by Kara-Leah Grant, My daily, morning half-hour meditation is a must-do. It's the first priority as soon as I wake up, and whenever possible, I'll get up and do it before my toddler is out of bed. There are times though when he's awake before me, and that means I meditate with him. I've done this ever since he was a tiny baby - tiny enough to lie nestled on my lap, sleeping, while I meditated. He out-grew that at about four months, and now he's quite happy to play around me while I do my … [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.
Love comes first, we’ll make heaven a place on earth
I landed back in Wellington last Thursday under a Full Moon, after spending a week making my way up the South Island staying at friends' and family's houses along the way. The trip unfolded spontaneously, as I allowed each next step to reveal itself in it's own good time. Fortuitiously, my Dad and step-mum arrived back a few days early from their camping trip, so Samuel and I were able to spend a fun-filled afternoon and evening at their house in Blenheim, before catching the ferry the … [Read more...]
It’s the end of the world as we know it… and I feel strong
I feel raw right now as it's been an intensely challenging three or four weeks. I finally broke up with my partner of three and half years on December 30th, a decision that's been a long time coming, but something I was fervently doing my best to avoid. In the end, there was no avoiding the facts. I couldn't continue my practice of being loving and open while standing strong in my truth, and stay in the relationship. Initially there was a feeling of relief - finally no more back and … [Read more...]
The One Thing You Can Be to Create Positive Change on Planet Earth
Image by Okan Caliskan from Pixabay by Kara-Leah, I'm feeling a real desire to simplify and streamline my life right now. Beyond what's the normal de-clutter of a spring-clean. Yesterday I watched a video which helped me clarify why this is so. Kiesha Crowther Little Grandmother is one of the 12 young Shaman wisdom keepers from the United States speaking clearly about what's going on in our world right now. It's nothing new. We've heard it all before. This is a crucial time for Planet … [Read more...]
Is it yoga if we ‘leave the mysticism behind’, or is it just a workout?
I forget sometimes that to many people yoga is just a workout. It's a way to stretch, to get a tight butt, to flatten the belly. I forget that Prana doesn't necessarily even exist for many people. Spirituality, energy, connection, divinity and all that kind of spiritual woo woo is pretty far out in most corners of NZ society. Most people aren't interested in any kind of spiritual enlightenment, or spiritual path when they go to a yoga class. They've got a wedding to go to next weekend … [Read more...]
My third eye’s a’twitchin’ – does that mean she’s awakening?
WIN a copy of Kara-Leah's new book 'Field Notes from Kundalini Awakening', publishing in 2018. Guaranteed to take you on an intimate journey into the depths of the Kundalini experience. Click here to sign up for the book launch list and go into the draw to win one of THREE print copies. By Kara-Leah Grant My third eye has been twitching all afternoon, a sensation which started during my recent trip to LA for teacher training with Shiva Rea. The last time I can remember it doing this I was … [Read more...]
Integrating Tantra practices into daily life
One of the most amazing experiences of my Prana Flow teacher training with Shiva Rea was our morning meditation and lecture sessions with Chris Tompkins, something I'll go into detail about in a future post. I've long wanted to establish an early morning practice, and having to be there most mornings at 7am for 12 days has done this. I was able to witness the effect of just sitting and connecting to the Self, the effect of using bija mantras every morning, and the way it set my entire day … [Read more...]
Diving into the flow of Fluid Power
It's day number.... something? on my Prana Flow teacher training with Shiva Rea. The training is at Exhale Spa, Venice, California and the apartment I'm staying in with another student is a short walk along Venice Beach. Ah Venice Beach... like no other I've ever encountered. Shops and cafes on one side... a wide pavement of walkers, bikers, rollarbladers & skaters, dogs and skateboards in the middle... and vendors, musicians, and hanger-ons on the other side. Beyond the vendors … [Read more...]
Applying the fifth yama, Aparigraha (non-hoarding), to daily life
by Kara-Leah, Of all the yamas, this is the one which, if kept, would have the most profound effect on our western, consumer, materialistic society. If we all lived in such a way that we were non-possessive, non-accumulative, and non-hoarding... it would totally shift our relationship to stuff, to the earth, to ideas, to ego-identity and to each other. The way we did business would change. The way we manufactured products would change. Our footprint upon the earth would lighten enormously. The … [Read more...]
Applying the Fourth Yama, Brahmacharya (Moderation), to Daily Life
Image by gonghuimin468 from Pixabay by Kara-Leah, By far, this has been the trickiest yama to get a handle on. Definitions of what it means vary widely - from total celibacy at one end, to the application of moderation towards all sensory experiences at the other. Some also define it according to the literal word meaning itself, which provides another spin altogether. Brahma literally means the ‘divine consciousness’ and charya, in this context, means ‘living’ or ‘one who is established in’. … [Read more...]