Living on Purpose
Now w/ Wonder is about returning to the original, wonder-filled part of your being—the place within you that knows your deepest values and true purpose. Let’s go.
Is it time to reconnect with YOU?
You know that feeling when life looks good on paper, but something seems to be missing? Or when you're at a crossroads and feel like your inner compass is spinning? Fear not: Personal growth isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions and then sitting, mind and heart ajar, to hear what emerges. That’s where I can help.
My approach is simple: meet you exactly where you are, honor your unique path, and create space for the insights that are already within you wanting to surface. Whether that’s through meditation instruction, soul-tapping coaching—or a combination of both—I can help you reconnect, refocus, and thrive. Because the life you crave isn't somewhere else—it's waiting to be uncovered here and now.
I’m Rochelle Torke, a mother, teacher, writer, coach, and messy, modern mystic.
I help people trade stress and drama for freedom, fulfillment, and contentment. Through my meditation and mindfulness sessions as well as holistic life and wellness coaching, I help clients envision—and live—their richest, most satisfying lives.
Based in Berkeley, California, I work with remarkable souls worldwide.
See my story below and the steps to take if you’re ready to dive into you—with me. I’m so glad you’re here!
Credentials
What if living a spirit-rich life isn't about escaping the world or hiding out from the slings and stones? What if it's all about finding meaning, contentment, courage, and yes, even outright wonder, here in the midst of it all?
My Story
Against the Odds, A Path Found Me
Growing up in 1980s Indiana, meeting a spiritual teacher seemed unlikely. But life had other plans.
At five years old, I met a remarkable mystic, author, and teacher from India who would shape everything that followed. What started as childhood visits to meditation retreats became a lifelong journey on the Siddha Yoga path—one I still walk today. I continue to offer my services as a writer, editor, and meditation program facilitator at a local ashram, a spiritual retreat site, in Oakland, California which was founded by my beloved teacher, Swami Muktananda in the 1970s.
Meditating Before it Was Cool
I was that sensitive kid who felt everything deeply, though I didn't have words for the spiritual curiosity and longing that seemed to live in my bones. At age ten, I created my own sacred reading space, a fort built with blankets and chairs. There I became completely absorbed by a spiritual autobiography that felt like the greatest adventure story ever told.
Later, when most teens just wanted to see Radiohead concerts and Lalapalooza (ok, me too), I was also discovering ancient wisdom—through Vedanta, Buddhism, Taoism, Tarot, and the poetry of Eastern and Western mystical mavericks like Rumi, Hafiz, St. Vincent Millay, Emerson, Whitman, and Rilke—trying to understand this mysterious experience of being human.
I meditated in fits and starts, but certainly didn’t mention it in the school cafeteria.
Me, in the 90s (grunge phase and all).
Into the “Real World” I Went
My education in Psychology and Creative Writing revealed something beautiful: whether we're reading ancient sages or contemporary thinkers, we're all wrestling with the same profound questions. What should I do with this precious life? Who am I beneath all the roles I play? Is lasting happiness actually possible, or just a lofty idea?
These questions still drive me. They've propelled me through decades of study, practice, and discovery—and ultimately to the work I share now through Now with Wonder. Because I've learned that living a spirit-rich life isn't about escaping the world or hiding out from life’s slings and stones; it's about finding meaning, contentment, courage, and yes, even outright wonder, here in the midst of it all.
Professional Hats I Wear
In the Beginning Were the Words
I’ve worn a few professional hats while living as an undercover mystic: writer, marketer, editor, and brand storyteller. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and an MFA in Creative Writing, I’ve spent two decades of my professional life as a an advertising agency copywriter. Later, I served as the Director of Brand & Content for a popular consumer products company.
Currently, alongside coaching and mindfulness instruction, I operate a marketing services consultancy through which I support non-profit and healthcare clients as well as tech companies, like Google, Qlik, and ServiceNow.
I was also delighted to serve as a planner and editor of several philosophy and wellness books, including some favorites shown here.
One Gal vs. the Stress of the World
We live in complex times. In recent years, I’ve felt the anxiety levels rise. The world energy feels amplified. Friends, colleagues, and family members grappled with mental health conditions, leaving us all feeling confused and helpless at times.
A Path of Service Emerged
I realized there is something I can do. I can go back to the basics of wellbeing and joy in my life—meditation and the great wisdom traditions—and share them with others.
Now w/ Wonder Was Born
The name was inspired by a mystical concept called, in Sanskrit, “camatkarasana.” It translates to “the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart.” It refers to a state of ongoing wonder, a continuous joy and inner expansion that, according to the sages, is possible for each of us. The idea resonates with the Buddhist notion of nirvana, the “end of suffering,” and the Christian ideal of the kingdom of heaven. Yes to all of those, I say.
In a seemingly complex world of forms, or as writer Mike Dooley put it, “the sacred jungle of space and time,” I remain convinced of our inherent greatness, our fundamental unity, and our remarkable potential to experience something much greater than stress and anxiety. I believe we’re all designed to live lives of wonder, peace, and great contributions to the world around us.
“We’re all just walking each other home.”
- Ram Dass
Ready to live with more purpose, peace, and wonder?
Let’s explore how my meditation programs or one-on-one coaching could help you unfold a life you love.