Today we’d like to introduce you to Arrah Karigan.
Hi Arrah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I stumbled into meditation almost by accident. Years ago, at a Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Austin, TX, I signed up for a class with a teacher I admired from afar but had never studied with directly. Her teaching was extraordinary—so skillful in the art of the subtle body and energy systems—that when it came time to sit quietly at the end, something clicked. Meditation happened for me, naturally, without force. It felt like a switch had been flipped.
In that moment, I knew. I knew this was a skill I needed—not as a hobby or a nice idea, but as something vital for my wellbeing and my life. From there, I simply began: showing up, practicing, and pursuing the knowledge of meditation. Teaching was never the goal. It was only about learning how to live with more steadiness, clarity, and ease.
But over time, the practice started spilling out of me. I’d find myself helping friends, striking up conversations with strangers in elevators, or diving into long discussions about mindfulness and body regulation and how they connect to meditative states. People were curious, and I couldn’t help but share what I’d learned. Eventually, it became clear that this wasn’t just my practice anymore—it was something I needed to bring to others. So I decided to open a business and make it official – Higher State Consulting was born.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Learning these skills has required real commitment—time, attention, and a willingness to stay the course. I’ve spent years honing my practice, and I’m deeply grateful that I did. Meditation was never something I wanted to just “study”; it was something I needed to live.
My family has walked through, and continues to walk through, profound challenges and upheaval – mental health, children with profound needs, extended family conflicts, covid and the reorganization our entire family.
In the middle of it all, my meditation practice has been an anchor. It has given me not just calm, but intuition—a kind of inner knowing. The knowing that struggle often precedes change. The knowing that not every hard time is mine to fix. And the presence to meet people and situations exactly as they are, without collapsing under them.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but the practice has taught me that smooth isn’t the goal. The goal is steadiness in the midst of it all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I teach meditation as a practical life skill—something everyone can learn and carry into the way they live, work, and connect with others. My specialty is making meditation approachable for people who think it isn’t for them: those who’ve tried before and struggled, or those who’ve never believed they could quiet their minds. I like breaking it down into simple, doable practices that work in real life, not just on a cushion or a retreat.
I founded Higher State Consulting to bring these skills into the workplace in a fresh and original way. In that setting, I’ve helped leaders and teams reduce stress, sharpen focus, and show up with more presence and clarity—without burning out. What I’ve seen again and again is how meditation ripples outward: when one person steadies their mind, it impacts how they show up at work, at home, and in their communities.
I have the mix of lived experience and teaching style and I’ve felt the strain of corporate life and the weight of family challenges. I know what it means to meet those pressures with steadiness instead of collapse. I don’t teach from a pedestal; I teach from the ground, in plain language, with tools that actually stick.
And now I’m taking this work further. Higher State Meditations, my new platform, is coming soon—a space where anyone, anywhere, can learn to meditate with the guidance of a real teacher. Because the more meditators we bring into the world, the more calm we send into it.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about St. Louis is the diversity. People here come from so many backgrounds, religions, and nationalities—and with them, they bring their food. As someone who grew up in Louisiana, I didn’t grow up around that kind of variety, so I never take it for granted. One day I’m discovering a new dish I’ve never tasted before, the next I’m meeting people with stories completely different from my own. I also love how you can be standing in line at the grocery store and find yourself between a PhD researcher and someone who just launched a podcast. That mix of people keeps the city interesting.
What I don’t love is how car-centric the area is. I’d happily walk more places, but where I live in St. Louis, there isn’t much emphasis on pedestrian infrastructure. It’s one of those things that makes you wish the city leaned just a little more toward walkable, connected neighborhoods.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.higherstateconsulting.com and www.higherstatemeditations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higher_state_meditations/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrah-karigan
- Other: https://linktr.ee/higherstateconsulting
