In Conversation with Amy Kate
Amy is a dedicated teacher and lifelong student of yoga, a wildly talented visual storyteller, and a skilled facilitator of breathwork, meditation, and retreats—among many other things. The fruits of her devotion are abundantly evident in all she does.
As an introspective explorer, Amy courageously journeys into the depths of the self, embracing both its light and shadows. She has a special gift for authentically sharing her insights and process with the world, inspiring others to delve into their own inner landscapes.
What I admire most about Amy is her ability to navigate life with a graceful balance of reverence and levity. This radiant energy infuses everything she shares—turning all she touches into gold. Witnessing her ongoing evolution, as she pursues the softening of the heart, is truly inspiring.
What does your personal practice look like currently?
I’ve landed in a place with my practice lately that has felt very stabilising and steady... Stabilising has been a core word the last eight months for me and my practice has all been in support of finding it within myself.
It changes daily, but at the moment I use the first 20 - 30 minutes of my day to meditate and find rest in the space within me—grounding first in myself before taking in the world. Movement has always been a medicine for me, either with yoga, somatics, a beat-based work out, pilates or the high-intensity interval training Chroma Room that has just gone in at Sala! I prefer moving later in the afternoon when my energy picks up.
Nature is another foundation for me. It’s the greatest asset for bringing me back into coherence and regulation is to go out and pay attention to the unfolding of life. Through the week as I feel called into them, I’ll also do breathwork practices, journalling, cacao ceremony, prayer and the study of sacred texts.
Nature is another foundation for me. My greatest asset for bringing me back into coherence and regulation is to go out and pay attention to the unfolding of life.
How does your practice on the mat ripple out into life off the mat?
At this point I feel most of my practice takes place off my mat. My practice on the mat is a form of embodiment, devotion and also just time to spend with myself. But right now my mat practice makes up about 5% off the work. And usually is a place for me to land, ground and integrate everything going on off the mat.
If your practice only takes place on you're mat, you are missing a vital aspect. Fully participating in your reality, taking right action, standing up for a more free world, choosing to move with a more tender heart. This is where true practice begins.
The idea that practice only happens on the mat is a severe misinterpretation of Spirituality.
The Western world often mistakes the tool as the destination, we confuse meditation, Asana and breathwork as the source. While yes, they are beautiful, necessary and sacred practices, they are also just the tools by which we access the real fruit.
Magic exists in the mundane and even painful moments, just as it exists in sacred practice and awe-inspiring beauty. It is simply your willingness to see and recognise it.
It isn't the practice itself that is holy, our practice is the doorway. The real potency is found when you walk through that gateway and come into contact with the quiet presence within; Divine, Universe, Source, God (insert whatever word you prefer here). Our practice helps us to become more attuned to that connection, to refine our ability to come to rest in that space so that we can access it more readily even when life feels challenging and painful.
Practice is important but should not be mistaken and removed from its true purpose, which is to connect you to something deeper than what is palpable. And this connection is not solely reserved in practice and on the mat but can be found everywhere that you are willing to seek it; watching a sunset, making a cup of tea, when your heart is breaking, hanging out the laundry, running after your kids. Magic exists in the mundane and even painful moments, just as it exists in sacred practice and awe-inspiring beauty. It is simply your willingness to see and recognise it.
You recently hosted a dreamy day retreat with Phoebe Hart. What can you share about this?
Inward was such an expansive experience for me and Phoebe. We have been essentially creating it from the beginning of our friendship. Hanging out together usually involved us practising, holding space for each other, sitting in enquiry and connection and we spoke it into existence three years ago when we first became friends.
To see it come into creation was the biggest answer to a prayer. Phoebe and I have skillsets and gifts that really complement one another. We always joke that I’m the Yang to her Yin, that I bring the chaos and she brings the steadiness. To be co-creating with her feels like the most natural thing in the world so the creation of it felt so right and easeful.
The day itself felt like the process of cocooning. It was centred around turning inward—we started with Cacao led by Phoebe, followed by experiential yoga and breathwork led by myself, then Somatic Yin with Phoebe, and to close, Energy work and Sound Journey with us both.
One takeaway that we both felt so deeply was just how much trust we have in each other, how natural our co-facilitaion was, how safe and supported we felt through the day by each other. These portals that open when we arrive together in shared intention and practice always open up so much. I’ve been feeling such a deepening within myself and in what me and Phoebe have been creating together since that day.
We actually have another retreat coming up! Its called “The Unfolding” A Spring Day Retreat and will again be hosted by Kula out in Muriwai. It is centred around the gentle unfurling that we are invited into during Spring. A time to rebirth ourselves and begin the process of emerging from our winter cocoons. Phoebe will be guiding a somatic dance and movement practice, we will have tea ceremony, I’ll lead a breath and experiential yoga practice. All to evoke and initiate all of us into more joy, curiosity and playfulness.
What are you currently feeling excited about?
Probably the Retreats with Phoebe! We are dreaming up bigger dreams and longer events and it feels palpable with joy and playfulness.
Something that has come through for me in it all has been to take up more residence in the home of my greatest strength; my heart. My ability to witness, to open and soften instead of putting up walls of protection and more separation. To not be fighting against the flow of my life so much, even when that means allowing space for the pain, heartache and the falling apart.
Can you share a challenge you’ve experienced that has led to a gift?
More recently I have been meeting a lot of contraction and heaviness. The last eight months I have felt like I’ve been battling my life in many ways—feelings of depression and helplessness mostly.
The state of the world sometimes leaves me feeling overwhelmed with grief and despair. It’s felt especially paralysing lately.
Something that has come through for me in it all has been to take up more residence in the home of my greatest strength; my heart. My ability to witness, to open and soften instead of putting up walls of protection and more separation. To not be fighting against the flow of my life so much, even when that means allowing space for the pain, heartache and the falling apart.
It is in our ability to feel these large and often time abrasive emotions that we carve more space, send our roots down deeper and open more lovingly into our lives. I’m still navigating it all, I still slip into the forgetfulness and separation, so it has been a daily practice to remember everyday and re-commit to letting my life in more and more.
Each moment has something to offer us, teach us, open us to. This tenderising of my heart has been the greatest gift bestowed on me through all the pain and heartache that I've been meeting.
The rain is not here to drown you, it's here to soften your roots so you can dig them deeper into the earth.
What is a piece of wisdom guiding you at the moment?
The act of surrender has seemed like a consistent theme for me lately, all in different iterations and forms. To quietly let go of all the resistance and tension so that I can move with my life rather than fight against it.
The moments of feeling despair and helplessness are signals to me that I can’t “win” these battles fought from my mind and through thought or out of fear. The action that will be most powerful is made from a place of inner fortitude and strength, out of more courage and compassion.
Ultimately to continue spilling my heart open even when I feel myself wanting to wall it up. And to act from that place requires deep surrender into a force greater than ourselves. It takes trust to witness our pain as our greatest healer and teacher. Times of chaos are here to land us deeper into what is unmoveable. The rain is not here to drown you, it's here to soften your roots so you can dig them deeper into the earth.
