Welcome to the fourth episode of season 3 of Conversations with Kara-Leah.

My guest today is EJ Kidd. (Full bio below)

Highlights from our conversation.

On Tantra and Plant Medicines

🌀 "Tantra is not a dogmatic construct. Tantra is self-dissolving, self-eating—like the ouroboros, the snake that devours itself. Anything within the context of Tantra will dissolve itself once it has served its purpose."

🔥 "The path of poisons isn’t about chasing peak experiences. It’s about remaining completely sober—completely anchored in the base of awareness—even as the substance is circulating in your brain."

🌿 "Is it medicine? Is it a drug? Is it toxic? Is it dangerous? If you’re dedicated to Tantra or Yoga—should you even be working with these things? Or is that just spiritual tourism?"

On The Dangers & Pitfalls

🌿 "I see people go from ‘I sat with the medicine a few times’ to ‘I’m called to be a shaman’ in under two years. Meanwhile, the indigenous medicine carriers start training as children and don’t serve until decades later."

🌪️ "Plant medicines don’t just show you truth. They also reflect your illusions. If you’re cycling in your mind, the medicine will amplify the cycle. If you’re grasping for power, it will feed that too."

🔮 "One of my teachers sat me down and said, ‘EJ, what are you doing in my ceremony?’ And I had to ask myself—was I here for truth? Or was I just using the medicine as a spiritual colonic, trying to purge my problems away?"

On The Intensity of the Experience

🦋 "Cannabis isn’t just a substance. It’s a spirit. And that spirit is sticky. You don’t smoke cannabis—it smokes you."

🎭 "I took what was supposed to be a ‘small’ dose of Wachuma, sat down in a restaurant—and watched the walls start melting. Meanwhile, I was ordering dinner like nothing was happening."

💀 "When you ingest a plant medicine, you aren’t just altering your consciousness. You’re inviting an entity inside you. The question is—who’s really in control?"

Chapter Highlights

00:44 Meet EJ Kidd: From Silicon Valley to Peru

01:31 Exploring Plant Medicines and Their Role in Awakening

03:40 EJ's Journey: From Corporate Life to Spiritual Path

06:40 First Encounters with Tantra and Plant Medicine

10:30 The Intersection of Tantra and Psychedelics

18:06 Navigating the Pitfalls of Plant Medicine

30:46 The Role of Facilitators and the Impact of Capitalism

39:41 Roles and Training of Indigenous Shamans

41:13 Community Recognition and Western Facilitators

41:51 Impact of Western Ideals on Indigenous Practices

44:18 Navigating Plant Medicine with Pure Motives

45:21 Understanding Non-Corporeal Entities in Tantra

53:56 The Path of Poisons in Tantra

59:04 Cannabis as a Tool for Embodiment and Healing

01:10:58 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

Who is EJ?

EJ is a practitioner of Tantra and meditation, exploring the wisdom of presence, energy, and deep connection with life. Rooted in ancient teachings, EJ’s path is one of deep inquiry—exploring the connection between sound, awareness, and the profound intelligence of nature. With a focus on the intersection of Tantra and plant medicine, EJ explores how these traditions open doorways to healing, expansion, and remembrance. EJ is a musician, educator, ceremonialist, and connector for those seeking plant medicine. As a vocal expression guide, EJ helps others unlock the power of their voice for healing and transformation. EJ also offers small group and private healing retreat experiences, creating sacred spaces for deep exploration and connection.

Find EJ.

https://www.instagram.com/ejkidd/

EJ on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/ej-kidd-246881263/

EJ on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6eEebEFOxBEHsxSXUNU56H?si=_UQdJnhVQrmvo2l9xSQYAw

Show Credits

Audio • Luke Bowman

Music • Sexy Urban Beats by PenguinMusic

Photo • Pete Longworth

Graphic Design • Tara Spice

Subscribe to KL's newsletter

https://karaleah.com/subscribe/

Welcome to the third episode of season 3 of Conversations with Kara-Leah, recorded in my new home - Squamish Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Canada.

My guest today is poet Laura Sharp.

Her work has been featured by the Lupine Review, BBC The Social, Speculative Books and most recently Whistler Writers Festival. Hilariously, Laura never wanted to be poet but she has always wanted to understand life deeply and has recently come to learn the two go hand in hand.

Laura & I talk about all the things including:

✨ the allure of the Sea-to-Sky Corridor & how life 'makes sense' here

✨ why she started writing poetry

✨ being haunted by not-enoughness

✨ on writing your way out of suffering

✨ writing as a practice for liberation

✨ her yoga journey & the impact of the lockdown

✨ yin yoga & writing poetry

✨ poetry as a process of listening

✨ why the book finally got published

✨ the power of the next step

✨ self-love of all aspects of being

✨ the power of being vision-led

✨ why she burned the first copy of her book

✨ how she uses poetry to write her life into being

✨ being on the stage at Whistler Writer's Festival four months after publishing

✨ the power of art beyond numbers

✨ the art of surrender

✨ Squamish Poet Next Door's thriving poetry scene

✨ the power of owning your shit & letting it move through you

Find Laura here:

https://www.instagram.com/thebreathworkpoet/

https://www.facebook.com/laura.sharp.731

Show Credits

Audio • Luke Bowman

Music • Sexy Urban Beats by PenguinMusic

Photo • Pete Longworth

Graphic Design • Tara Spice

Subscribe to KL's newsletter

https://karaleah.com/subscribe/

Welcome to the second episode of season 3 of Conversations with Kara-Leah, recorded in my new home - Squamish Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Canada.

My guest today is Bhairav Thomas English.

Bhairav is a dedicated teacher, practitioner, and empowered guru of Tantra and Kundalini Yoga with over 25 years of experience. His journey began after a near-fatal car accident, which led him to travel the world and be initiated into various traditions and lineages. He spent four years living in India, studying under his first yoga teacher until he met his Guru, Maharaji Guruji of the Bhairavananda lineage. Bhairav is the author of The Power of Tantric Meditation and the visionary behind Anuttara Ashram. As a co-creator and facilitator within the Anuttara School, Bhairav continues to share his deep wisdom, guiding others on their path to self-realization through authentic spiritual practices.

Bhairav & I talk about all the things including:

✨ the near-death experience that changed everything for him

✨ what happened when he met his first yoga teacher in the foothills of Rishikesh

✨ how yoga healed him from an old car accident, including finally becoming medication-free

✨ what becoming a renunciate meant to him

✨ the impact of immersing in yoga practice for 6+ hours a day

✨ why he resisted teaching when his teacher asked him to

✨ how he met his tantric Guru and what happened when he first met him

✨ how the car accident blocked ajna chakra and what his Tantric master told him about it

✨ what it was like to go through a guru initiation

✨ the meaning of Tantra

✨ his understanding of karma

✨ astrology, Bill Gates, billionaire and being wealthy as a karmic tendency

✨ the intersection of destiny, free will, and karma

✨ Grace and Kundalinī

✨ what causes Kundalinī to awaken

✨ why a Guru is necessary once Kundalinī is awakened

✨ what happens when Kundalinī gets blocked at certain chakras

✨ the difference between awakening to the energy field, and Kundalinī awakening

Find Bhairav here:

https://www.anuttara.org/ https://www.instagram.com/anuttara_ashram/

Show Credits

Audio • Luke Bowman

Music • Sexy Urban Beats by PenguinMusic

Photo • Pete Longworth

Graphic Design • Tara Spice

Subscribe to KL's newsletter

https://karaleah.com/subscribe/