Outer Horizons, Inner Odyssey

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being an astronaut. The marvels of space captured my imagination, and I often wondered, “What’s out there?” I still do, of course, but any hopes of reaching space faded in my teenage years when it became clear that math wasn’t my strongest suit.

So my dreams settled back on Earth, and travel became my number one goal. While my peers were building careers and foundations, I was chopping coconuts on tropical islands, dancing with locals, learning their cultural traditions, hitchhiking on European highways, and climbing sacred mountains in India.

I lived those travel dreams to the fullest, becoming something like a "terranaut"—not quite an astronaut, but exploring the Earth with the same sense of wonder. It was during my escapades as a terranaut that I discovered another world waiting to be explored: the inner journey.

I’m not sure if there was one thing that catalyzed this shift, but a serious rugby injury, getting my heart broken, discovering yoga, and falling in love with theatre again all played their parts.

The physical forms of performance and movement that preoccupied much of my Asian travels awakened an appreciation for my inner sensory world. I didn't quite meditate under a mango tree for years at a time like an Indian sage, but eventually, I became a somanaught in training. I still am.

What’s a somanaught? It’s a term that describes the inner journey of exploring the landscapes of the body and mind, through body-based practices and mindful awareness. It’s a mindful, attention-giving exploration of the slow and steady, sensory escapades of our physical intelligence.

Just like space and travel, this journey is full of discoveries, and it’s still unfolding. Just like outer space, this landscape never ends. There’s a world of wonder and amazement inside each of us, waiting to be explored. But the very tool that can take us deeper into these landscapes is also the one that often holds us back: our mind. But for those willing to go beyond the brain and into the body, to venture 'through it to get to it', a future of opportunity and discovery belongs to the somanaughts.

The best part? You don’t need math skills, travel budgets, itineraries, or approval from anyone else to embark on this personal, curious exploration into the intelligence of your own body. It is in this inner journey where creativity, peace, and purpose reside.

Make no mistake: this journey is not always smooth sailing. The terrain can be rocky, undulating, and blissfully uncomfortable. But that’s life.

As I continue to explore, I'm discovering that the levers of embodied intelligence that help us mitigate stress, regulate emotions, and manage state are the same levers that unlock creative flow, connection, and an experience of peace, calm, and presence. Just like a thousand-mile journey outward begins with one step, this inner adventure starts with one breath.

The very same breath you are taking now.

About the Author: Colin Skelton is a creativity facilitator, design thinker, theatre-maker and storyteller. His facilitation work and style includes a range of complementary, proactive methodologies and innovation tools that follow a ‘learn by doing’ approach to collaboration, connection and creativity.