by Kara-Leah Grant, After 10 years of championing The Yoga Lunchbox, I'm SO happy to be handing over the torch to a new team. Yes, that's right! I'm officially moving on from my role at The Yoga Lunchbox and handing over to our new Supporters: ExerciseNZ. ExerciseNZ are a non-profit organisation with the mission of proactively supporting a sustainable exercise and fitness industry in New Zealand and they're super stoked to be able to support The Yoga Lunchbox to serve the yoga community here … [Read more...]
Kara-Leah Grant gets up close & personal about life on and off the yoga mat as she puts her life back together after a Kundalini Awakening experience.
How to Re-Write Your Past and Free up Your Future
by Kara-Leah Grant In practice this week, I noticed that when I've told the story of my awakening/psychosis experience, it's always been focused on the relationship I was in, and how that contributed to the experience. But there's another big piece to that story. And it's one I've never told before. That intrigued me. Why had I not looked at that aspect of the story before? Scanning through my life's history, I saw the pattern repeated over and over again: My story has always been told … [Read more...]
How to Blast Through Avoidance & Clear Out Your Psychic Space
by Kara-Leah Grant, Avoidance. It's one of those subtle things that can completely derail our lives. Or at least, prevent us from growing and expanding. And the thing is, it's oh so subtle most of the time. Like, not even there almost. Like, easy to ignore. This week, I've avoided making a phone call to a venue to talk about pricing. I've avoided downloading and reading the notes from my editor on my book. And I've avoided calling someone on treating me bad. These are just the avoidances … [Read more...]
Day 617 of my Thousand Day Practice. Ball dropped, Again!
by Kara-Leah Grant I was in the car, catching a ride to Day 3 of a three-day workshop with Ana Forrest & Jose Calarco. Nikki - giving me a ride - and I were talking about mountains and the energy they embody. I was sharing my recent experiences in Glenorchy, where I would sit outside at sunset and do my practice. My practice! My 1000 Day practice... The one I was up to Day 617 on... The one I... DIDN'T do yesterday. In that moment, I remembered. And shock hit. A wave of … [Read more...]
How to Turn Self-Hatred into Self-Love
by Kara-Leah Grant I had a moment on Sunday when I hated myself. Or at least, hated an aspect of myself, for I recognise that it is not the Self I am hating, but a shadow that lives within. This particular shadow is the controlling, wrathful, angry, tense, uptight aspect of me. Here's how this unfolded on Sunday. I felt amazing in the early morning, dancing to my favourite music in the kitchen while washing dishes. Housework + epic music + dancing is one of my favourite household … [Read more...]
The Joy of Discovering a Fear of Failure
by Kara-Leah Grant Recently, I moved back to Glenorchy, a small mountain town where I've lived a few times previously. I was exciting about the move, and also feeling some anxiety. Preparing to write my third book, Love's Shadows, I felt called to come home to the mountains. Yet it also meant moving my son, now seven and at school, yet again. We were meant to be staying put in one place now he'd started school. I was meant to be done with moving around. I was meant to be embracing a … [Read more...]
The Terror of Relaxing and Enjoying Life
by Kara-Leah Grant I’m in one of my favourite places in the world - Glenorchy. The sun is shining. The day is still. It’s at least 20 degrees, which passes for a good summer’s day in what has been the worst summer in years. There’s so much in my life to be grateful for - a loving partner, growing son, supportive family, expanding retreats, selling books, thriving website, incredible friends. I am where I always wanted to be. And yet, I am not relaxed. Nor am I enjoying myself. And I am … [Read more...]
What Does it Mean to Love Unconditionally?
by Kara-Leah Grant Recently in our Heart of Tribe Facebook Group, one of the participants asked me to elaborate on what it means to love people - especially family - unconditionally. “For me, to do this fully would at times be to my own detriment. Sometimes it's just too much 'stuff', too much drama. What do we do when we can't hold that space for them? Or worse...when their stuff is just toxic. And how to discern when to do this and when you just...can't/shouldn’t.” That first … [Read more...]
The Humbling Experience of Ditching Music While Teaching Yoga
by Kara-Leah Grant Facilitating retreat is always a powerful experience, not just for the retreatees, but also for myself and the other facilitators. I know that I'm going to get triggered, that my ideas and beliefs will be challenged, and my unconsciousness revealed. This is the process of retreat, and it is immensely rewarding. In the middle of the fire though, it's damned hard work. Case in point: The Heart of Joy, Bali. I’m co-facilitating with Ben Ralston. It's only the second retreat … [Read more...]
A Brand New Vision! Of… No-Thing-Ness. Again.
by Kara-Leah Grant One month ago I wrote about creating a new vision to orient The Yoga Lunchbox behind. Normally when I set sail on a course of action like that, things move fast. Normally that vision would be laid out clear by now. But these are not normal times, at least, not in my world. Over the last six months I have been on the super-highway to facing reality as it is. At least, that's what it's felt like. A perfect storm of people and circumstances have given me ample opportunity … [Read more...]