Episode 168: On the Other Side Where Things Get to be Easy with Nekita Reyna

Yay! Welcome everybody to the Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt podcast. I am continuing my daily episode drops of amazing individuals that are part of the Joa Publishing group as well as the Mose network. And today I have Nikita Reyna with me, who is actually part of the behind-the-scenes team. You’re one of the team members, and you recently joined in the fall of 2024, if I am remembering correctly. I’m so excited for you to come on and share how you became connected, know Kira, became a part of the team, and your experience. Also, some of your faith journey as well. So let’s just get started.

Awesome. Thank you.

Thank you for having Tita.

Oh yes, happy to be here.

So just share with us your background—who you are, where you’re from, your family, faith, maybe education or professional pursuits.

Yeah. Well, I am originally from Indiana, from a small town. I grew up very conservative and traditional, but in the best way. I didn’t know anything different. Since moving to Phoenix, I’ve come to discover life was so small, and I really enjoy the duality of that now. I learned the joys of growing up with a simple home, being outside and in nature, and also finding grace along my journey moving to Arizona. I moved here four years ago—three and a half in Phoenix, now living in Sedona. It’s been a journey of expanding my awareness.

I grew up in a Christian family. It wasn’t very strict or imposed, but I had a lot of questions about God. I remember feeling unsettled when those questions weren’t answered—like, how is God everywhere, and what does God do with certain people? When I moved to Arizona, I shut that side of me off and started exploring different religions and healing modalities. That allowed me to find my own relationship with God. When I first moved, I joined a community practicing Kundalini Yoga, which is all about life force energy. It helped me find something new. After one class, we prayed during dinner, and I felt so at home—able to combine different practices. Since then, it’s been a journey of finding what God means to me, and finding home and myself in Arizona, away from my close-knit family.

That’s beautiful. I’ve only recently been introduced to Kundalini Yoga. How would you describe the difference between that and, say, Hatha Yoga?

One of my core essences is receptivity—I’m very open to life’s experiences. I was invited to Kundalini a month after moving here, with no idea what it was. For someone unfamiliar, it’s a unique practice designed to train your ego and mindset. The movements aren’t a flow—they’re centered on breathwork and doing things you wouldn’t normally do. It pushes you past mental resistance. My experience was ending up in a flow state. It felt so good, I went every Tuesday—it became my church for two years.

Thank you for sharing that. So, with your faith or spirituality, what obstacles or challenges have you faced? Times you wondered, “Should I be doing this?”

It’s a continuous journey. That feeling of home in prayer was just the beginning. I was looking at spirituality through the lens of wanting to fix myself. One big issue was binge eating—my way of self-soothing. I’d dip into spirituality, be in expansive places with loving, successful people, then retreat and soothe with food. I felt like I was playing a facade—others saw my light, beauty, and God in me, but I struggled with perfectionism and trying to “get spirituality right.”

Spirituality overlaps with personal development. I had awareness, but sometimes it felt like a detriment—seeing myself in a loop without the tools to get out, to return to compassion. Tangibly, my biggest challenges were isolation, perfectionism, and not fully trusting myself or my core identity.

You said you didn’t always have the tools to come back to compassion. What’s one tool you use now?

The breath. I was part of a community of healers, naturopaths, and musicians, and I started weekly one-on-one breathwork sessions—very somatic. It wasn’t just breathing; it was shaking, feeling resistance in my body, being held in that space. Also, verbal processing—I love sharing, being seen in my thought process. By the end, pieces come together.

I’m like that, too—I process through talking. You have such heightened awareness of how you move through the world. Breathing is underestimated in our fast-paced society. It forces you to slow down, interrupt stress cycles, and break thought spirals.

Yes, it’s easy to go down spirals. Last week, during breathwork, Jeremy said, “The mind heals the body, and the breath heals the mind.” That landed with me—pausing disrupts the process and gives us space to choose something new.

He’s powerful. I should get him on the podcast.

That would be amazing.

Recently, I’ve been focusing my podcast on joy—those blissful moments that show there’s life on the other side of exploration. Can you think of joy moments as you’ve surrendered and incorporated new insights?

Well, I’m in love, so yes. I’ve had so many amazing experiences with my partner. Last year, I wondered if I’d meet someone who could understand all of me. I changed my name, cut my hair, got a piercing—wondered if the compromise would be with spirituality or business. But as I released and trusted myself, Dawson came into my life last fall. He has an expansive career, is spiritual, and in tune with masculine and feminine energy.

One joy moment: when I first started working for Kira, I sold my friend into the island retreat. I held that vision strongly for her. After the call, I went outside to Dawson and said, “Let’s pray for my friend.” We stood barefoot in the garden, holding hands, praying for her and then for our loved ones. Tears ran down my face—I had my person to share the depth of how I feel.

By leaning in, you learned there was no compromise.

Exactly. Now I feel like I’m on the other side of that realization—things get to be easy.

You love business and creation. Tell us about your role with Joa.

I’m in sales and community engagement—making sure everyone feels seen, heard, supported, and challenged. Sales lets me use my “power of influence” to challenge people into new realities. I never thought I’d be in sales—I studied psychology and resonated with being a healer. But sales became a journey of learning my power, realizing money is accessible, and that my energy creates results.

Have you thought about writing a book or chapter?

I didn’t have the desire until last week, being in person with the community. I realized a book could be the channel for my life’s work and purpose. I’d love to weave my journeys and stories, discover the core essence of my message, and work from that.

Now I’m craving it too! Final question: what does it mean to you to live beyond the shadow of doubt?

I didn’t realize my relationship with doubt until I moved here. My neighbor, an old sage, told me, “Doubt the doubt,” and to write it on my fridge. That shifted everything. Now I see doubt, play with it, and choose to move forward anyway.

I love that—you’re seeing doubt as separate from yourself, holding it in curiosity, training your ego.

Exactly. Beyond the mind—breathing into uncertainty, then choosing my direction from the observer’s place.

If folks want to join Joa, write, or go to the island, they can contact you?

Yes. I’m aligned with Kira’s message. Look up Kira Brinton for offerings, or find me on Instagram at a.q.awareness. We’re always open to serve.

I’ll include your info and calendar link in the show notes. Now, some fun quick questions:

Favorite book? – The Alchemist.
Introvert or extrovert? – Introvert right now.
Favorite artist? – Sia.
Morning or night person? – Morning.
Celebrity crush? – Zach Bush, and Johnny Depp.
Still or carbonated water? – Carbonated with lemon or lime.
Furthest place traveled? – Arizona. Haven’t been out of the country yet.

Nikita, it’s been a joy chatting with you.

My pleasure. Thank you—it’s been fun.