I recently heard Angeles Arien tell a traditional story of 4 questions a shaman or medicine person would ask of someone who was feeling disheartened or disenchanted with life.
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop being enchanted with your own life stories?
When did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?
It was when they stopped, the shaman would tell them, that there was soul loss or loss of spirit. They had lost connection with themselves.
The shaman would tell them …
Sing or bring your voice forward, connect with your authentic tongue.
Dance or exercise or play sports, connecting with your body wisdom.
Be enchanted by your own life stories, the oldest teaching and healing art, connect to your fire, your heart.
Be comforted by the sweet territory of silence or reflection or contemplation, connect to and trust the mystery of the unknown.
I love this story. It reminds me of why I practice Nonviolent Communication (NVC). NVC connects me with my authentic tongue, my body wisdom, my fire and my heart, and my trust in the mystery of the unknown.
If you’d like more enchantment in life, come practice NVC with me. I’m offering a daylong workshop on the power and the beauty of NVC. In my home in San Mateo. On September 15th. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You are cordially invited to attend and to become enchanted … 🙂
You can download the workshop flyer here:
