Written by David Nichtern

Every once in a while, life seems to line up in ways that defy logic. You think of an old friend and they call. You stumble across something that answers a question you didn’t even know you had. Carl Jung called this synchronicity — moments when unrelated events converge in a way that feels charged with meaning.

In Tibetan Buddhism, there’s a similar idea known as tendrel, or “auspicious coincidence.” It points to those seemingly accidental moments that carry a sense of rightness — doors opening at just the right time, paths crossing for reasons that can’t be explained but can be felt.

The point isn’t to chase some kind of magic or turn every coincidence into a cosmic sign. In fact, the harder we look for it, the more elusive it becomes. But when mind and body are aligned — when we’re actually present — life begins to feel naturally synchronized.

Mindfulness itself is the ground of synchronicity. When we bring awareness to the breath, to the body, to what’s happening right now, we tune into what I sometimes call the “now channel.” Things start to click — not because we’ve summoned good fortune, but because we’re awake enough to notice the ordinary magic already unfolding.

The world has a sparkling quality when we’re paying attention. It’s not necessarily about getting what we want, but about being in relationship with what is.

Whether it’s the rain stopping at just the right moment or a chance meeting that changes your life, synchronicity isn’t something we create — it’s something we perceive when mind and body are synchronized.

Sit, breathe, and tune in. The magic is already here.