Kia Miller – Yoga Teacher – Kundalini

Kia-MillerKia is a devoted Yogini and teacher who imparts her wonderful passion for life and well-being in her teaching. Her style pulls from multiple yogic disciplines, and is both intuitive and steeped in the traditional aspects of yoga. Her classes focus on breath, alignment and the interconnection between mind, body and spirit, allowing students to work at their own pace in a safe and transformational environment

 

Kundalini Yoga

I practice and teach both Hatha and Kundalini yoga.  I see my hatha practice as daily maintenance – a great way to work out kinks in my body, get grounded and calm.  My Kundalini practice is a place of transformation.  The kriyas and meditations are much more specific than your regular flow class; much like an Iyengar practice but rather than focusing on physical alignment the kriyas are a specific set of exercises that generate energy, organize that energy and deliver you to a specific energetic state – particularly one of greater awareness.  Within the practice are built in moments of stillness where we sit q speilling uietly and awaken to our Self.  The breath-work within the kriyas is so powerful that it starts to strip away the layers that veil our consciousness, and in the sweet moments between poses we can sense the fullness of who we are.  The kriyas work on strengthening your nervous system, balancing your glandular system, purifying the body, and calming the mind.

I have practiced kriyas that have left me blissed out, high and filled with a sense of connection and joy and others that have provoked and confronted me to the very core of who I am, both physically and mentally.  I have learned to stay present, and accept pleasure and pain as part of yogasnmallthe same journey to health and balance.    Our ego naturally leans towards pleasure and comfort.  It takes a disserted effort and discipline to begin to release the ego’s grip on our consciousness.  This effort is the work required to begin to access the truth of who we are, to create a strong connection to our Soul and therefore our Soul’s work on this planet.  It is where we start to make great strides toward living as an enlightened being.Kundalini yoga is not to be taken lightly, it is like an express train that shakes and wakes you up. I often say to students that you cannot stay the same when you practice Kundalini yoga.  The very nature of what we do is to awaken the energy of consciousness, to practice in a way that sheds light on our self-imposed limitations, and invites us to think out of the box, and develop our Intuitive mind.  Being able to live from our intuitive mind is one of the main goals of a Kundalni practitioner.

I had done some meditation before practicing Kundalini yoga, but it had always been elusive for me. Meditations within Kundalini yoga are multi-faceted.  You can do the simplest forms like breath awareness or simple mantra, or there are more elaborate ones where there is a specific breath, mantra and mudra that all work together to balance different aspects of the mind and body. When practiced for 40 – 120 days the result is pure magic.  I sincerely encourage you to have an experience of Kundalini yoga for yourself.  It will add depth to your existing practice and to your life.

Author: Kia Miller

Gaia House – Retreat

Gaia House is a Silent Meditation Retreat Centre – a sanctuary of contemplative calm set amongst the gentle hills and quiet woodlands of South Devon.

Buddhist Meditation Retreats are an opportunity to explore and develop serenity, wisdom and compassion through meditation and mindfulness practice in a supportive environment.

We offer an extensive Group Retreat Programme with meditation instruction and teachings drawn from a variety of Buddhist traditions, with emphasis on Vipassana or Insight Meditation.

Group Retreats are led by experienced Dharma teachers from around the world. Beginners are very welcome, as are more experienced meditation practitioners wishing to deepen your practice.

We also offer Personal and Work Retreats, which are suitable if you have previous experience of silent retreats and an established meditation practice.

All retreats are held in silence, with the exception of the annual Family Retreat.

A registered (non-profit) charity founded in 1983, Gaia House is run by a Board of Trustees who are committed to preserving, protecting and enhancing emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual health through meditation. Gaia House Meditation Retreats are open to all. To benefit, all that is needed is an interest in inner exploration and development.

Light of Consciousness – Magazine

 

By the grace or mercy of God, we have been given the faculty of distinguishing what is real and what is unreal, what is permanent or changeful, what is proper or improper. This capacity takes us out of the rut of circular, mechanical thinking, beyond intellectual understanding to insight. The first step is to watch your thoughts. You may not be able to do this during work or in busy times, at least not in the beginning. But as you proceed with silent contemplation or meditation ask yourself, “Is this thought permanent or transitory, real or unreal?” by Swami Amar Jyoti

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