In much of contemporary trauma work, practitioners talk about the window of tolerance — a concept developed by Dr. Dan Siegel, psychiatrist and founder of the Mindsight Institute. It describes the range of arousal within which a person can function smoothly: think clearly, feel emotion, and stay connected to themselves and others. When the nervous …
Cannabis as a Sacred Plant Medicine: Journeying, Accessing Trance States & Psychosis
by Kara-Leah Grant, (I wrote this in 2019, and only just published it, 2025) This article has been a long time coming. Given that Canada has just legalised cannabis, and New Zealand is finally having a referendum on legalising it in 2020, it feels like now is the time. The danger in writing about the …
How I Used Godseys Dream ChatGPT to Heal Patterns with an Ex-Boyfriend
In the wake of recurring dreams about an old boyfriend, I resolved to write my way into whatever my psyche was attempting to reveal or integrate. I choose to use my own process of writing into truth, paired with support from Godseys Dream ChatGPT Agent. Here’s what unfolded. First, I write out the ‘Story’ of …
Reflections on Operating Within the Gift Economy via Dāna
Oh dāna, that virtue referred to within Buddhism and Tantra teachings where we practice opening ourselves up to freely give with generosity and to therefore receive the benefits that accrue from this experience. I’ve deliberately been leaning into operating from dāna for a number of years now, as part of using a mixed model for …
A Review of Beyond Growth hosted by Degrowth Aotearoa
The Beyond Growth event, held on Nov 3 at Grant Thorton on Fanshawe Str, Auckland CBD, and hosted by Degrowth Aotearoa, started promisingly with karakia, kai and networking. The vibe in the room was alive, and small pockets of people gathered around sumptuous catering to connect. Our name tags were made of upcycled cans with …
24 Hour Kirtan with the Hare Krishnas and the Unexpected Benefits
It was an irresistible invitation. Would I like to come to a 24 hour Kirtan with the Hare Krishnas who were at ProFestNZ?? Would I? Hell yes! I am a practice junkie, and whilst I’m dedicated to Tantra as my ‘path’, one of the beauties of Tantra is that it encompasses ALL practices, all paths, all religions, all …