Author: Angélica Torres Niño
“Yesterday I came by bike and ended up completely worn out,” says Eliana, referring to her visit to the San José neighborhood. We talked about family ties and people. She says, “It doesn’t matter how long you go without seeing each other, there are connections that create projects and ideas. I’ve seen myself as the adopted daughter of the Chiva Loca. Even though I’ve had to build my cultural capital by reading the world through film, podcasts, literature, and the humanities.”
For Eliana, her safe spaces are art and the coherence between body, soul, and mind. In her own words: “If you’re at peace with yourself, you’ll know what you want, but if you’re always in conflict, you don’t know where to go.” She invites us to ask ourselves, “What am I doing to achieve what I want?” She calls “Raising my inner voice” the act of seeking projection for an introspective world.
The Mountain has always been present in her life. Moving to the city makes her think about the lack of tranquility: “I’ve felt the connection with Mother Earth, the contribution of the air to health and to the spiritual dimension.” The forest behind her house is her place of vibration. She thinks: “It’s a privilege to walk out of your house and see a mountain. Many people are searching for peace. There are apps that sell the idea, and concrete spaces that simulate tranquility—but you can have it all in nature. It’s necessary to value clean air and not the artificial. One must question entering into a system just to keep functioning—taking medication and searching for artificial peace—when you can take a day to disconnect in the mountain.”
We have foundations that make us who we are. Eliana believes that “believing in nature is important and necessary. It’s what is real, because from the earth we come—it is our home. Connection with nature is a relationship of coexistence and respect. We must put an end to the idea of destroying and possessing everything. We must think about preservation and care.”
