Unstruck Sound

After an unexpected hiatus, Unstruck Sound returns with some personal updates and reflections on another paradox: holding on and letting go—as inspired by an OpEd piece from the Washington Post by David Von Drehle.

Join me for an exploration on how GPS and Christianity are related, an exercise from Tristan Gooley’s How to Read Nature, and some influence from an essay from the 90’s sparked by a presidential affair … and how that all leads to the question of what lesson have we yet to learn from traffic?

Perhaps, traffic is a paradox that won’t go away until we really accept it and face it …. because the mapping apps that were supposed to make it better haven’t really done that at all—and I’d posit that they’ve made it worst. 

The book: How to Read Nature by Tristan Gooley

Join me as we discover what in the world the “Unstruck Sound” is anyway—and how this podcast came to be. Audio slightly adjusted to be more consistent throughout. Originally aired: February 1, 2023.

Welcome to a new series born of an experiment and named after a discovery made in this pilot. Daily poetry, readings, discoveries, affirmations, nuggets, all with the intention of creating little pockets of space in your life where you can be reminded that you are brilliant—that you already contain the wisdom you seek and can access it in the space of the "unstruck sound."

About me: a middlish-life student learning how to better embrace what it means to be human. This series is an exploration and expose of my journey into daily somatic practices to better my ability to BE ... to be a human "BEing". I struggle with meditation—so perhaps this is my wrangling. And yet another imperfect, vulnerable voice here to share that you're not crazy—it's hard to make space and yet so worth it. And, so I figure, 5 minutes is better than none. What do you say? I look forward to spending +5 minutes a day with you, assuming I figure this out.

In this raw and sometimes awkward episode:

Recently, my best friend was sharing her perspective on how food is a path to empathy—and time travel. Join me as I explore how this began to color some of my world views and a practice around food to add (or simply celebrate) a bit more space in a day, building empathetic awareness and flexing gratitude.

ps. In my rush to record and share this before class, I don't think I did her share justice—yet I hope it sparks an expanded view for you nonetheless.

Some reflections on the black moon this weekend, ahead of Tuesday’s New Moon, another reflection on moon phases including another snippet from Beth Schiller’s essay, Moon Tide—from TapRoots Magazine. Stay hydrated and stay curious. What can you learn in the darkness? What can you let go of to start anew, again?I’d love to hear from you.

The growing, nearly-full moon caught my attention last night and inspired a mid-week episode. Fresh from the closet, an article from the first year of Taproot, a beautiful magazine you must check out (now on their 55th issue, timely named “Lunar”).

For more on what I read in this episode:

Join me as we discover another description of the Unstruck Sound, within Hazrat Inaya Khan’s “Music of Life”—and a reflection on all that which has been known before us, finding our resonating chord, and the wisdom inherent within all of us.

ps. In contrast to the translation provided in the book’s forward, “Fare forth to the West as a musician of the soul and tune the hearts of men to the divine harmony,” an online article (link below) states that Inayat’s dying teacher instructed him: “Fare forth into the world, my child, and harmonize the East and the West with the harmony of thy music. Spread the wisdom of Sufism abroad, for to this end art thou gifted by Allah, the most merciful and compassionate.” — a reminder that despite all that we read being someone's interpretation of their experience, so much can be lost and added or shifted in translation.

Join me as I reflect on the slow and fast energy swirls in the shifting from winter into spring and a poem attributed to the 14th century Persian poet, Ḥāfeẓ (nick-named so because he memorized the entire Qur’an).

The Poem— https://livingthepresentmoment.com/the-sacred-dance-for-life-hafiz/

Background on fake poems attributed to Hafez and other Persian poets— https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/6/14/fake-hafez-how-a-supreme-persian-poet-of-love-was-erased

I recently found myself sharing how books have a funny way of finding their way into your hands when you’re ready … and collecting dust when you’re not. One such book that sat unread for a while and is now receiving love is Dr Wayne Dyer’s, “There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem.”

Join me as I read his definition of spirituality—and explore how that fits (or doesn’t) into my perceptions based on being raised Catholic and something of a home-study of theologies and divinities over this past year.

I took a longer break than anticipated, due to some “eustachian tube dysfunction” which left me sounding funny when I talked and unable to listen without a constant muffling and muting of sound. A conversation with a 5-minute friend in line last night prompted me to think of colors this morning, causing me to hunt down my favorite slow read of the past 6 months: The Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Melloy. Join me as we listen to her delectably paint words around colors unlike any other—and start digging into what we think we know about color.

Join me in exploring a subtle yet powerful pause in being a verb vs being a noun—and how that can add more aliveness. Links worth clicking:

Have you ever found yourself tired of looking for something, only to find it once you stop looking? Yep—just as I was sitting down to record this, I'd been looking for my airbuds for weeks...only to find them just as I'd finally given up (which, coincidentally, happened in last night's dream as well).

Turns out, this is part of a larger, cosmic context. Join me as we connect some recurring dots, including another snippet from Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act—Tuning In" and explore subtleties of listening as an act more akin to a radio antenna set to receive than a drone out seeking signal.

Today’s breathwork practice is modeled after an energetic clearing practice from Eagle Skyfire as shared in her book: Journeying between the Worlds. As described on her website, the book “shares easy-to-understand ancient Native American teachings that show you how to use shamanism to make sacred connections with the natural world, divine beings, and your own soul.”

Shifting to daily-ish posting to reserve space for me to spend with family and trainings. // When did you first realize you were different? Join me as we geek out on the power of a question—and find inspiration within a question for telling our story. Today’s question is from a “Restorative Practices of Wellbeing” book by Natureza Gabriel Kram. For more about the book and the author—

We’re just gonna keep riding this wave—from “we’re all artists” to “we’re all poets” to “we’re all creative”—right into famed producer Rick Rubin’s book, “The Creative Act” and his essay on “Awareness.”

How do you feel when you think of yourself as being creative? A fundamental element of being human, creativity is the act of bringing something into the world which didn’t exist before. And the argument posed once again is that we’re all creative and all artists—whether we allow ourselves to see and feel it or not. And as such, we visit yet another reminder of what it’s like when we give ourselves the space to be humans BEing.

More on the theme of “we’re all artists” —Rewind to 1979, when Natalie is working as a poet in residence at an elementary school, and insists that all children are poets. And whether you want to be a writer or not, or are simply looking for a tiny pocket of joy, we wrap with an “assignment”

What do Mayan lands, a bird, Cate Blanchett, and some polaroids have in common? Mostly, an engaging and provoking photo-and-story book by New York & Mexico City artist Hugo Huerta Marin. Join for a brief blip of an interview with Cate Blanchett and re-imagine going to the theater and how you listen to the world around you. 

Sometimes inspiration simply takes you not looking for it for it to arrive. Thanks Universe. May this inspire you to effort less.

Join me as I dig into "being skeptical, but learning to listen"—as the 5th Agreement to follow "The Four Agreements." As synchronicity would have it, I recorded this the morning before starting a four-day workshop that would end up being focused on ... listening. As I would discover in the training, there are many ways to listen—and listening without intent, agenda, or judgment and with an open heart, mind, and connected spirit is hard. Luckily, I went into the training with an extra skip in my step from having enjoyed some extra space. I'm looking forward to revisiting this in the future—and to hearing your perspective and experience. 

The book: The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery (Toltec Wisdom) — by Don Miguel Angel Ruiz MD, author of The Four Agreements, and his son, Jose Luis Ruiz, and Janet Mills.

Join me for an extra short and oh-so-sweet reading from a beautifully hand-drawn and written children’s book about unexpected friendship. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy.

In researching for links, I discovered this book has also been produced in color and animated into a short film. I can’t wait to watch it, though I still recommend reading it—to yourself or anyone, any age.

Join me as I jinx myself—and get distracted talking about distractions … while connecting (or trying to connect) the stars between harmony, mindfulness, and curiosity. Inspired by the 7 steps to Adaptive Intersectional Mindfulness from “Love and Rage, the path of liberation through anger”, by Lama Rob Owens.

Y'all—as soon as I finished recording this episode, I closed the copy of my Poetry magazine, from which I selected this poem, and wouldn't you guess it... her poem and the line I was obsessed with was *the* highlight on the back cover. The universe just loves to pepper us with fairy dust sometimes.

Today's prompt for space to BE is a poem by Maggie Smith. I don't have any affiliate links, but here's where you can catch more of Smith:

Welcome to a new series born of an experiment and named after a discovery made in this pilot. Daily poetry, readings, discoveries, affirmations, nuggets, all with the intention of creating little pockets of space in your life where you can be reminded that you are brilliant—that you already contain the wisdom you seek and can access it in the space of the "unstruck sound."

About me: a middlish-life student learning how to better embrace what it means to be human. This series is an exploration and expose of my journey into daily somatic practices to better my ability to BE ... to be a human "BEing". I struggle with meditation—so perhaps this is my wrangling. And yet another imperfect, vulnerable voice here to share that you're not crazy—it's hard to make space and yet so worth it. And, so I figure, 5 minutes is better than none. What do you say? I look forward to spending +5 minutes a day with you, assuming I figure this out.

In this raw and sometimes awkward episode: