Conversations with Kara-Leah

BLASE is an Auckland-based DJ and Embodied Ecstatic dance facilitator known for his diverse, multi-genre music journeys. I've had the delight of dancing to his incredible DJ sets, so I was fascinated to hear about how he found his way to facilitating ecstatic dance experiences in just a couple of short years, and what makes his sets so damn good. We also vibe on our mutual love of transformational festivals and share some tips and...

Plus we also had a nuanced conversation about Kim’s experiences with ISTA (International School of Temple Arts) and her take on how the organization is responding to recent allegations of abuse and ha...

Melissa Billington is a talented yoga teacher, creatrix, inspiratrice, and also a dear friend of mine.

Born in Virginia, Melissa is the 13th lineal descendant of Pocahontas and she shares how she has worked to transmute her family’s ancestral trauma into healing. We also explore why and how Melissa has chosen to take her yoga off the mat and more widely into the world, particularly through water walks, praying for the water, and st...

21 years ‘clean’ from drug & alcohol addiction and work in the sex industry, Ninakaye is a powerhouse of a woman who works in the New Zealand music industry and is also involved in sexual violence treatment and harm prevention.

In this episode, Ninakaye and I share some of our personal experiences of exploring sexuality and dating as older women, particularly Ninakaye’s experiences with Tinder and the pro...

Sophia is a former social worker who moderates the Culty Conversations NZ Facebook group and I was eager to talk with her about the nature of cults and high-demand groups in New Zealand, particularly in the spiritual community.

Sophia shares her perspective on power, charismatic leaders and group dynamics, and what leaders and teachers in the spiritual community (like myself) need to be aware of to make sure they’re not unconscious...

In 2022 one of Lauren’s Instagram posts for her coaching business was ridiculed by a satirical Instagram account that remixed and reshared her post, and other content from her business, over the course of several days.

What I love about Lauren’s story is that even as she was dealing with the pain and trauma of this experience she also saw it as an opportunity for initiation and growth. Lauren shares the in...

Ellie Wilde is a Trauma Trained Transformational Guide, who, through her life’s struggles and 20+ years of training and service has become an activist and revolutionary for Conscious and Embodied Relating.

In this conversation, we dive into her journey with ISTA (International School of Temple Arts), some of the issues with this organization, and why she ultimately chose to step away. We also talked about the power of slowing down,...

David Harshada Wagner is a master meditation instructor, author, artist, dad, and wisdom teacher with more than 25 years of teaching experience.

He's classically trained in the wisdom traditions of Yoga, Bhakti, Vedanta, and Tantra, his teachings come from his decades of working with people helping them learn to live more fulfilling, soul-centred, purpose-driven lives. He's known as a 'teacher of teachers' due to the depth of his e...

This episode was originally recorded in October 2022 to celebrate Kylie Rook's successful completion of 1000 Days in a row of Ucchāra Practice.

Kylie attended a Direct Realization Training with Kara-Leah in January 2020, where she learned Ucchāra and made the commitment to show up every day to the practice, no matter what.

And she did it!

We discuss what it was like to keep that commitment, and the results she noticed along the way...

This episode was originally recorded in July 2022, and details Claire Eli's journey from anxiety to confidence. 

Claire has spent the last decade studying the body and mind and draws from many different practices including; yoga, mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and embodiment practices. 

She talks about being paralysed by chronic anxiety, negative self-talk, and body shame and what eventually led to her finding her way out.

An...

This episode was originally recorded on July 26, 2022, in the wake of Sarsha stepping down from co-facilitating a retreat with Matiu Te Huki because of her ethical concerns.

Our conversation begins just after Sarsha led a beautiful meditation - hence me thanking her! The ending is a little abrupt because we were recording Live on YouTube at the time. 

Sarsha has over 30 years of movement and teaching experience and has a gift of br...