“Emerging in Findhorn”

Photograph by Valia Papoutsaki

Back in 2018 I went on a journey of seeking an “unused future”* for myself. Spent at all levels after years of intellectual pursuits that overvalued the mind and institutional status, I instinctively sought an alternative way of holistic living that did not emulate the ways of the past or the present, feeling and knowing that something different had to emerge out of the personal and collective stagnation. I was aware that the crisis I was experiencing was connected to a collective anguish resulting from our business-as-usual attitude and that I was part of a greater unraveling that demanded a new story, both personal and collective. The journey took me to Findhorn Foundation in the north of Scotland and a coaching course informed by psychosynthesis. For the few days I was there, I developed the habit of taking an evening walk by the nearby beach and its famous sand dunes, enjoying the northern summer evening light while reflecting on the day’s learning experience. It so happened that my return walk would take me through a stair leading to the sand dunes and onto the path to Findhorn. It felt like something new was emerging out of my unraveling, and this stair came to symbolize the coming up into that “unused future” I was seeking, ascending into a new horizon that had yet to reveal itself. I could not help but notice the large granite stones surrounding the stair, protecting the sand dunes from the strong waves of the North Sea, synergy of elements providing a solid and safe passage. 

*Credit to my mentor Sharon Thompson for gifting me with this concept that acted as my sea buoy that kept me afloat during my “emerging”.