When she first set out for India three decades ago, there were no shortcuts or sponsors. Born into a creative family and named “Shiva” at birth by her artist father Kevin Rea and her mother Mary Victoria, she inherited an early passion for movement and art.

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Driven by a deep, irresistible pull toward Kerala's living heritage, she juggled five different jobs back home in the United States, saving every single dollar until she could board a flight across the ocean. That initial leap turned into a 30-year love affair with India, anchored by a dedicated 20-year immersion in the land, soul and traditions of Kerala, a place she has long considered her spiritual home.

Inside the sacred Kalari

Stepping barefoot into the subterranean clay pit, touching the wooden threshold in reverence, and lighting the ‘Nilavilakku’ (lamp) at the ‘Kalari Pitham’ (corner altar), Shiva Rea surrendered fully to God's Own Country.

The founder of Prana Vinyasa and the Samudra Global School for Living Yoga, who holds degrees in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) began her intensive Kalaripayattu journey at CVN Kalari when her son Jai was just four years old.

Today, her artistic roots continue to flourish alongside her husband, meditation teacher Dimitry Veliskakes, and her son Jai, who has grown up to become an event organiser and DJ.


Over two decades, her devotion to Kerala’s martial heritage deepened under revered masters Gurukkal G Sathyanarayanan and senior instructor Rajasekharan Nair of CVN Kalari in Thiruvananthapuram. She spent endless hours mastering body conditioning, traditional weapons and fluid animal postures (vadivus) like the Simhavadivu (lion), Gajavadivu (elephant) and Sarpavadivu (serpent).

Her love for the state extended far beyond the combat pit. Intrigued by Kerala's vibrant cultural canvas, Shiva threw herself into the land's artistic traditions, learning the thunderous beats of the Chenda Melam, the graceful group movements of Kaikottikkali, and reciting traditional Malayalam chants.

For her, Kalaripayattu and Kerala's body-based wisdom became a vital sanctuary from modern life. In an era dominated by screens and the constant 24/7 pull of artificial intelligence, she views the physical, earth-bound discipline of Kalari as essential to staying human.

“With artificial intelligence, life is becoming abstract, drawing us away from the present moment,” Shiva shares her thoughts with Mathrubhumi English.
“AI allows people to replicate knowledge without going through the true process of realisation. But Kalaripayattu demands complete presence and bodily intelligence. You cannot just look up wisdom online, it must be realised within your own system,” she says. 
Her heart remains rooted in the traditional guru-to-shishya (master-to-disciple) transmission at the core of Indian knowledge systems, a sacred human connection she believes technology can never replace.
“Sacred arts like Kalari connect us to our greatest inner intelligence and give deep satisfaction to the soul,” she says. “In a world overwhelmed by tech stress, these ancient Kerala traditions are the ultimate antidote. The practices that will truly endure are those rooted in real physical embodiment,” she adds.

Bridging ancient traditions and global conviction
 

This deep-seated reverence for Kerala's culture and its disciplined arts seamlessly shapes how Shiva interacts with the wider world. Approaching her 60th birthday this coming February, she embodies a rare blend of artistic passion and unapologetic political conviction.

The same fierce authenticity she discovered in Kerala's ancient traditions keeps her intensely tuned to global affairs. Just as Kalaripayattu teaches one to stand firm in their truth, Shiva maintains an active stance on world events. She cheered Lula da Silva’s historic victory in Brazil with great enthusiasm.

Also, she has decided not to celebrate her milestone 60th birthday until Donald Trump’s political era concludes, while keeping a watchful eye on global shifts as she awaits the unseating of Netanyahu.

For Shiva, a deep reverence for ancient human embodiment and a vocal commitment to global justice are simply two sides of the very same practice.