Tiny Moments of Alignment

Aug 23, 2016

Tiny Moments of Alignment | www.nalumana.com

 

When my kids are both snuggled closely into me at night, fast asleep in my arms, I experience a toe-curling pleasure, the deepest happiness I’ve felt.

The memory of living in Byron Bay, Australia, when I would wake at 4a.m., run to the lighthouse as the sun was rising and then fly down the hill with my arms outstretched, flapping like a bird and not caring one bit how it looked.  My hair was waist-length and golden and I was strong as fuck.  I spent my days leading scuba expeditions, diving with sharks, and then catching a few rays in my hammock before turning in for the night.

When I write.  The words flow and they feel as though they come from someone or somewhere else; not me so much as an infinite Creative Source.

In the kitchen.  Kneading dough, simmering onions and garlic in wine, or even just scrambling perfectly soft eggs for my kids’ breakfast.

Hiking.  With a kid on my back or without, feeling the sureness of my feet encased in my boots, the sweat beading on my neck, the freedom of wind through trees and silence.

When I am traveling.  There is something that happens to my state of mind the minute I have embarked, even if I’m just waiting in line at the airport.  I feel calm, ready for anything, and completely invigorated.

Riding my bike, fast, down long seaside hills or intricately, around potholes and manholes and parked cars.

Funky hair, flowing skirt, gemstone jewellery, Birkenstocks.

Reading.  Anything.

Crossword puzzles.  Cups of warm milky tea served in pottery mugs.  Knitting.

Riding my purple motorcycle.  Being a contradiction (see above: knitting and mugs of tea)

 

Alignment isn’t something that I, or anyone, likely, feel every moment of every day.  But remembering the moments – big and small – that make me feel most aligned give me a roadmap for feeling that way more often.

 

Your turn:

What times in your life have you felt most aligned?

What activities make you feel a sense of alignment with your true self, your values, and your potential?

The Becoming Podcast has been on a short hiatus while I focus on writing my book, but oh what a comeback episode I have for you!

This month, I spoke to Toko-pa Turner, who many of you may know as the unofficial patron saint of many of my circles and gatherings because of the sheer number of times I’ve quoted from the wisdom of her book, Belonging.

Toko-pa is a Canadian author, teacher, and dreamworker. Blending the mystical teachings of Sufism in which she was raised with a Jungian approach to dreams, she founded The Dream School in 2001, from which thousands of students have graduated. She is the author of the award-winning book, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home, which explores the themes of exile and belonging through the lens of dreams, mythology, and nature. This book has resonated for readers worldwide, and has been translated into 10 different languages so far. Her work focuses on the relationship between psyche and nature, and how to follow our inner wisdom to meet with the social, psychological, and ecological challenges of our time.

Here’s some of what Toko-pa and I talk about in this episode:

> The dream that changed Toko-pa’s life, causing her to question her career and, ultimately, her identity

> How we can court our dreams to support us during times of radical transformation – and the reasons so many of us have a hard time remembering and working with what shows up in our dreamscape

> Toko-pa’s perspective on the message of Belonging after the divisiveness our society has experienced in the years since it was published

> What happened for both Toko-pa and I when we fell out of belonging from the ideologies of the “wellness world”

> How to build community when you’re under-resourced

> “The Big Lie” when it comes to belonging, and how we can reclaim a sense of belonging to the greater family of things, as Mary Oliver so famously wrote

Listen to the episode on iTunes

 

Show Notes

Toko-pa’s Website

Belonging:  Remembering Ourselves Home, Toko-pa’s book

The David Abram video about animism mentioned in the interview

Toko-pa’s self-guided program, Dream Drops

Companion, the program that accompanies Belonging

 

Also, while you’re at it, if you enjoy The Becoming Podcast, I would be so grateful if you would rate and review, and even subscribe to it on iTunes.  That goes a long way to helping more and more people find and benefit from hearing these interviews!  Thank you so much!