Pillow Talk with Kara-Leah

This is the FINAL episode of Pillow Talk.   Over the last 3 years, I've explored awakening, liberation, relationship, tantra, parenting, money, career, and more on this podcast, but now... this particular expression is done.   It's been an extraordinary ride, through many samskaras, traumas, and triggers.  That kind of content has been the mainstay of this podcast, however, a shift appears to been happening in my experience of reality where there's less need or desire to go to those places. In that way, Pillow Talk has been an extraordinary success - I'm experiencing a delightful romantic relationship grounded in a degree of awakeness and liberation never before available to me, and I found my way to it through this journey.    If you haven't yet listened to all of the Pillow Talk episodes, I invite you to go back and join me on the journey that I've been on for the last 3 years. Notice how I show up on each podcast, and feel into the quality of beingness available on each episode. Treat it like an experiment!   For those of you who have been with me since the start, sending so much love and gratitude your way. May unexpected blessings shower your path.

This episode reveals how I now know that I need to stay in my relationship - that it's my defence mechanisms that keep making me want to run like hell, and look for reasons to leave him. I share the Tantrik tools that I use to navigate these relationship challenges without being sucked into the drama. This is the embodied work of liberation, revealed through relationship.

Oh relationship, relationship, relationship... thou are my greatest teacher. In this episode I examine the teacher/student relationship, share the challenges I'm navigating in my romantic relationship around commitment and wanting to run, and the ups and downs of parenting. This is the essence of Tantra - relating and intimacy beyond drama, story and self-image.

Since I last spoke to you there's been a real ease and deepening in my romantic relationship after navigating a time of intense challenge.From that space, I share my reflections on why our everyday relationships can be a crucible for Awakening, the simple moments of connection and beauty that I'm treasuring in my life right now and why Heaven is right here in this moment, whatever challenges and suffering we may be facing.• More with Kara-Leah •Find my online and in person events at KaraLeah.comAnd join me on Patreon for as little as $4 per month to recieve teachings.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/Graphic Design • Tara Spice • https://www.taraspice.com/

When Death comes knocking, can you open the door and welcome it in?This week, the death of my beloved grandmother became an opportunity for me to meet life fully and to burn through that which I no longer needed.I share a small taste of my experiences navigating Nana's death, and my own grief, whilst simultaneously working with a period of tension and conflict in my romantic relationship. There's been days and days of deep processing, many intense, late-night conversation with my partner, and bringing awareness to my interactions with my wider family who gathered together for the funeral.Through it all, I've been showing up and leaning in...This is what matters. This is the process as it unfolds.• More with Kara-Leah •Find my online and in person events at KaraLeah.comAnd join me on Patreon for as little as $4 per month to recieve teachings.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/Graphic Design • Tara Spice • https://www.taraspice.com/

If you perfect the action of one thing... just one thing... that can awaken you in all things. This is true. Listen to stories of the delights that unfolded on Training, of encounters with the mysterious Nik Robson, of gated communities, of the path disappearing, of awakening now, and the power of inquiry to shift your experience.

It feels like every day brings fresh news of sexual assault, or abuse, evidence that our relationship to sexual energy is highly warped in this society.In this episode of Pillowtalk, join me as I discuss the prevalence of this in society. I will share a small part of my personal journey around sexual assault and abuse, and the adaptive strategy I developed as a means of survival. I close out the episode with a call to responsibility and compassion. If perpetrators, both male and female, were able to take responsibility for their actions, to heal the wrongs, then what would society look like then?Trigger warning: Please be advised that this episode contains discussion of sexual assualt including rape and child abuse. Be kind to yourself and check in with whether you are in a space to recieive this.

After a short hiatus, I'm very excited to bring you the latest episode of Pillowtalk. This episode, Showing Up, is about the magic that unfolds when we can skilfully work with resistance and mind-fuckery and show up, no matter what.I'm currently doing a Forty Day practice of an ancestral karma prostration as part of a commitment made to deliver a masterclass at a local studio. In this episode I share the impact on me, and potentially my son, of visualising the ancestral line and welcoming in my ancestral karma. And, I talk about the huge resistance I experienced to even doing this practice.Please do like and subscribe to this podcast on whichever platform you are listening from, it helps others find the teachings, musings, rants and raves that I enjoy sharing with you. Much love.• Patreon •If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/Design • Tara Spice • https://www.taraspice.com/

What is your idea of the spiritual path? Do you think of it as something to achieve, attain or accomplish? Do you think it's about becoming a better person? More peaceful? More calm perhaps? This episode reveals what waking up is actually about; stages, orientation, and the tools, all told through the lens of my personal experiences.At the end of this episode, I guide the listener through the questions they need to be asking as part of a spiritual stock check.• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/Design • Tara Spice • http://taraspice.com/

For years I wanted a teacher; I felt like I needed a teacher to guide my path and to help me as I journeyed. I never found the kind of teacher I wanted though - accessible, available and dedicated to living the path. So I become one. Now, I'm feeling more and more called to teach in person, and intimately online.Being on social media doesn't feel like it fits with that, so I am exploring leaving Facebook and Instagram. I have already left these platforms personally but still have a business presence. In this episode, listen as I share the fears, the justifications, and the journey that has led me to this place; a place where I have been able to recognise that these platforms do not offer the depth of interaction and intention that is necessary for the student/teacher relationship to flourish.Is there fear about leaving? Yes, but there is also an awareness that sometimes we must let go of the known to allow space for the unknown to reveal itself. And being willing to face the fear of leaving the known is part of the spiritual path.Write a review, leave comments, feedback, and share your experience through your preferred podcast platform. Those that write a review before July 12th will go into a draw to win a one-on-one session with me.• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/Graphic Design • Tara Spice • https://www.taraspice.com/

Welcome to the latest episode, the latest season of Pillow Talk: Tales from the Tantric Frontline with me, Kara-Leah. In this episode, we look at some of the big life questions and how these teachings and practices are expressed in my life. What is awakening? What are we seeking on our spiritual paths? What is suffering?The conditions that we are cultivating in our lives are responsible for the fruits we harvest. What can we do to change those conditions? My daily practice is my foundation. My daily practice influences my integrated practice allowing me cultivate change in my life. During the episode, I refer to the article I wrote for my latest newsletter detailing four steps to changing the conditions of our lives. If you don't receive this already you can sign up here.Fear is our greatest jailer, set yourself free today! Lean in, show up, be seen!• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Title: Awakening takes timeThe recent weeks past have shown me the influence that our environments and surroundings can have on all of us but in particular on those of us who are seeking liberation. What is liberation, though? It is not being unaffected by everything, but rather being okay with reality as it unfolds.In this final episode of the season, you can understand how I have been able to recognise and address the situations and experiences that that have placed me into fight, flight or freeze, how I am shifting toward rest and digest and the effect those around us can have on us.Life happens. We can't control what is happening, all we can is respond. The episode closes out with some observations on the expectations we set ourselves; the need to also turn up in top form and our often neglected need to allow real time and space to process our emotional realities.• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Russel Walder • https://www.russelwalder.comMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

As New Zealand commences a staged step down of the Coronavirus response, in this episode I share about the triggers and responses that came up for me in this time and how the non-linear stages of awakening helped me to accept all the expressions of myself.What motivates you to listen, to do the work to seek liberation in this lifetime? And what happens when you get stuck? To end this episode we discuss the role of relationship on our journeys; the deeper work is always relational.Discover how the shift from chasing good and avoiding bad to reducing suffering and knowing truth can have a profound impact on your life.• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

As the globe sits in an apparent state of isolation and lock down, what are you facing?In this very raw and emotional episode, join me as I share the challenges that are present as I isolate in a new home, in a new town. We are presented with the challenge of remaining in our stories of avoidance and distraction or facing what is real. What is your spiritual practice? Do you really have any intent to liberate or are you indulging in spirituality? Is there any judgment toward your answer?Whatever you are facing, whatever is being brought up by our current circumstance, facing it, meeting the challenge makes us stronger. This is a truth. Letting go of knowing, surrendering and experiencing energy, whether grief or joy, and being okay with not knowing what is going to happen is the challenge.What's happening for you?• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Coronavirus is starting to have an impact on everyday lives; disrupting supply chains and having a major impact on our travel. This is a global event and we are seeing a global response.In this episode, I share about the personal effects of the pandemic, the decision to cancel my Mexcian retreat and remembering the future.Living defensively is a symptom of operating from a conditioned mind; essence nature does not defend. Learn how I weakened this response with a reorientation through awareness and sense of the subtle body.The amazing Nik Robson can be found here.• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I'm back from retreat with Christopher Wallis, and in this episode I delve into the necessity of awareness on the path of radical self acceptance. I share my personal journey for liberation in this lifetime, and we'll look at the accessibility and role of spirituality in that journey. It's all about navigation of consciousness baby, and we'll touch on the power of knowing versus intuition, plus you'll find tools and resources that allow re-orientation to essence nature, or awareness. This episode also includes a visioning of the role that I hope Patreon will play in building our community; with an invitation to join that community at whatever financial level feels right to you.• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/karaleah• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I feel like I'm entering dangerous territory.For a long time walking this path I've been fumbling in the dark, trusting my inner knowing but also wondering: What if I'm getting this all wrong? Is this really where I'm supposed to be?Now, things are different. I know that this is how it's meant to be. I know that THIS is the process of liberation. There's a sense of arrival.AND there's the danger that I could delude myself into thinking that this means more than it does, and that a new identity may begin to fossilise around the idea of what it means to arrive.Join me as I explore this new territory in the following forms:How to get curious about the world beyond language and beyond words.The epistemology triad - how do we know what is true?Using community as a way to break my conditioning, even when it's uncomfortableThe powerful work of digesting samskaras as they ariseExploring one of the deepest layers of conditioning• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/karaleah• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

There is no self, it's all a construct. Feeling into that tonight... When all patterns, defences and constructs fall away, what remains?If there is no "you" left once those patterns, defences and constructs fall away, then who the fuck is wanting something, desiring and seeking?I also dive into:- Tantra as just another vehicle to awakening - an access point to liberation, but not the thing itself.- Going beyond identity and self constructs with Tantrik Yoga.- How waking up and orientating to truth no matter what is fucking fierce.- We are infinitely programmable beings: taking back the programming.- Mark Whitwell and the unfolding conversation around power dynamics: What is my place in this story? How can I stand in truth?• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/karaleah• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Going Beyond FearHere's what I'm pondering tonight: FearWhat is it exactly? And what if, what if it was possible to be fear-less?And what if watching horror movies could be good training for mastering the fear response and centering in non-reactivity?I also explore:* The process of releasing attachment and facing into aversions as a known way to navigate out of suffering* Love - what the fuck is it?* A series of questions and embodied inquiries for you, dear listener about what brings you here and how you experience this podcast - why do you listen?* Why questioning everything is NOT the same as overanalysing* Noticing a pattern of self-isolating in myself and how I'm executing a "pattern interrupt" and doing exactly the opposite• Applied Tantra Money Mastery • Registrations are now open for the January intake of this 21 day online program which explores the teachings of Tantra as applied to our relationship with money.Find out more & register: http://karaleah.com/money-mastery/• Patreon•If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me and access exclusive teachings and resources, join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/karaleah• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I'm in bed, in my pyjamas. I'm nervous, but I've chosen to show up and join you all tonight. Is any of what I have to say 'true'? I don't know. I offer it up to you to feel, inquire into and explore. Tell me, what is your desired reality? How do you want to play this game?In this episode my pillow talk ponderings lead me to consider:Why you shouldn't believe ANY of your thoughtsHow awakening is like the Matrix, but also notWhy you've gotta feel what you feel when you feel it (or soon afterwards)The most painful parts of awakeningWhy the teachings of Tantra makes the most sense to meHow our modern lifestyle no longer enforces presence in the way that it did for our hunter-gatherer ancestors when we were closely tied to the rhythms of nature.And yet every single human being has the potential to be present - yes, that includes you. And you!• Patreon •If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me further as a teacher, join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/karaleah• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Recently there's been a quickening in the evolution of my experience of realityThanks to the study that I've been doing with Tantra scholar Christopher Wallis, I now have a language for the experiences I've been having for so many years.And I'm really relishing in the fruits of the practice - this shit works, ya'll! When the desire is there for liberation and when you show up and do your practice, the fruits come and the evolution unfolds.Join me as I explore:* The discovery that I'm terrified of falling in love and how I'm using my Tantra practice to work with that fear* How teaching Tantra motivates me to up my game and deepen my own practice* An exploration of the View, one of the fundamental teachings that I seek to share with my students* The 3 Stages of Awakening and a guided practice to explore and play with the first stage.* The best way to alleviate suffering and prevent social collapseNote: The reading on the View is taken from page 55 of 'Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition' by Christopher Wallis• Patreon •If you love the podcast and want to donate, or if you want to connect with me further as a teacher, join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/karaleah• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

This is my first night alone since I came home from Mexico and I'm sharing with you the real, unvarnished me. Yes, I'm scared, but I'm leaning in. Yes, there will be inaccuracies, delusions, and blindspots in what I share, but I'm doing it anyway. This is a report from the tantrik frontlines, nothing more, nothing less.Join me as I track, explore and feel into...Why Tantra is NOT sex education and how going after a great sex life, for the sake of it, leads only to suffering.Tracking the inner saboteur within myself Using relationship as a vehicle for liberationThe difference between awakening and liberationThe value of throwing it all out and rebuilding from the ground upWhy desire is a crucial and valuable tool when it comes to the liberation processThe process of liberating myself from judgmentHow the truth really does set us free from suffering.Loving shout out to my teacher Christopher Wallis, who is an excellent source of knowledge on the academic and historical view of Tantra (visit https://hareesh.org/ for more details) and to my friends Nikki Rhodes and Franko Heke, who also feature in my thoughts in this episode.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I’m not woke, I'm waking up. So I'm sharing the process as it unfolds in me and trusting that you’ll take from it whatever is relevant and applicable to your own journey.In this episode, I get clear and present and take you with me as I explore:My experience of getting comfortable with failureThe Hero's Journey and what it means to Show UpHow to approach a teacher with discernmentFeeling reality directly through the bodyThe most effective antidote to judgementThe joy of providing profitable pathways for authors to magnify their message with my publishing company, Aarohati PublishingYou can find Jewel's article here: https://www.villagekiwi.co.nz/blog/post/parenting-and-relationships-43A loving shoutout to my Aarohati Publishing team - Tara, Renee, and Lucinda. And of course to Angie, our first author! * SUPER SPECIAL OFFER *I'm offering a USD$300 discount to any Pillow Talk listeners who want to attend my Mexico retreat! Email me and mention Pillow Talk in the email to claim your discount.**Find Out More About my Offerings **Join me for one of my events or retreats: http://karaleah.com/events/1:1 sessions: http://karaleah.com/work-with-kara-leah/** Special Book Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off ANY of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

This particular episode definitely went into some interesting and unexpected places!Together, we explore:The bi-polar universe, and how two apparently opposing perspectives can exist at the same time and both be true.What it really means, "to see a world in a grain of sand."The essence of tantric philosophy and how it applies to modern life.How playing the role of Teacher is taking me further along the path of awakeningWhy the heart-ache of watching the world suffer can become a superpowerWhat I'm learning through taking my business out of the capitalist model**Find Out More About my Offerings **Join me on retreat: http://karaleah.com/events/Guru in Your Pocket: http://karaleah.com/work-with-kara-leah/** Special Book Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off ANY of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I've been levelling-up big time.Every time I level up, it helps me understand what's possible. I can then share that understanding with the people I work with and they, in turn, can share it with their community. And so it all ripples outward in an epic flow of love, truth, joy & connection.In this episode, I share with you my most potent learnings, including:How to unite the scientist and the mystic, both internally and externallyMy experience of entering a new romantic relationship, and the vulnerability & grief that comes with that.How time is beginning to bend for me and a matrix mindfuck memory moment.The difference between honour and obligation.Leading a Tantra Teacher Training (if you're excited about this, get in touch!)Loving shout out to Leo Murray of Why Waste and Dane Tomas, both of whom feature in my musings this week.**Find Out More About my Offerings **Join me on retreat: http://karaleah.com/events/Guru in Your Pocket: http://karaleah.com/work-with-kara-leah/** Special Book Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off ANY of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I’ve begun to think of this podcast as a breadcrumb trail. Because if you listen consistently, you’ll begin to see how I’m evolving, and you can use that as inspiration on your own pathway towards awakening.In the name of awakening, in this episode I explore:How to parent well while honouring your own desires, dreams and goals.Self-absorption - what is it and what's on the other side of that.My experiences in supporting clients on their journey of awakening.Mental health challenges, medication and suicide.What I find most gut wrenching about our society right now.My wish for a future where no one gets left behind.**Find Out More About my Offerings **Join me on retreat: http://karaleah.com/events/Healing & Mentoring 1:1 sessions: http://karaleah.com/work-with-kara-leah/** Special Book Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off ANY of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

In this episode, I explore what happens when you start to speak In this episode, I explore what happens when you start to speak the Truth, and how Truth can be a sword that cuts through your attachments.I also explore the Fear that I experience in relation to Truth, and how I'm learning to move towards - not away from - my Fear.Throughout my explorations I offer you a variety of tools to make your life more pleasurable and less painful, such as: becoming intimate with the breath, attuning to and observing the subtle nuances of consciousness, tracking pain and sensation in the body, and reconnecting with your inner artist.** Special Book Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off ANY of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Tonight, I'm coming to you with a clear intention.The moon is full, and I've been sitting in ceremony, going deep into the subtle realms and my embodied experience. In this episode, I share with you my intention and the vision that accompanied it. I also delve into processes for working with fear and uncomfortable emotions, how to stop taking anything personally, and why heaven on earth is right here in front of us.** Guru in Your Pocket **Designed for the person dedicated to their healing and/or awakening process, who is ready to do the work and burn through their attachments and fears in the fire of liberation. The pricing structure also allows for accessibility – you tender the pricing and timing that works for you. Find out more here.** Special Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off any of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

It's been a while.But I'm back.In this episode, I explore the behind-the-scenes story of why I haven't been showing up for the podcast, and the threshold crossing experience that brought me back (and helped me to truly not give a fuck).I also explore privilege, my unconscious beliefs about sexuality, offer a meditation about experiencing compassion for ALL human beings (with some surprising results) and I encourage you to increase your personal power to love so that you can go out and drop those love bombs in your community.** Special Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off any of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Awakening requires practices that bring us out of the mind and into presence. In this episode, I take you on a journey into my experiences of practicing Ashtanga yoga - a tradition that is very different from my fluid, intuitive personal yoga practice - and everything that I'm learning along the way about embodiment, presence, love and truth.** Special Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off any of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Since I last spoke to you I've been to four festivals in six weeks. Whew! What I'm noticing from this experience is that I don't feel like a different person when I leave a festival to come back into the Matrix, or what you might call 'the real world'. Instead, I've learned to live from festival space at all times and to deeply surrender to the flow of life as it is, seeing the world through eyes of love.In this episode, I explore what I'm learning from living from festival space, how my desire to be seen and witnessed has shaped my use of social media and blogging, and I go deep into reflections and stories about Wanderlust, Spirit Fest, the OM Tribe and my dear friend Jason Corliss, who died in February 2018.I love it when you get in touch me to let me know that you're listening. If you feel so inspired, send me a message or comment and share with me what this podcast means to you.** Special Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off any of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Join me on a random walk through Melbourne as I choose to follow an unknown path, navigating by intuition and becoming more awake, more alert & more present as I go.As I walk, I explore the joys of conscious shopping, the victim mode narrative, climate change, why building an art collection doesn't require serious income and my vision for an army of awakened heart warriors to stand beside me** Special Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off any of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website.Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pillowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

2019 is here & I'm excited. I'm ready to step back out into the world, beyond the so called 'spiritual' community and into what we might call 'the mainstream.'I'm challenging myself to see how quickly I can see through to a person's soul, no matter how jarring I might find the mask or identity that they're portraying. Can I love this person exactly as they are, without judging them or wanting them to be different?In this episode I also explore why a warrior never fights unless it's absolutely necessary, how to hold each other in love and care while going through conflict, & the art of gamifying challenging situations.** Special Offer for Podcast Listeners **Get $10 off any of my books, including my newly released memoir Sex, Drugs & (mostly) Yoga, when purchased from directly my website,Simply go to Kara-Leah.com and enter the discount code 'pilowtalk' on checkout.** Join the Awakened Heart Warriors group on Facebook **All podcast listeners are invited to be part of this group. Click here to join.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

It's hard to show up to these podcasts. There's a degree of vulnerability and realness that happens when I am simply me, feeling, reviewing, and being with my reality.And sometimes I get stuck. Sometimes I get blocked. Sometimes I get lostBut I always find my way back. Back to stillness. Back to the flow. Back to the unfolding.In this episode, I explore the challenges of raising a child by myself, and why sometimes I feel like I'm doing it really fucking badly, and I play with reframing my experience of depression in a way that introduces purpose and pleasure.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I've been resistant to showing up and doing this podcast.This is nothing new. I've been working intentionally with resistance for 15 years now and I've learnt how to work with it and show up regardless.And still... I'm experiencing resistance.In this episode, I go deep into my resistance and explore everything that comes up. This leads to explorations into sensuality, playfulness, toxic dumping, parenting wins and what it means to become kaitiaki, guardians of the land.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Join me on a journey deep into my own process, where I track and experience all the sensations coming through me and allow myself to fully feel them. As these layers of the unconscious come up into my awareness, I can then begin to release them.This week, I go deep into my relationship with my sexual self. I acknowledge how she has misbehaved, how I have judged her and celebrate her beauty, her playfulness and her juiciness. I also explore the gift of friendship with people who see me, witness me and welcome all of me to the table, and how I'm choosing to own my worth in the way that I work with my clients.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I navigate reality on my own terms.THIS is how I choose to play the game.In this episode, I surface an unconscious belief about romantic relationships and go through a process of deprogramming and reprogramming myself to my desired reality.I also share what I'm learning about parenting, emotional polyamory and self-judgement.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I'm coming to you tonight from Mexico, where thunder and lightning are lighting up the sky.In this episode, I explore the ways in which I have manipulated and controlled men out of my own insecurities and fears, and how I finally laid this pattern to rest by, among other things, choosing to love men unconditionally in intimate friendship.I also explore the nuances of the MeToo movement and why it needs to come from a place of unconditional love for ourselves as women, and for men too.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

This week, my heart felt like it was ripped open and a deep terror arose in me.By holding space for this intense emotion, I was able to feel, heal and release the unconscious trauma in my system and, after a few days, I came back in my body and into a space of grounded, playful embodiment.This is all part of the Awakening process.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

It's been a wild ride for the last 14 years, ever since I had the pleasure of spending some time in Lion's Gate Acute Psych Ward.During that time of psychosis/spiritual awakening I saw my psyche from the inside out, and I was terrified by it. But I've since learned how to venture into multi-dimensional reality again, but this time with presence and grounding.In this episode, I also explore sexual fantasies (and how they can be useful), my desire for an heart-opened, truthful, extraordinary relationship with a man who knows himself, loves himself and honours himself, and the fear that has been preventing me from accessing that kind of relationship.

Ever since I was a teenager there's always been this part of me that needed to have a crush on somebody.In this episode, I explore this pattern of relating to men and commit to stepping into my vulnerability and allowing myself to be fully seen by the men in my life.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

Tonight I'm experiencing bliss, ecstasy, and the pure joy of being inside a human body... It's a kind of sexual energy, and it also isn't...Experiencing this state is a massive side benefit of the work I've done and I believe it's our natural birth right as humans.But it's not all bliss, this path of the Awakened Heart Warrior.In this episode I also explore my desire for a lover, full-body energetic orgasms, celibacy and why Tantra has nothing to do with sex.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

I haven't shared a life or a house or a bed with a partner for seven years now. There's a real heartache in that, a yearning to be met and seen and held and loved. And there's a wound underneath it that I want to release and heal.In this episode, I dive into that heartache and the raw, vulnerable and naked process that I've been experiencing.I also explore the breath, and how I use the breath to anchor me into presence, so that I can feel my way into the emotions that lie slightly under the surface.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y3216n & https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/

If I say I'm going to do it publicly, I have to do it. So here I am, doing it.In this episode, I explore my relentless desire to wake up, the litmus tests in daily life that I use to gauge my own awakeness, and why I'm seeking the deepest intimacy possible.I'm also noticing what happens moment by moment as I speak, including what happens when I falter and fall out of presence.• Credits •Audio • Marilyn VaccaroMusic • Matiu Te Huki • https://bit.ly/2y32khxPhoto • Pete Longworth • http://petelongworth.com/