Listening to Land, Listening to Each Other: Honouring NAIDOC Week, Dadirri, and the Fight to Protect Sacred Country

This NAIDOC Week marks 50 years of honouring the oldest living culture on Earth. 🖤💛❤️ 

This week has been a time for truth-telling. For deep listening. For reflecting on the impact of colonisation, the power of cultural resilience, and the invitation to walk in deeper relationship with the First Peoples of this land.

At Jala Yoga®, we believe that to practice yoga in Australia, especially trauma-informed yoga, we must also learn how to practice cultural responsiveness. This means acknowledging that we teach on unceded Aboriginal land. It means centring listening, respect, and repair.

And it means understanding that healing is not just personal. It’s collective.

Dadirri: Deep Listening in Practice

One of the most beautiful teachings we honour in our training is the concept of Dadirri. This word comes from the Ngangikurungkurr people of the Daly River region in the Northern Territory and was shared widely by respected Elder Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann. It is truly so beautiful.

Dadirri is often translated as deep, inner listening and quiet still awareness. It is not simply being silent, but being present, attentive, and spacious enough to really hear.

In yoga, we might call this Svadhyaya (self-study), or Santosha (contentment). But Dadirri goes deeper. It teaches us to listen not only to ourselves, but to Country, to Elders, to community, and to what is not being said.

For those of us in human services, healing professions, and yoga education, this is not optional. This is the work.

A Personal Story: Water People and Protecting Doongmabulla Springs

Several years ago, I hosted an event where Adrian Burragubba, Wangan and Jagalingou cultural leader, spoke about his people’s long and courageous resistance to the Carmichael coal mine on their ancestral land.

After his talk, Adrian sat beside me, looking out over the ocean, and said:
“You and me: we’re water people. It’s our duty to protect the waters of this country.”

That moment has never left me.

The Doongmabulla Springs, which the Wangan and Jagalingou people have been defending for years, are more than just water sources. They are sacred, living parts of Country, deeply tied to culture, songlines, and spiritual identity.

For years, Adrian and his community have peacefully held ceremony on Country, standing firm against government approvals and mining interests that threaten these sacred waters.

And just recently, they had a win.

The Queensland Supreme Court dismissed the state government’s attempt to block a hearing into the protection of the Doongmabulla Springs. The case will now go ahead.

Learn more or support the Wangan and Jagalingou movement here. Its a special one to get behind. These people are powerful. wanganjagalingou.com.au

Want to Learn More?

If you are committed to trauma-informed work, and especially if you teach yoga, support others, or work in mental health, I urge you to read:

Trauma Trails: Recreating Songlines by Professor Judy Atkinson
This book is a must-read for understanding the impact of intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the pathways to healing through culture, community, and Country.

How We Honour This Work at Jala Yoga®

Our 350hr Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training includes a full module on culturally responsive teaching, exploring:

• The impact of colonisation and trauma on First Nations peoples

• Cultural humility in yoga and human service roles

• How to honour Country and teach on unceded land

• The wisdom of Dadirri and other relational Indigenous principles

• How to avoid tokenism and instead commit to meaningful allyship

This is not a box to tick. It's a deep dive into how you show up in our world. It’s a lifelong practice of listening, learning, and showing up differently. And it's facilitated by legendary UQ Researcher, Dr Kai Wheeler - perhaps one of my favourite humans of all time.

Ready to walk this path with us?

Join a community of teachers, carers, and change-makers learning to integrate yoga with real-world awareness, respect, and responsibility.

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