Ikigai + Arraigado*

*Arraigado - deeply rooted, belonging, ingrained 

We have just returned from our three week road-trip to the Swiss mountains, with toddler and pup in tow. It felt like a Christmas pilgrimage of sorts. We tootled along, eventually arriving in a tiny village on the side of a mountain. No cars, but lots of stars, and definitely closer to the moon. As our stimulation shifted from city noises to birdsong, we got a little quieter.

One morning, after our normal breakfast feast that would set us up for our daily hiking adventures, my 1.5 year old snuggled deep into my chest for the closest, warmest cuddle. A Spanish woman walking past, lovingly remarked “ah, arraigado”. I learnt that this describes being so deep in the comfort of one who loves you, you are quite literally ingrained. There isn’t really an English word for it. Our little boy is calm, happy and curious, but he needs to feel that level of closeness in order to operate independently with joy and confidence.

And honestly, it’s much the same for our pup, Linky. A remarkable working dog when he’s out and about, he truly shines. But at home, he wants to curl into our arms, to bury himself in the safety of our love, arraigado. Rooted enough to rest. Rooted enough to roam.

Our Ikigai is something deeply rooted within us, ingrained somewhere between soul and cells. It isn’t a final destination, nor something that can be measured or optimised. It’s a felt experience, a way of being. We need to lean into it, to draw nourishment from it, to rest there long enough that it can quietly shape how we meet the world. From that place, calm and joy arise more naturally, and so does our capacity to shine.

If it feels supportive, I’ve opened up a free January offering, a small collection of on-demand mindfulness practices, created to gently guide you back toward your Ikigai. They’re there to return to whenever you need a little grounding or re-centering.