Over the last week, I've been awed by the various configurations of people-- teachers and parents, students and professionals, seekers of all ages-- who have gathered in circles of sharing (both in-person and virtually) to deepen in authenticity, tap into a sense of connectivity, and explore the power of small acts with great love. Witnessing this has got me thinking more about the power of holding circle-- how that space of open listening, sharing of honest reflections, and culture of non-judgement can be such a powerful tool for tapping into our collective wisdom, returning to our simple humanness, and experiencing our fundamental interconnectedness.

Saturday: Kindergarten Forum on the Art of Mentoring

Last Saturday, Anne shared stories and learnings from her service journey at 92-year-old kindergarten teacher Betty Peck and her daughter Anna Rainville's twenty-first Kindergarten Forum. From the moment you step into their driveway, you are transported into an Alice in Wonderland landscape, complete with a handmade wooden amphitheater, train and tracks that circumnavigate the homes, tree houses, magic mirrors, and a backyard of whimsical outdoor patio seating set against the soothing backdrop of lush greenery and rushing water from the creek that borders the property. That day, 20+ teachers, parents, and youth workers circled up in a forum on the Art of Mentoring.





Anna opened up the morning by leading us in creative Autumn-themed children's songs on the amphitheater. Then, we filed inside and Jerry introduced a powerful story of Odysseus. Next, Anne opened our hearts with her stories and reflections from her experiences being mentored and mentoring others, especially in the context of the Kindness Workshops that she and a rotating team of volunteers (including her teenage daughter, Emily, and Casa de Paz teen anchor, Nidia) facilitate in schools around the Bay Area. The sparkle in her eyes reflected the sincerity in her expression, as she described her mentoring experiences as evolving noble friendships. Anna took it away with practical mentoring techniques and applications that she's gleaned from her 30+ years as an educator. I was particularly struck by her point of how the inner embodiment of the mentor's values affects the mentee-- how the classrooms that captured youths' attention are the ones in which teachers show rather than tell their lessons. Finally, Jerry wrapped it up with his artful storytelling of fables and tales steeped with rich metaphors and insights.

From there, the group broke out into a scrumptious potluck lunch in the fairytale-like backyard garden, where smaller group conversations ensued. As our bellies were nourished and spirits enlivened by the beautiful company, inspired connections, and enchanting environment, we made our way back into the main room for an afternoon circle, where each person shared mentor-related themes and thoughts that had come up for them throughout the morning sessions. A dynamic discussion followed, and we finished with the individual writing of a haiku, related to the topic of mentoring or any other thoughts/themes that emerged from the day.





It was powerful to witness the collective energy and enthusiasm around nurturing the journeys of children-- and so uplifting to see such eagerness to engage youth in the values of kindness, gratitude, mindfulness, and beyond. Plus, the format of a circle really seemed to fuel a dynamic of deep respect-- a sense of level-playing-field openness, receptive presence, and grounded sharing that honored the offerings of each person in attendance, and enabled a greater wisdom to unfold throughout the sharing.



Sunday: Reflection Call on Generosity Experiments

A few weeks ago, Bela, Sima, Asha, Anne-Marie, Zilong, and Birju orchestrated a day-long experiment in generosity. About 20 folks from the Bay Area joined, and in the closing circle of sharing, many resonated with the idea of continuing the exploration through a group 21-day kindness challenge. A couple days after the gathering, a bunch of us joined the group challenge on KindSpring's 21-day Challenges portal, and this past Sunday night, six of us tuned in for a reflection session conference call. Birju skillfully moderated the space, inviting us to share any thoughts or learnings from our two weeks of the challenge thus far. Deven dedicatedly dialed in amid a conference in Seattle, Bela-- inspired by a phone call with her brother-- reflected on the nuances of kindness among family, Sima weighed in on the value of holding a consistent intention for kindness, and Ari noticed the deeper subtleties of giving that emerged throughout his daily acts. We all agreed that we could step-it-up by engaging further in collective reflection, and posting updates or stories on the online group KindSpring feed.

At the end of the simple 40-minute call, I was pleasantly surprised by how a small conference call circle of personal stories and reflections can leave me with a more solid intention and stronger conviction in practicing kindness.

Tuesday: A Virtual Circle of "In-turns"

On Tuesday, six of us from a 30-day In-turnship this past February tuned in across the US and India for a video call to share updates and check in on each others' journeys. Six months after we were all together, it was sweet to witness how naturally we fell into a circle of sharing-- how at home we all seemed to be as we shared insights and explored edges or gifts from our experiences integrating the values and practices from our immersion experience with our own daily lives. From Gitanjali's stories of ebb and flow with Kat Katha (including some powerful ripples from Startup Service) to Pratyush's experiences across various contemplative spaces and questions on being and doing, Trupti's exploration of taking aligned next steps, Swara's authentic reflections on her inner edges, and Meet's latest experiments at the Environmental Sanitation Institute in Sughad.

The hour-and-a-half video call quickly slipped by as our family dynamics filled the airwaves with a sense of intimacy-- the kind that comes from living, practicing, and exploring together in a space of siblinghood. From having familiarized with each person's nuances, stepped on each others' toes, lifted each other up, supported our internal processes, and mirrored one another's blind spots, we collectively held space for each other to grow in service, stillness, and love. It was heart-warming to join in a familiar virtual circle, with the morning sun streaming in through my window in California and the nighttime darkness lulling others closer to bedtime in India. I hung up the call with a rush of gratitude-- for the beauty of these spaces to make the world feel like family.

Waffle Wednesday: 21 Days of High School Kindness

This past Wednesday morning, Bradley's high school students at Harker gathered to share reflections from their recently-completed 21-day Kindness Challenge. Every week, their Upper School headmaster hosts "Waffle Wednesdays" where he meets with a different student group each week over breakfast. This week, he invited these 9 kindness challenge takers. It was sweet to listen to the stories and reflections, and chat a bit with a sweet group of very active students.

During the Kindness Challenge, Bradley baked 8 batches of banana bread, and he and the students gifted them to folks as they were coming into school. They shared their impressions on the mixed reactions-- one student hadn't eaten breakfast and was so grateful for it, another was skeptical and didn't want to receive it-- and they wondered how to respond when people refuse or reject your kindness. They collectively observed a culture of cynicism and skepticism around their campus and in their own communities, and wondered why. I shared a few stories about our Kindness Workshop at SF Waldorf, and my own experience in how, regardless of whether someone accepted my kindness or not, my own inner shift and awareness was strengthened through the opportunity.

The breakfast flew by, and most students had to go to their 8am class. A few of us were free, so we continued the conversation. Bradley showed me two photos of a homeless man, James Henson, who he had encountered in San Jose. He engaged in a conversation with him, and then ended up treating him to a meal, then offering to chauffeur him home to freshen up with a shower and change of clothes and then take him back to his original location. I was completely blown away by the openness and faith in kindness that enabled him to turn a complete stranger into family.



As the conversation carried on, another student, Adele, agreed that people hold the door open for each other around school more often. And in that be-the-change spirit, as we were walking through the school later that morning, a couple students and a teacher had their arms full, carrying a stack of items into a building, and Bradley eagerly bee-lined to open the door for them.

We walked into Bradley's classroom and shared some stories with the calculus class. I glanced around the room and noticed some familiar names from the ServiceSpace community printed on the walls. Instead of posters of famous figures and celebrities, he had decorated his classroom with names of people in his life that inspire him. When students ask him about it, he tells them to look them up. :) A stunning drawing of a caterpillar-turned-butterfly with the quote, "Change Yourself, Change the World" sat framed at the front of the room. It had been gifted to him from one of his students, a couple weeks into their Kindness Challenge when the idea of the day involved making a piece of art and gifting it. :)



As the period ended and the schedule shifted into extra-help time, a student stopped by and gifted us a written reflection of his act of kindness. I was amazed to find out that the whole group had done an extra act of kindness. He wrote that he had been stressed out with looming college applications, but that he took a half hour out of each day for the past two weeks to tutor two fellow students in economics:

"I have tried to put these two individuals in front of myself; I have taken time before school, during the day, after school, and at home to answer any questions they have to make sure they do well in class. Even thought this is just a small act, it is truly a shift for me. For once, I have felt so extremely satisfied putting others in front of me. I hope I continue to do so."

As the bell rang and it was time to go, I walked away uplifted and awed-- how incredible to get to spend a morning as a witness to the planting of seeds and unfolding of ripples, in umpteen unpredictable directions that seem to take on lives of their own… :)

Thursday: Honesty Circle on Money and Ownership

Last night, nine of us gathered at Sima and Rish's colorful South San Francisco abode. For the past several months, Min, Alam, and friends and colleagues have been hosting decentralized Honesty Circles around the globe-- in Singapore, Indonesia, DC, and San Francisco-- as a space for people to explore, express, and reflect on their relationship to money. Last night, Sima and Rish graciously anchored the fourth such circle in their home, and the topic was ownership.

What does ownership mean to you? How can we align the things we own with our values? For three hours, we delved deeper into these questions, with the constraint that if we shared, we had to speak honestly from our own personal experience.



Sima started off the first portion of the night with a personal written reflection about her process in building a home in India, and coming into the realization of seeing her home as a meaningful space to share with her community. Alam offered up insights from his childhood-- how he observed the way his parents' wartime childhood impacted their spending habits, and how that trickled into his own sense of money and ownership. David shared how his 9-month-old son has impacted the way he and his wife view home ownership-- how they see owning their home as a means to create a space that can nurture and support their growing son and family. Nupur offered spirited thoughts on how she values her belongings and the way consumerism, mass media and marketing play into what she thinks she needs. Zilong reflected that, being a year out of college, he hasn't had much time to accumulate too many major possessions, but how he humorously observed his ego triggered when "his" jar of granola (stored in his community house's shared kitchen) mysteriously diminished to a third of the amount. Min wondered about her love of owning books, and how we sometimes attach ourselves to the things we own. Rish reflected on the mentality with which we approach ownership-- how materials can offer a sense of comfort or security. Bela noticed how the times she's been most deeply filled with joy have been when she was traveling and only had the few items in her backpack.

After the initial circle, we then broke up into two groups and dived deeper in the discussion questions. Stories of theft versus gift surfaced, as Alam shared an experience of having something stolen from his home, and how he actually felt a tinge of joy knowing that whoever had stolen from him probably needed it more, and how in a way, he had inadvertently given him/her a gift. We talked about simplicity and accumulation, our material footprint on the planet, and how much stuff we think we need versus how much we really need. We discussed generosity and the idea of being a steward of our things-- I reflected on how much of the items in my previous home were gifts from friends, some of whom had moved out of town and were happy to find a home for their house-ware.



So many nuggets of insights percolated throughout the rich discussions. At the end of the evening, we reconvened and wrote a post-it note reflection of something we've taken away from the gathering, and a related intention we hope to bring forth in the future. Min, Sima, and Rish warmly offered nourishing refreshments and smaller inspired conversations swept into the wee hours of the night. I couldn't help but notice how a circle formed by a shared intention of honesty seemed to solidify our trust in each other. It's quite inspiring to see how topics often viewed as personal, sensitive, or vulnerable can be held in the sanctity of a circle of sharing, and openly explored with raw honesty and sincerity.

Saturday and Beyond: The Circles Keep on Turning

The beautiful thing about all of these circles is that they emerge with no agenda. Though a shared intention or theme will bring us together, the circle often takes a life of its own, and the color/flavor/tone of the stories shared and the consciousness created depends completely upon each member present. In that way, it really becomes an offering of the moment-- a tool for that simple human-to-human connection reminding us that we are all in this thing called life together.

This week's Awakin Call features our summer interns and Sunday's Karma Kitchen in Berkeley will hold volunteer orientation and closing reflection circles. It's hard to say what value is generated in these corner-less spaces, but as I walk into the weekend, a pulse of aliveness streams through my veins. My body bears a keener ear for listening and wider eyes for spotting opportunities to embrace people and situations with a sense of wholeness-- a faith in our ability to complete one another, as our lives continue to orbit around each other in the days, weeks, months, years, decades, and more to come.