While climbing the stairs of the Parisian building, someone called out to me in English with a sweet Indian accent. "Sorry, do you speak English? Are you also going to..." Without even letting him finish I intuitively knew that the person would also participate in Awakin Circle !

Indeed, to gather in one place, people of totally different horizons, in order to share a moment of silence is the magic of an Awakin Circle.

As we enter Caroline's apartment, there is a sense of tranquility, and Alexandre remarks, "we feel peaceful already". It is as if, after suffering the noise and visual pollution that is part of everyday Parisian life, we enter into a "bubble"; a temporary refuge.

And this bubble is not only spatial, it is also short lived. Elodie, consultant in the energy sector, notes: "it's a good thing, it's like a break in our monotonous week and our daily routine" All day, we are constantly solicited by people, by our smartphone, by notifications. We are rarely with ourselves. "I'm really happy to have felt this serenity, even for 15 minutes," remarks Siva, who was only able to participate in the last quarter of the one hour meditation session. "It makes me want to practice meditation and I am grateful for it."

After the silent meditation period, an Awakin Circle is also a moment of listening and sharing. The theme of this Wednesday was fear. Aditya, originally from India and currently studying at the Ecole Polytechnique (or the famous engineering school called "X") told us: "sometimes, because of my origins, I feel the fear of being rejected, or not finding my place in French/Western society (...) when I say that I study at the Ecole Polytechnique, then do we only start to talk about maths or physics and people do categorize me. It is as if my school defines me, but I'm not just that (...) In India, I had already participated in Awakin Circles and I knew that by coming here I will find a community of people who share deep values." Indeed, during this session, we realized that we also shared friends in common: Sheetal, Khushmita, Joserra...

Even if it was the first time that everyone came to meet and to sit together in Paris, all the participants naturally opened their hearts. Alexander shared with us the first time he realized that human life is impermanent: "this fear or awakening led me to seek an understanding, to wonder about the meaning of life." To feel free to share one's ideas, one's impressions without being judged, is one of the founding philosophies of every Awakin event...

Participating in this Awakin Circle in Paris led me to realize that this kind of event allows one to give time to time. It allows us to really connect with open-minded individuals, to discover beautiful stories or amazing projects in perspective. Matthieu's open-mindedness surprised many: currently in a gap year after his studies at HEC (a prestigious French business school), he also studied Indian philosophy. Next year, he even plans to study in India.



We received a lot during this event. "I'm amazed to see someone welcoming to his home, so many strangers and to show so much generosity. Next time, I want to bring something; I don't know what yet but I will defintely bring something to share. And I will also bring another colleague," exclaimed Alexander. One thing is certain: after an Awakin Circle, we are affected and carried away with this will to share the joy and generosity we have received.

Look forward to participating in the next evenings !
🍃 Wednesday, November 22;
🍃 Wednesday, December 13: