Draft:Kutira
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Kutira, also known as Kutira Decosterd, is a Swiss-born musician, author, eco-activist, and spiritual teacher known for her pioneering work in embodied spirituality, sustainable living, and sacred music. Kutira is the founder of the Kahua Hawaiian Institute.[1] She is also the co-founder of Kahua Records, an independent record label specializing in spiritual and healing music.[2] She has collaborated with her husband, composer Raphael, on numerous music albums blending world, ambient, and devotional traditions.
Musical Career
[edit]In 1989, she recorded her debut album, Into the Dreamtime, with shamanic drummer Suru Frank Ekeh. During the production of this album, she met Raphael at a studio in Big Sur, California. Their collaboration soon evolved into a musical and spiritual partnership.
They married in 1993 and released the film Surrender to Love, which documents their wedding ceremony. The film includes appearances by Dr. John Lilly and members of the Maui community.[3]
Kutira and Raphael released several albums, including Tantric Wave, The Calling, and The Eternal Feminine. Their music integrates influences from Polynesian chants, Tantric teachings, and ambient soundscapes.[4]
They have performed internationally, sharing their blend of spiritual and world music at festivals, retreats, and concert venues across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania.
Embodied Spirituality and Sustainability
[edit]The Kahua Hawaiian Institute, established in 1985 by Kutira and Raphael, serves as the foundation of their teaching and creative endeavors, focusing on sustainability and inner development.[5]
Her ecological awareness and global engagement evolved into a broader, integrative philosophy known as Embodied Spirituality and Sustainability. This approach combines personal healing and spiritual growth with ecological consciousness, fostering a deeper relationship with the Earth.[6]
In 1998, Kutira and Raphael co-founded the Maui Eco Retreat, a self-sustaining, off-grid retreat center. They constructed the first permitted bamboo structure in North America and established the region’s first bamboo farm, importing construction-grade bamboo from around the world to support future eco-building initiatives.[7]
As a founding member of Bamboo Technology (later known as Rizome), Kutira played a key role in achieving State of Hawaii approval for bamboo as an alternative building material in 1998. In recognition of her efforts, she received the Bamboo Pioneer Award in 2013.[8]
Kutira is also a co-founder and advisory board member of Food Security Hawaiʻi, a nonprofit organization established in 2010. Through this initiative, she has mentored numerous students and educators, promoting food security and self-sufficiency throughout the Hawaiian Islands.[9] In 2019, she transformed the original bamboo farm into an innovative agroforestry garden, designed to grow native staple crops and teach regenerative agriculture and tropical farming techniques.[10]
Bhutan Initiatives
[edit]Kutira serves on the advisory board of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation under the Patronage and initiative of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. Her Oracle card deck, The Dragon's Gift, is inspired by Bhutanese wisdom and was created in collaboration with Bhutanese artists.
Documentary
[edit]The Dance of Earth & Spirit is a feature-length documentary directed by Mathieu Ferguson that follows Kutira Decosterd and her husband, composer Raphael, as they transform a remote area on Maui’s North Shore into an ecological sanctuary. The film documents their efforts to integrate sustainable living practices with spiritual teachings, drawing on indigenous wisdom and contemporary ecological solutions.[11]
The documentary features the couple's construction of the first permitted bamboo house in the United States, highlighting bamboo as a sustainable building material. It also includes segments filmed in Bhutan and the Himalayas, where the couple explores spiritual traditions and their connection to nature. The film presents their philosophy of “embodied spirituality” as a means to live harmoniously with the Earth.
The soundtrack for the film, also titled The Dance of Earth & Spirit, features original music by Kutira and Raphael. The compositions blend Hawaiian, African, Tibetan, and Native American influences and support contemplative and healing experiences. The album was released by Kahua Records and is available on various digital platforms.[12][13]
Books
[edit]Kutira is the author of The Lightness of Body and Being. Published in 2011, the book integrates breathwork, movement, and mindfulness with ecological consciousness and spiritual practice.[14]
Reference
[edit]- ^ "Founders Story – Kutira & Raphael". Kahua Institute. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ "Home - Kahua Records". Kahua Records. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ Surrender To Love. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ "Kahua Records". Kahua Records. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "About the Kahua Institute". Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ Décosterd, Kutira (2008). The Lightness of Body and Being. Kahua Institute. ISBN 978-0-9761211-0-9.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "Bamboo Building Pioneer – Kahua Institute". Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ "Rizome – Sustainable Bamboo Innovation". Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ "Food Security Hawaii – About Us". Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ "Agroforestry – Kahua Institute". Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ The Dance of Earth and Spirit, Culture Unplugged. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ The Dance of Earth & Spirit, Bandcamp. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ The Dance of Earth & Spirit, Qobuz. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ Costerd, Kutira D. (6 November 2011). The Lightness of Body and Being: Kutira Decosterd. Kahua Hawaiian Institute, LLC. ISBN 978-0615553634.