In Ventura last night, we had an Amazing Awakin Circle and discussion on this week's reading, Not Loneliness, But Aloneness.

People spoke on so many elements of the topic. Being kind to ourselves by carving out Alone time. Instead of driving home from work & immediately going inside, go out back and sit for a few moments, leaving days stress behind; then walking inside with the intention of kindfulness. Someone else says they’ll stop at red lights and use that moment to be conscious. Someone else recently moved into a new house, but hasn’t taken the time to enjoy the beautiful surrounding nature. She committed to enjoying a morning cup of tea with mindfulness and gratitude. There were so many more insights for cultivating Aloneness Consciously.

Then we asked: How can we bridge Loneliness in ourselves and others? The ideas kept flowing. One is connecting to the elderly by bringing food from the community garden. They are not only grateful for the food, but for the companionship and company during this exchange. Another brought in the trash cans for their neighbor and made a connection that way. Someone else took the time to greet and shake hands with the homeless.

It's amazing to see what surfaces when we simply sit in stillness and hold space to listen to each other, during an Awakin Circle.