Therapy, meditation and mindfulness from people who live the practice.
Akanista is a UK-based wellbeing practice led by an integrative therapist and a former Buddhist monk. Whether you're carrying stress, working through a big change, or want to learn meditation properly, we'll help you find a way forward that fits you.
Chaplain and Buddhist Faith Advisor at Imperial College London · Master's in Buddhist Studies, SOAS · Integrative counsellor and hypnotherapist, member of Counsellors Together UK · 15+ years of mindfulness practice · Workshops for Spotify, the NHS, BAT, Coats, Soho House and more
Does this sound familiar?
You may look capable from the outside and still feel anxious, exhausted, stuck or disconnected underneath. Perhaps a relationship has ended, or work has become heavy, or you're in the middle of a change you didn't plan. Or perhaps you're drawn to meditation and want to learn it from someone who has lived it, not just read about it.
You don't need to have it all worked out. You don't need the right words. Most people begin with a conversation.
Who we are
Akanista was co-founded in 2012 by Karuna Priya and Nitima Priya. Karuna is a former Buddhist monk and Buddhist chaplain. Nitima is an integrative counsellor, psychotherapist and hypnotherapist. Between them they bring formal training and decades of personal practice.
We started Akanista because meditation and mindfulness are now everywhere, and are often stripped of the context that makes them work. We teach them with their roots, their ethics and real personal guidance intact. We pair that with grounded, professional support for the things people actually struggle with: anxiety, burnout, relationships, self-worth and the question of what matters.
Karuna and Nitima Priya
Ways to work with us
Private counselling and therapy, with Nitima
Warm, confidential, non-judgemental online sessions that bring together integrative counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, mindfulness and mind-body work. For anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, separation and relationship change, work stress, and times when you feel stuck despite looking successful. Start with a free 20-minute consultation. 60-minute sessions are £85.
Buddhist meditation and mindfulness, with Karuna
Learn Buddhist meditation properly, or take a practical, secular approach to mindfulness, with a teacher who spent more than fifteen years as a monk. Karuna also offers spiritual mentoring for questions of meaning, identity and change. No belief is required.
For teams and organisations
From 20-minute workplace resets and sound baths to a six-week mindfulness programme that helps people build lasting habits, with Zenmind keeping the practice going between sessions. We've worked with Spotify, the NHS, Imperial College London, BAT, Coats, AMV Law, Stewarts, Soho House, Cushman & Wakefield and others.
Zenmind: guided meditations, free to start
Our meditation app, for practising between sessions or starting on your own. Begin with free guided meditations, and upgrade whenever you're ready for the full library.
How we work
Rooted, not repackaged.
We respect where these practices come from and teach them with context, so you understand not just what to do but why.
Mind and body together.
Change doesn't always happen through talking alone. We pay attention to thoughts, emotions and what you feel in the body.
Personal, never one-size-fits-all.
We draw on different approaches depending on what you need, at a pace that suits you. Your history, culture and beliefs shape the work, and you stay in charge of it.
Practical and lasting.
You leave with tools you can use on an ordinary Tuesday, not just a good feeling for an hour.
Open to everyone.
Spirituality is welcome if it matters to you and never required if it doesn't.
Meet the team
Nitima Priya
Co-founder · Integrative Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist
Nitima works with adults who are capable and successful on the outside but anxious, exhausted or stuck within: lawyers, executives, entrepreneurs, authors, business owners and many others, internationally. She brings together counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, EFT and NLP, mind-body work, sound healing and over 15 years of personal mindfulness practice. Born in the foothills of the Himalayas, she has lived and worked across cultures, worked with Buddhist communities and retreatants in France, and travelled widely across Southeast Asia and, most recently, Tibet on pilgrimage. Her meditations on the Aura wellbeing app have been played over a million times. She is a member of Counsellors Together UK (CTUK).
My role isn't to tell you how to live. It's to create a space where you can explore yourself honestly and discover what feels right for you.Book a free consultation with Nitima
Karuna Priya
Co-founder · Buddhist Meditation Teacher, Chaplain and Spiritual Mentor
Karuna spent more than 15 years living and studying in Buddhist monasteries in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He left monastic life at 25 and has spent the years since learning how those teachings hold up in relationships, work and ordinary life, which is what he now teaches. He holds a Master's in Buddhist Studies from SOAS, University of London, and serves as Chaplain and Buddhist Faith Advisor at Imperial College London, where he leads Buddhist meditation and supports students and staff through questions of identity, meaning and wellbeing. He is also a qualified yoga teacher (RYT500).
I learned meditation in a monastery. I learned what it is for when I returned to ordinary life.Book a conversation with Karuna
What Our Clients & Partners Say
Rated 4.9across 50+ verified client reviews on Google.
“I know that whatever I bring to my time with them, they will meet and hold me.”
Before working with Nitima and Karuna, I struggled with heavy emotional stress. Their counselling provided a deeply human, grounded space where I felt completely safe and accepted. It's hard to overstate the impact: my sessions helped me find true inner peace and regain daily balance.
Edward Delamare
1-on-1 Counselling Client
Verified Google Review“Through the course, my happiness and concentration were enhanced.”
I started the 6-week mindfulness workshop struggling with focus and day-to-day stress. Nitima and Karuna teach with incredible warmth, professionalism, and patience. The practical tools transformed how I handle anxiety and elevated my overall self-awareness.
Kate Bickmore
6-Week Mindfulness Workshop Graduate
Verified Google Review“The participants got a lot out of them.”
Thanks for leading the wellbeing sessions - the participants got a lot out of them. Will stay in touch on any future opportunities to work together, thank you again for being part of the event.
LB
Events & Wellbeing Team, Spotify
Enterprise PartnerQuestions
No. Meditation and mindfulness are taught in a way that works whatever you believe. If spirituality matters to you there is space for it, and if it doesn't, it isn't part of the work.
That's very common. Tell us what's going on in a free consultation or through the contact form, and we'll suggest the right starting point.
A relaxed, confidential conversation about what's bringing you to therapy, a chance to ask questions, and a feel for whether working together suits you. There's no obligation.
Counselling sessions take place online, so you can work with Nitima from wherever you are.
No. Our work supports your wellbeing alongside, not instead of, appropriate medical or psychiatric care. If you're in crisis, contact your GP or NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency. Samaritans are available any time on 116 123.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin.
Start with a conversation.