Awaken your inner wisdom and radiance – with world renowned yoga teacher Kia Miller

Petra: Welcome to Places of Healing and thank you for taking the time. Radiant Body Yoga is a type of practice that you have developed yourself. Could you describe what RBY is all about and what the key elements are? 

Kia: Radiant Body Yoga came out of my desire to meet the modern practitioner where they’re at and guide them to where they want to be. I realized that today’s practitioner has only a limited amount of time each day, so the question became: how can we achieve the maximum impact on the physical, emotional, mental, and energetic body in a short period of time?

To address this, I developed classes that combine Vinyasa, Kundalini Yoga, Kriyas from different Himalayan traditions, Pranayama, Mantra, Meditation, and deep relaxation practices like Yoga Nidra. Depending on the class and the students’ needs at that moment, one element might be more dominant—like more Pranayama or more Vinyasa. That’s really the foundation of where it all comes from for me.

Petra: How did this process of merging different yoga practices start? 

Kia: I taught teacher trainings at Yoga Works in Santa Monica for many years, which was the studio at the time—known for its incredible teachers, teachings, and an outstanding curriculum for Vinyasa Yoga and Yogic philosophy. At the same time, I was already practicing Kundalini Yoga, and it was so healing in a way that Vinyasa was not even touching me. Healing on an emotional level through the practices, the meditations with mantras, with breaths, that was just changing my consciousness and helped me access a much deeper space within myself. 

My friends and I used to joke that I was doing „Ashtanga-lini“ because I’d practice Ashtanga in the morning and Kundalini in the afternoon. And then I started to merge them together in my classes meaning that in my Vinyasa classes I would add lots of intentional Breathwork and short Kriyas to move energy and in my Kundalini classes I was adding more Vinyasa to get people really grounded in their body before they did a Kriya and moved their energy in that level of intensity.  And this developed into my Radiant Body Yoga approach.

Petra: Do you remember your very first yoga class in your life? 

Kia: My first class was at the Edge Yoga Center in London. I had been an athlete all my life and my body was stiff from running, high jumping and things like that. And then learning how to breathe and move together was incredible for me!

Petra: When did you discover that Yoga is more than a physical practice with a whole philosophy and way of living life? 

Kia: My entry was my teacher training. I had already been practicing Kundalini Yoga before I did my Vinyasa teacher training, and my teacher Guru Singh had a deeply philosophical approach. But at the time, a lot of it went over my head—I didn’t fully understand it. 

It wasn’t until I did my first teacher training that I came to understand. But even then, it was just the beginning of understanding. The real shift happened when I took my Kundalini teacher training. That’s when the idea of living Yoga truly came alive for me. I had already been doing Ashtanga six days a week, but this was something different. This personal Sadhana was changing me energetically and I started to feel different. That’s when Yogic philosophy started to make sense—not just as abstract ideas or ethical guidelines, but as something real. I began having deeper experiences of myself—moments of recognition, like “Ah, that’s who I am.”  That´s when I understood the idea of this being a path of life, not just a practice to do on the mat, but an entire philosophy that encompasses every aspect of your life.

Petra: What was your biggest aha moment on this healing journey and in discovering the true meaning of yoga?

Kia: It was the realization that everything I was seeking on the outside—I already had within. And everything I needed to know, I could access from within. That doesn’t mean I didn’t need techniques or guidance from teachers, but I came to see that true wisdom—unlike knowledge—arises from within. It’s those moments of deep knowing.

And as your awareness expands, you realize that you used to see things in a small, limited way, and suddenly you can see the much bigger picture—and that all came from my own practice. It wasn’t anything somebody else was telling me. That was so exciting—those insights, those aha moments. Then I’d read Yogic philosophy and recognized: “Oh, that’s what I experienced. That’s it.” And the more I taught, the more I understood. Because the teachings would come through me versus come from my mind. 

Petra: What does your personal daily practice look like?

Kia: Meditation is key to my life. So, each day, I do whatever Pranayama I need to prepare myself to sit—usually for an hour or more. That’s my daily practice. If I’ve been very outward—like after teaching at a Yoga festival—I need more grounding when I return home. My energy has been extended outward, and my mind wants to stay there. In those times, I do more physical and Kriya practice to help me turn inward again. Once I’m internalized, I can sit in meditation.

I’ve learned to be very fluid with my own practice. But at the beginning, I could not be fluid. I had to have strong guidelines that did not have leeway, otherwise I would fall off the wagon. And I had to do that for enough years that I knew how much I needed and desired it. Now, even if I miss a day while travelling, I’m right back on the mat the next day. 

Petra: Yeah, I think the daily practice is what really brings the shift – even on days when coming onto the mat is the last thing you want to do. Just do it, don’t skip. Because it always changes your state of being.

Kia: Exactly.  For me, it’s really about the process of unraveling the egoic identity. Not that we don’t need the ego to serve in this world. But through practice, we learn to recognize where the ego is keeping us stuck in limited patterns—whether in how we see ourselves, others, or life itself. It becomes a continual process of renewal—of opening to new ways of seeing things, so that life continues to have this feeling of excitement.

Petra: What I really appreciate about your teaching is how much lightness and joy you bring into the practice. The yoga world can sometimes feel very serious. How important is it for you to make it fun and joyful?

Kia: To me, it´s essential. Because we want to embody more of that. If we’re changing our energy through the practice, we want to keep moving it towards joy, gratitude, feelings of openness and connection. Seriousness is going to lead us to still feel like we’re inadequate in some way.  But when we approach it with lightness, we recognize that we’re perfect in the moment and evolving. Any time we’re consciously breathing, engaging, and choosing to challenge ourselves with awareness, we have the chance to move through some of the blocks and the limited way of seeing ourselves.

It’s like Einstein said: “You can’t solve a problem at the level at which it was created.” If I’m feeling stuck, I use Kriya to raise my state—so I can gain a different perspective. It’s not about avoiding emotions; it’s about elevating myself to a place where I can actually see clearly. From there, I can unpack what I’m feeling without getting trapped in it again.

And ultimately, the deepest aim of Yoga is to cultivate a continuity of awareness. So, the question becomes: how do we cultivate that continuity where the mind is employed in a very different way? 

Petra: The world we live in employs our minds all the time. The level of distraction has never been greater, and neither has the level of chronic stress and anxiety caused by our modern lifestyle. More than ever, people have the desire to go on a healing journey—whatever that means for them personally. At the same time, the number of offerings out there is overwhelming. For someone who says, “Okay, I need to do something,” how can they start? What are the first steps someone can take that are realistic and integrable into daily life?

Kia: Start with 10 minutes. Because in 10 minutes, especially when you use breath, you can change your state so quickly. Take the example of a busy mother who feels like she’s constantly on the children’s or husband’s schedule and doesn’t have space for herself. If she takes just 10 minutes in the morning, does a couple of powerful breath techniques, and then sits quietly to feel herself, she becomes the generator that is influencing everyone in her life—her entire family structure and beyond—just from that centered place she touched in those 10 minutes.

Of course, sustaining it takes time and practice, but once you’ve tasted that connection, it becomes something you want to return to. You wake up, set your energy for the day, and carry that flavor with you into your interactions. A single deep breath later in the day can take you right back to where you were in your 10-minute practice. And then, maybe there’s another 10-minute practice later in the day just to clear your energy and come home to yourself before you go to sleep. So, I think these ways, it’s manageable for somebody who has a big schedule. And then you can gradually expand it. 

The other thing I really recommend for people who want that change and shift in their lives is to do an immersive experience. When you’re in a space for a few days, practicing repeatedly—one practice after another—you transform so much. You step outside your usual family or life patterns and renew yourself. You really become so vibrant and connected in a new way. Then, when you return home to your family unit, if you can maintain that frequency, you’re going to effortlessly shift the whole pattern of your family, because they’re going to harmonize around your new energy. You don’t have to say anything, and they don’t have to do anything different. Just them relating to you and your new frequency is going to shift the whole pattern. That, to me, is where true healing starts – within relationships and family systems. 

Petra: Let’s talk about your upbringing. You grew up on a farm in the Falkland Islands. How has that connection to nature shaped your way of being and seeing the world?

Kia: It just has, because nature was a huge part of my childhood. I lived in a tiny settlement in the Falkland Islands, which is in the middle of nowhere in the South Atlantic Ocean. There are no distractions – just you and nature. Looking back, I realize I had this continual conversation with the unseen world as a child. I was always communing, having conversations, even singing to nature. It was just natural to me and so that’s been there for me now my whole life. It’s why I choose to live in the mountains and why I spend as much time as I can in nature. The patterns of nature are so coherent—they naturally bring us back into our own coherence. So, if you’re not a Yogi but you go out and spend time in nature, you’re brought back into connection. 

Petra: When you were 13, the Falklands War broke out. That must have been a massive shock—for you and the world you lived in. Would you say that this experience was a milestone that changed the course of your life?

Kia: A 100%, it was a huge experience to go through. I was fortunate enough that I didn’t feel traumatized by it. Even though I saw everything you might see in a war, I saw it firsthand, I felt it. But somehow, I was protected energetically from taking anything on other than a strong anti-war stance, that I took into my 20s and 30s and became an activist. 

But I think the biggest influence for me was when my father died when I was 14, just a year later. And I moved to England. That was a drastic change for me. Growing up free on a farm, suddenly being in suburban England with my mother, up in the north outside of Manchester. That is where I lost a little of that innate connection. And then it came back through the Yogic practice. 

Petra: And at what point did you move to the United States? 

Kia: I moved in 1996 first for a year and a bit. I had come on a modeling job to America in 1990 and I fell in love with the land. I felt like spirit called me to be here. And it took me a few years to make it happen. I finally moved here permanently in 2000. And then I launched myself into yoga. 

Petra: Quite successfully, I would say. And now you´ve just launched your app. Can you explain in a few words what it´s about – what the offering is?

Kia: It’s the Radiant Body Yoga app. We just launched the first tier, which is free. It’s a community space for teachers and practitioners to come together. There’s a guided Sadhana, so whenever you enter the app, there’s a shared practice the community is doing. If that particular practice doesn’t resonate with you, there are other options available—you can find one that speaks to you and just hop in and start practicing. We also have philosophical sharings and programs like the Radiant Body Cleanse, that we’re running right now. So, if you’re a Yoga practitioner looking to connect with like-minded people around the world in an ad-free space, this is for you. It’s a place for meaningful conversations and for getting to know others who share similar life goals. I wanted the app to be truly community-oriented, a space where you can join a global community in an uplifting, supportive environment.

Petra: Community is more important than ever these days. Even though we’re constantly connected through our phones, it can still feel like a lonely place.

Kia: Exactly. The next level of the app is the online studio, which will have curated class series. But it’s more than just classes—it’s about offering real experiences you can move through. Because I love nature so much, I’ve been filming in beautiful places I visit. I love creating beauty and it’s going to have that sense of just nature speaking through the screen. So even if you’re in an apartment in the middle of the city, you’ll still feel like: it’s you and me practicing together, there’s nature, and there’s your space—it all comes together.