Neelakantha Meditation
Due to Covid-19, Online Options are Available
Neelakantha Meditation, as taught in Blue Throat Yoga, is a simple, elegant practice that anyone can learn. The practice has its roots in the ancient teachings of Kashmir, in India, but is specifically designed to serve our every day lives in the world—a householder path—as it is called.
Neelakantha Meditation works by permitting the movement of attention from our ordinary awareness at the surface of life, toward the deeper structures in the mind, and into more and more settled and alert states of being. It is a practice, done twice daily, and it yields deep benefits to the mind, body and nervous system. The practice serves to shift a person’s identity and assessment of life by moving attention to one’s own inner resources of power, strength, intelligence and resiliency.
Naturally, and automatically, the practice serves to remove negative habits and thought patterns while simultaneously unlocking hidden potential, talent, and creativity that can be blocked from expression. Neelakantha Meditation requires no manipulation of thoughts or heroic austerities, and it works without requiring any particular talent, belief or predispositions.
The practice is learned through formal instruction– approximately 6 hours, spread out over two or three days– to ensure that the practice is thoroughly understood and the student feels independent and clear about the technique. Please see the section below for more information. Individual or small group sessions can be scheduled with Karen by filling out the Contact Form on this website.
Neelakantha Meditation is a profound and very natural practice meant to serve life and it can be used to support any person’s highest aims and auspicious desires. By regularly allowing awareness to steep in the deepest structures of the silence that we discover within ourselves, we can settles into more authentic and healthy life patterns as part of a natural and evolutionary movement toward higher and higher states of conscious living.
How Neelakantha Meditation is Taught
Formal personal meditation instruction is a tried and true method for learning this practice. The process of learning takes place over for two (or sometimes three) separate sessions in order for you to receive detailed instructions about how to do the practice (approximately two hours for Day 1) Then, on the following day, or sometimes in shorter sessions over the next two days, you will be given the theory of the practice (this usually entails 3-4 hours of teaching and practice.)
This structure helps ensure your autonomy and success in your practice. Knowledge is power, and having a good foundation in not only the technique, but also in *why* it works, permits growth to happen rapidly and in a clear and supported way.
All practitioners of Neelakantha Meditation receive a vast network of support for their practice. Once you’ve learned your technique, you’ll receive continued support from Karen through invitations to local group meditation practice; plus all practitioners are eligible to hear the “Day 2” teaching instructions again, wherever they are offered, with any authorized teacher of Neelakantha Meditation, including Paul Muller-Ortega.
You also receive ongoing support from me and from Blue Throat Yoga through many different resources they provide, including:
- Two days of personal instruction with me
- Local group meditation and gatherings
- Live, interactive Meditation Practice Teleseminars through Blue Throat Yoga
- Online library of pre-recorded teachings and study materials to support your practice and understanding
- Email support for any questions that arise.
- Additional practices that strengthen and support your meditation process
- Original scholarly translation and commentary by renowned meditation teacher, Paul Muller-Ortega
- Attendance at Day Two of any subsequent Initiation (mine, or any teacher’s) at no cost in order to refresh and strengthen your practice
- Opportunity to learn Advanced meditation levels after 18 months of practice
- Invitation to attend meditation retreats
For those who do not live in Northern Idaho or Eastern Washington, Karen is available to travel to teach in many parts of the United States and western Canada. Please use the Contact Page to inquire about how to schedule an individual or small-group session.
About Paul Muller-Ortega and Blue Throat Yoga
Paul Muller-Ortega founded Blue Throat Yoga over ten years ago as a school for teaching Neelakantha Meditation, and for exploring the depths of Consciousness through workshops, retreats, publications and advanced studies programs. Paul’s work brings forth and elaborates on the esoteric teachings of medieval India; particularly the lineages of the Kashmir Shaiva tradition. Paul has taught thousands of people how to meditate; and has over 50 years of academic scholarship and personal meditation practice. Paul teaches in the United States and beyond, offering workshops and retreats; as well as offering original translations and commentaries on the foundational texts of the tradition. For more information on Paul Muller-Ortega and the offerings of Blue Throat Yoga, please see their website, here.