My Journey of Becoming Who I Am

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Before I get to know you, I'd like for you to get to know me. Here's a thumbnail sketch of who I am, where I've been, what I do, and how you can join the journey. It's a story of true healing and, yes, enlightenment; an overview of how I overcame mental illness and addiction through yoga and meditation and found lasting liberation through Divine Union; a testament to the results of authentic spiritual practice in alleviating pathological suffering.

Welcome to my Awareness.
Welcome to my world.
Welcome to the spinning cogs of my mind.

Who I Am
I am a self-proclaimed connoisseur of consciousness. I am a terrestrial traveler of inner space. I am a mystic of the Great Mystery. I am a happily married monk. I am a yogi writ large. I am a breatharian. I am an intuitive and highly sensitive empath. I am a fully healed former addict. I am a mental disorder success story, freed from the chains of Big Pharma. I am a mishandled contactee of divine realms. I am an ancestral anomaly, the bah-bah black sheep.

I am a lot of things, and I am none of them.

Sound like a spiritual walk in the park? A piece of cosmic cake? Like I was "born this way"? Well, yes and no.

It wasn't always this easy. These are the results of a most perilous and peculiar journey that began when I was but seven years old. It's required everything I have (and everything I don't) to piece together the puzzle, find wholeness in the damaged vessel, and awaken to Union with God. ​

Where I've come from
Not what you might expect. Not the Pleiades. Not the star system Sirius. Not "the future." Not another dimension. (Though I'm not ruling it out!) 

I come from a rural town in a notch of the Bible Belt called North Carolina. I was touched by an unknown Presence that rocked my innocence and indelibly altered the course of my life.

Here's what came of it:

• Put in the pipeline to be a preacher
• Developed a mental disorder
• Pathological pressure in the bodymind
• Bottled-up, suppressed, and underdeveloped kundalini wanting to rise
• Accumulated severely addictive behaviors to cope

In spite of the suffering, however, grace has abounded all the more. The encounter planted a seed of heightened awareness (among other "side effects") and awakened a desire for communion with God above all else. Rare for anyone; exceedingly rare for a child.

I struggled with the "why me" question for a long time. Am I special? Surely not. But I feel different from my friends. What's it all mean? Later I learned about something called reincarnation, which was kept from us conservative Christians, and I have come to terms with the probability that I simply picked up where I left off last life.

What I've done
From that point, an insatiable (but necessary) search ensued: for Truth, for peace, for healing, for liberation. I made myself available to God if ever and how ever "He" wanted to use me in service to others. And though I always knew I'd be doing something like I'm doing today, it took a while before I was ready.

While I'm at it, let me offer some unsolicited advice from my own experience to anyone thinking they want to "help others":

• God doesn't need your help.
• Whether such a vocation becomes your career or is simply an act of charitable good will, in the grand scheme, it's for you only; no one else.
• What's more, if it's authentic, it cannot be done for egoic gain.
• You must wait until the time is right and ripe for you to begin.
• You must not be a "wounded healer."

• You must have made considerable progress in your own work before teaching it, sharing it, giving it, extending it.

Anyway...

As I grew and got older, I saw very keenly the shortcomings of the institutionalized church. The fairy tales lost their luster. What the grown-ups said was supposed to happen for those who love God and neighbor simply didn't. No amount of believing the right things or praying the right way or reading my Bible with the right devotion changed anything. In a way, lots of things got worse.

I was wracked with anxiety, guilt, depression, and addiction, but the
​flame that was lit still flickered in the dark.

I needed something that worked. Practical practices that delivered on the promise of every religion, largely hidden in the West and scrubbed from the mainstream. Skipping many details and ahead a few years, I stumbled upon the spiritual disciplines, arts, and perennial wisdom of the East: yoga, meditation, bodywork, self-inquiry, mystical writings, masters of monastic and contemplative cultivation.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
When the teacher is ready, the student appears.
It's a reciprocal calling.

Mentors and influences appeared with timing so precise and teachings so pristine (the likes of which I consider myself bountifully blessed to have discovered)—from one-on-one instruction and initiation to books, videos, philosophies, systems, and how-to methods—that I knew my task was to assimilate the material as thoroughly as possible for myself, nurture the planted seeds to fruition, and pass it on to others if God granted me the opportunity, which is just what I've done, what I continue to do, and what my blog, website, writing, courses, retreats, and other offerings are all about.

A few of the more well known guides that shaped and paved the way for what I do today (in the order that they appeared) are:

Jesus & Mary Magdalene (may sound cliche, but it's the truth)

• Father Thomas Keating*
• Thich Nhat Hanh
• Paramahansa Yogananda
• Eckhart Tolle
• Richard Rohr
• Ken Wilber*
• Sts. John of the Cross & Teresa of Avila
• A Course in Miracles
• Drunvalo Melchizedek
• Mooji
• Francisco Kaiut*

...and many more, plus those whose names you wouldn't recognize, from whom I received more intimate "spiritual direction," plus many from the alternative world of "conspiracy theory," "ufology," and "ancient astronaut theory" which I don't need to reference here.

One shout-out that I would like to give directly, however, is to Evangeline Hemrick. The value of her investment as my mentor, teacher, and (now) soul sister, colleague, and friend has been without measure. As professionals in the field of spirituality and healing arts, the contours of our ministries and the contents of our teaching are slightly different but greatly complementary. I was honored to have been featured on her podcast as we shared memories of our journey together, how we got to where we are, and ideas for the future of helping humanity evolve. 

What I do
Over the years, I have had trouble answering the standard small-talk question, "So what do you do?" Well...I teach yoga and meditation...and a whole bunch of other stuff like healing karmic wounds and becoming enlightened and awakening to Union with God. But because all of these have become so popularized and cliche, I feel the need to clarify that it's not the "regular" kind—for fitness purposes, to be more flexible, to "clear your mind," to perform better in your nine-to-five, or to get some elite badge of honor—and that the psycho-spiritual healing, enlightenment, and Oneness that I teach is neither the New Age woo-woo nor the dogmatic belief-based variety.

But how to clarify...

...when inevitably, next comes, "Well what kind of yoga do you teach?," "What lineage are you a part of?," "What exactly is your style of meditation?" I do not adhere solely to any one school of thought, religion, or spiritual tradition, it's not just a mixture of all that I've been taught (there's something more to it than that), and I can't claim to be "channeling a ninth density E.T." (though I can't quite rule that out either).

For the longest time, the best I knew to respond was either to drop the names that I've drawn inspiration from (as I did above), say, "Just come try it out and see for yourself," or attempt to explain that I have integrated, included, and at the same time transcended all who came before, adding my own methods and perspectives gleaned from my experience over the years.

Another way that I've coped with the difficulty of such questions is to say that I have found a way to simply show and transmit what I do in my own laboratory, what I've found on my own path, how I experience life through my own practice.

While I feel comfortable with all the ways just mentioned that I've come to answer the impossible question "What is it that you do exactly?," stumbling over "It's sort of like this, but not exactly like that...Oh, I don't know!" just wasn't cutting it until...

I had a series of ah-ha moments when someone said, "Maybe you're re-awakening a lost lineage from one of your past lives." At the thought of it, a light bulb went off; the possibility carried more ringing resonance of truth than any possibility I had considered to that point or have considered since.

Though of course for some, even this is still a bit abstract and out of reach, which at this point is totally fine by me, and is why I've diligently persisted in creating course content across multiple formats and mediums, customizing packages for direct instruction, and leading group classes and retreats to crystallize a sense of cohesion in what I call the Kaliana Container.

Not everyone who travels the inner roads and has achieved something like mastery is called to officially deliver it to others. I have been. Ask anyone in education—formulaic pedagogy is a must, and makes learning easier for everyone. So in order to do that, I've synthesized everything into a (still growing) succinct package called The Unnamed Kaliana Way, with the Five Basics as its backbone. These you will find throughout everything I do. 

To sum it up, the bottom line is this: If you vibe with my vibe, I can

• Show you what I see, teach you what I know
• Guide you through a profound process of transformation and awakening
• Assist you in discovering who you are and resolving patterns of suffering
• Support you in returning to God in this lifetime.
• Give you tools and techniques to cultivate the interior realm
• Teach you how to develop your own yoga and meditation practice
• Help you discover peace, joy, and happiness beyond and within any circumstance
• Provide conceptual context for experiential wisdom, truth, and discernment

I've come to a place in my life and career after years and years of arduous and diligent work (the very work that I teach) where I have created and accumulated lots of content and many options across multiple platforms—Yoga, Meditation, Breatharianism, Ultimate Reality Koans—and a few ways to engage—online or in-person; one-on-one or go at your own pace; and group classes, workshops, and retreats.

What You Can Expect
When I was fifteen years old, I felt called and compelled to give myself to the service of humanity. I told God that I would go anywhere and do anything "He" asked me to for my individual journey and for the humbling honor of walking with others on theirs. In the twenty years (at the time of this writing) since then, my prayers have not been disappointed.

At the time, I simply thought I would be a Christian pastor, so I was trained in "ministry" through internships, leadership roles, and undergraduate and graduate theological studies. However, the path unfolded in many unexpected ways as I expanded beyond the confines of the container I was planted in as a child.

I've utilized many different platforms, formats, and expressions of my vocation in the professional arena (almost an "all things to all people" scenario), but a few things remain consistent throughout:

• I am not in the business of coddling egos or enabling pathological patterns
• I practice what I preach, and I preach what I practice
• I hold those under my care to the same standards I hold myself to
• I will not recommend anything I haven't done and intimately understand myself
• I keep the teacher/student relationship sacred and accept its great responsibility 
• I care deeply for those who trust me and see the value of what I offer 
• I am not interested in working with anyone not fully committed
• I require vulnerability, honesty, trust, and authenticity
• I don't need a large following, fame, or attention for do what I do

Past-life bleed-throughs indicate that I probably played this role many times before, which is why I am so comfortable and uncompromising in it.

Whether working with me directly or going at your own pace...

...the Kaliana Field—that is, the morphic, cosmic groove that I lay down—is different from what you're used to in the mainstream spiritual world, and for optimal results, it demands your full dedication and discipline (words that are not so popular these days). 

You can expect to come face to face with yourself, in all of your shadow and shimmer.
You can expect to be stretched and challenged in profoundly benevolent ways.
You can expect to become a completely transformed person in the process.
You can expect to learn brand new concepts and be introduced to brand new possibilities of being.
You can expect to perceive your day-to-day reality with more clarity and truth.
 
It's rare to find a student who engages the work with appropriate persistence and doesn't "cut and run" (and project onto me) when the going gets tough, which is the more common response that short-circuits and aborts a very necessary process. If you're doing it right, "all your stuff" will come up—that you knew was there and that you had no idea was there—in order to be revealed and healed. It requires that you actually do something. Homework, practice, study, adjust habits and behavior, etc.

All the true traditions say the same thing: There are no shortcuts. There is no "easy way out." There's no skipping steps. All faux spirituality says the same thing: Do whatever feels good. Someone else will do it for you. It has to be fun and entertaining.

Why You? Why Me?
If you've found your way to this blog, and if you've made it this far reading (first of all, thank you!), then you most likely resonate with what I'm saying and are at least a little interested in what I do.

Maybe you've tried other methods and are still left wanting, but you know the tried-and-true spiritual path has continued to beckon, so you have continued to search. Maybe you've begun to see through the illusion of the status quo and the group think of the collective. Maybe you're suffering and need a way out (or through). Maybe you've traveled pretty far already on the road of healing and liberation and are ready to take it to the next level. Maybe you're curious about the "meaning of life." Maybe you have a hunch that there's more out there (and in here) than you've yet encountered. Maybe you've been touched by a sense of the holy and the imprint has left an indelible mark.

Whatever the reason...

...I am humbled by the honor to provide you with a light to guide you onto the next leg of your journey, and that you've found something worth your while while you're here.

As for me, I am blessed beyond belief to be living the life I live with my wife—my twin flame and best friend—in pristine paradise on our nine-acre off-grid compound (don't worry, not the cult kind) in the Middle o' Nowheresville, Colorado. I am happier than ever, more peaceful than ever, more alive than ever, and living in Abundance more than ever. Some say, "Yeah, well look at your life; of course you don't have a care in the world." Au contraire, as I said at the outset, it wasn't always this way, and I can let it go at a moment's notice. My life, our life, is a direct testament to what I've been articulating for you over the past paragraphs—an "undeserved" yet hard-earned gift.

At the risk of sounding sales-pitchy (for that couldn't be further from my intention), you too can have your own uniquely customized version of what I've described above. The surface details may be different, but the essence the same.

When all is said and done, this is what I was put on this planet to do. It brings me more joy and fulfillment than you can imagine. To conclude, I'll echo a beloved college professor who once said regarding his passion for teaching, "I'd teach to a room of empty chairs." That's when you know you're onto something you love. And I'm onto something I love. Whether I have students or not, whether anyone in my lifetime picks up what I'm putting down, I will continue creating content, writing books, plumbing the depths and climbing the peaks of the uncharted interior, and reporting back what I find so that you may see it too; the view is breathtaking from where I sit.

Where I Am
Ten years ago, I first arrived in Colorado (Denver, to be exact) with an opportunity of a lifetime: to be a part of a small group of people studying directly with Ken Wilber, one of the most prolific philosophers the world has ever seen and pioneer of Integral Theory. My path eventually led me away from Denver and on to Boulder, where I met and married my beloved best friend and twin flame, Christy. We spent four years living in a high elevation mountain neighborhood above town while building my yoga and meditation offerings at a yoga studio in town. Things were going so well that we began making plans to buy a house in the area, until on a private retreat at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, we got the unexpected but clear and undeniable call to move again and settle in remote Crestone, CO, where we quickly found and purchased our dream home on nine acres of off-grid paradise. Two years have already passed, we are immensely happy, and I am continuing to cultivate and fine-tune my practice and my teaching by serving the locals of the San Luis Valley, hosting retreats, creating online courses, and working with students one on one.

When to Begin
I'll leave you with the patient urgency of something my wife likes to say: Time is of the essence, but take your time. There is no need to rush, but don't delay. In other words, whenever you're ready. In other words, now!

Ready to dive in?
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Author

Through many years of study and practice in lineages of ancient wisdom and healing arts, Kemper Kaliana has overcome addiction, mental illness, and many other sources of greatly burdensome turmoil and suffering. He has developed a neatly packaged, easy to follow system to deliver and transmit the same results that he has found to others through yoga, meditation, and the many-faceted discipline of self-inquiry. He has published three books (with the fourth on the way) that not only document his story and how he "got to where he is," but also lay out a clear path for others to follow. He lives with his wife Christy on their beautiful nine acres of off-grid paradise in the "middle-o'-nowhere" Crestone, CO. Kemper and Christy have proudly established The Kaliana Center of Consciousness as a beacon of truth in their community and a light unto the world.