About Nalaya Chakana

Usually the ‘About’ page will give some general information about where someone is from and other basic background info.

But how do you formulate the “where”, if you were raised in 6 countries and moved about 13 times before the age of 21? You could say I’m from The Netherlands because my ancestors are. I speak the language and know how to blend in, but the quest to know where I truly belonged, is ultimately what allowed my life to become so vibrant and full of experiences. 

“Where do I belong?” is the question that drove me from one corner of the globe to the next. It had me loose myself and run away from all I know. It drove me into the deepest depression while simultaneously allowing me find the most exquisite sense of liberation. 

At some point in my 20’s I understood that the spiritual path of “detachment” wasn’t my path. It was quite the opposite. I sought depth, connection, and had to learn to get “attached” so to speak. Due to my upbringing, I’d become a master at leaving and starting over again.

I’d basically left every person I’d ever loved. And I knew that had to change…

There came a time in which I understood that my actions were going against everything I truly desired. That is the pivotal point in which I chose to stop running. I knew that what I needed was deep connection – to myself, to the universe, to my family, friends and all my relations. 

This, in essence, is what allowed me to understand the intricate layers of “connection” and “intimacy”. The countless cultures that shaped me have allowed me to discover different aspects of what it takes to truly be able to relate and build an understanding. 

And while I was breaking patterns within myself, and seeking ways to reconstruct the foundation of who I am, I naturally attracted people who sought my guidance. Looking back I’m amazed that all of this began when I was so young.

You can call it a “gift” or a “purpose”, or you can say it is my countless travels and ease in which I can have an understanding with people from all over the world since I was a young girl, that has allowed me to read people clearly. However you wish to interpret this – it’s something I carry that allows people to open up to me and share things they’ve never shared with anyone. 

At times it’s been overwhelming. And other times it’s felt like such a relief that I’ve never needed to search for my purpose, but that it’s simply there. 

There is nothing in life that fascinates me more than to see how we are often so afraid of our greatest desires. And that in some twisted way we find pleasure in sabotaging our path towards what we seek most.