Before we begin today’s conversation, I want to acknowledge the courage, the heart, and the deep wairua (spirit) that our guest brings into this space. It’s also important to acknowledge that what you’ll hear is not just a story of trauma - it is a story of survival, cultural memory, spiritual awakening, and of a woman who has walked through darkness and chosen, again and again, to stand in love and light.

This episode contains discussions around childhood sexual abuse, violence, and intergenerational harm. They’re difficult topics, and they might bring up strong emotions. Please take care of yourself as you listen. Pause if you need to. Take a breath. Come back when you’re ready. 

Side note: The way that Kara shares her story creates a confronting yet comforting listening environment. It’s unlike any other view of trauma or abuse I’ve ever heard. There’s a calming wisdom that prevails which allows us to feel into a life that many people would consider unbearable, were it not for the innate wisdom within, the wairua, the spirit of the soul, guiding it home, beyond what was happening, and into what it has become, two very different places along the path of life.

My guest Kara Gray lived a life shaped by forces no child should ever have to face. But she’s also lived a life shaped by ancestors, ceremony, by intuition and compassion, and by a fierce commitment to breaking cycles that have travelled through generations.

She joins us not to relive the past, but to share the wisdom she’s gathered, the healing, the reclamation, the return to her inner child, and the deep knowing that we are so much more than what has happened to us.

It’s an honour to hold this kōrero with Kara Gray today.  To listen and learn and to be trusted with such an important sharing of her wise and wonderful words.

I never know what a guest will want to share, how open they’ll be to the project and the process. Each interview in the series so far, has moved me in its own way. It’s not just about the content, it’s the bravery that accompanies it, the authenticity in each voice, and the messages that come through, which will be different for each of us.

Listen with love.