen, The Theosophist Magazine, May 2025, Vol. 146, Issue No.8 which can be found at https://www.ts-adyar.org/theosophist/all

Don’t Become Anything, by Kamala Nellen, The Theosophist Magazine, vol.143, June, 2022, https://www.ts-adyar.org/theosophist/all

Can we be free of conflict, by Kamala Nellen, The Theosophist Magazine, vol.145, Sept 2024, which can be found at https://www.ts-adyar.org/theosophist/all

The Master, by Kamala Nellen, Volume One, Winter 2022 https://www.wordswelljournal.org/the-master-kamala-nellen.html