Fresh Off Of A HHH Retreat, ... Posted by Bradley Stoll, Nov 11 2018 Fresh off of a HHH retreat, where we listened to each other and ourselves, I was able to witness one member of the retreat put what she learned into action. There was a rather divisive message circulating on Nextdoor, an app that works to create connections within neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the post circulating wasn't doing that. Rather, it was filled with fear, hate, and even a touch of racism, directed at a young man accused of a crime. Upon seeing this post, Aditie responded with a post of love and compassion, even for the criminal, as she told the story about the retreat:). Then, she invited everyone for tea at her place in order to create a community of that is safe and inclusive! To paraphrase what I heard from Nnej, it's difficult to harm those who have given you fruit from their trees.

Be The Soup Posted by Sam Bower, Nov 11 2018 Today I got to focus on childcare for Ahn while Hiromi prepared soup and snacks for the Head, Heart and Hands retreat at Banyan Grove. In the morning we carried a big basket of carefully selected, organic, locally farmed butternut squash, onions and fresh herbs to the kitchen while the retreat participants were in the Zendo. Ahn wandered in and around the living room area playing with the rocks by the fireplace - Tranquility, Love, Peace. After unloading we left Hiromi there to cook and headed out to go about our own business, feeding some of the entrance gate apples to the neighborhood horses down the road, housecleaning, cooking our own food and getting Ahn ready for her nap. After lunch and the nap we returned to Banyan Grove to pick Hiromi up. She shared some of her reflections on our way back. As a vegan farm-to-table chef, Hiromi often finds herself ... Read Full Story

Empty Nest To Open Nest Posted by Jyoti , Nov 09 2018 Awakin started when the group of friends meditating together decided to leave the door open, for others who wanted to join them. Trust the ripples and just pass it on, along with bloom where planted are other commonly practiced values in ServiceSpace. Putting these into practice in my life has led me to convert my empty nest into an open nest. I left the door open and offer the same patient listening I have enjoyed at Awakin circles, to pass it on to whoever walks in through the door. There are several young families in my neighborhood who, like me, are first generation immigrants. They have left their family elders behind in their birth countries and started their young families here. I simply started by talking to the kids and parents as they played in the park right outside my front door. They soon learned that I leave my door open ... Read Full Story

Nimo And Daniel Nahmod In Toronto! Posted by Thu Nguyen, Nov 09 2018 Our friends Nimo and Daniel were in Toronto last week bringing their gift of presence, message of love and generosity to the Parliament of World Religions. The conference brought together 10,000 people from all faiths, 500 presentations from world luminaries and an inaugural Interfaith Family Festival where Nimo and Daniel brought kids of all ages to their feet to dance and many hugs for one another. They also performed in a huge auditorium (that was likely set up to seat 10,000) as the opening act for an incredibly moving Sacred Music concert (Tune in at 25 min). I smiled wide seeing the Grateful music video in the background full of familiar faces in Servicespace, starting with Mia’s mom on the big screen It felt like a dream come true to be in the presence of so many compassionate warriors and change agents who arrived from all around the world to share ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Unlimited Posted by Ameeta Martin, Nov 06 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: Unlimited Possibilities. One of our KindSpring members shares an inspiring story about what turned out to be his first day of conscious battle with addiction and reclamation of his true self. His kind interaction with a downtrodden woman on a bus gave him much more than what he gave her, leading him on a journey towards recovery, unlimited possibilities and helping many others via the power of kindness. - Ameeta

J. Krishnamurti On Deep Intelligence Posted by Rajesh Kadam, Nov 06 2018 [Below is a talk by J. Krishnamurti, on July 14 1974 in Saaneen. I thought a lot of you might enjoy reading it.] Thought has created this world, the world of politics, the world of economics, the world of business, of social morality and all the religious structures. All our problems and all our desires to find answers to problems are within that consciousness, within the field that thought has created. So thought is trying to find answers to the mess it has made in our personal relationships, in our relationship with the community. Even your meditations, even your gods, your Christs, and your Buddhas are the creations of thought, which is matter, which can only operate within the field of time. We think that through thought, through will, through ambition, through drive and aggression, through substituting new religions for the old traditions, we can solve all the problems of personal ... Read Full Story

From Spain: Why Laddership? Posted by Jane Murray, Nov 05 2018 Some of you might be keeping up with the monthly Laddership newsletter, but the demand for the Laddership circles has continued to surge. At any given point in time, we have a handful of circles coming up and dozens of people are in the waiting list for upcoming ones. We just finished two "yin and yang" circles, and next up is a circle of Educators (our first one!), another with 14 global leaders of the Heartfulness movement, and a "regular" third one. Here's an intent we received today: How did you hear about Laddership Circles? My brother has participated in a circle. What draws you to Laddership Circles? I want to learn about a different kind of leadership, focused on service and generosity. I expect it to be a training that combines spiritual growth on one hand and community organization on the other hand, with the aim of changing our reality towards a love-based one. Do you have a labor-of-love project that you are currently working on? Yes. I am participating in a shared dream of setting up a "Service Space College" in Spain.

Yesterday's Awakin Circle In Warsaw Posted by Iwona Khandro, Nov 05 2018 Following our Awakin Festival last month, we hosted our monthly Awakin Circle yesterday. We were so delighted that half of the 15 people in attendance were new! Together, we enjoyed silence, exploring inspiring reading about conscious relationships, pumpkin cake, Indian Dhal, fruits and hugs! :-) And we discovered a beautiful sentence by the Buddha: “Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given.”

4 Ways To Provide Meaningful Healthcare Posted by Jodi Fishkin Manning, Nov 05 2018 Recently, I was asked to share insights about Patient Experience (PX) in hospital or hospice environments. What I’m sharing is a reflection of my work in very conventional American healthcare settings, where service-minded philosophies are often known, and under-prioritized for a variety of reasons. I don’t imagine my comments will surprise anyone. So we’re on the same page, PX explores how an organization’s culture and people influence patient perception about service, quality and care. I’m fascinated by the symbiosis generated between individuals, groups and environments. You’ll find my comments apply to both patient:clinician relationships and rapport between coworkers. (I’d love to talk about healing environments another time.) With that said, here are some practical tactics that seem to generate meaningful results: 1. Set clear, accurate expectations. Primary outcomes: reduced anxiety; improved rapport; patient/caregiver empowerment. From prognostication to unexpected delays, people benefit tremendously from knowing what to expect. In hospice, it’s vital to use ... Read Full Story

Service Club Does Lemonade In The Park Posted by Bradley Stoll, Nov 04 2018 A few months back, some students from a club that I advise approached me for some advice. They wanted some ideas on a service activity that they could do just as a club. Calling upon what I've learned from the process known as ServiceSpace, I started to think small and simple, but something that also involved interacting with complete strangers. I sent a couple of the members two stories. One was a group offering lemonade in the park as a gift, the other was about a Miles of Smiles activity. Holding up signs at a busy intersection sounded a bit dangerous to them, and maybe a bit too far out of their comfort zone, but they loved the idea of offering lemonade as a gift. The students brought a few gallons of freshly made lemonade and homemade brownies. I pitched in with some more lemonade, sandwiches, and homemade ginger snaps. 14 ... Read Full Story

Visiting Awakin Circle In Vietnam Posted by Sunil Kumar, Nov 04 2018 Thanks to Nipun's Vietnam blog, it led me to Giang's Awakin Circle in HoiAn while visiting my granddaughters in Hong Kong. Giang's kindness invited us in her home. Meditating with many youngsters in the circular room of Giang's riverside home was an unforgettable experience for me and Radha during our 12 days visit to Vietnam. The vegan dinner was not only delicious but simply blended with love and affection. My reflections: Love is a soul to soul inner-net connection -- nothing physical or mere emotional about it. It conveys the pure, positive and powerful intention that we all are the manifestation of same life force. It replaces narrow-mindedness with an inclusive broad consciousness vibrating in the living Universe. As Kabir said, "Hum sub Mai, Sab hai hum Mai" -- We are all Divine, in everyone is Divine. Thank you, Giang! 

Friendship Picnics. And Revolutions. Posted by Harald Katzi, Nov 04 2018 Last month, hours before our third Karma Kitchen in Austria, Hermann, Nipun and I crossed the border into Hungary. It is a must-visit place for everyone in ServiceSpace. Everyone knows about the demise of the Berlin Wall, but what most people don't know is the "friendship picnic" on the Austria-Hungary border on August 19, 1989 was the actual seed of that revolution. On that day in August, over 900 Germans in Hungary came together for a picnic on the Austrian border. Few gutsy ones among them decided to cross the border through the barbed wire, then a few more. An army man on a tower had authority to shoot, but he miraculously turned around and looked the other way. Soon hundreds crossed, creating a tidal wave across the continent. A few months later, the Berlin Wall fell -- almost overnight. The ultimate ripple effect, because of a few love warriors and one army ... Read Full Story

Nuggets From Jessica Roach's Call Posted by Kozo Hattori, Nov 04 2018 Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Jessica Roach. Jessica Roach is the Co-founder of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT), a nonprofit providing community-based maternal-child health and birthing support in Columbus, Ohio. Roach's family stories reflect the communal birthing tradition that's rooted deeply in black history. Her great-grandmother was a healer who assisted local women in childbirth in an area of Irondale, Ohio, before women of color were admitted to hospitals. Roach came to appreciate the vital role her great-grandmother played in supporting the community only later -- after Jessica had her own varied experiences with childbirth, became a nurse, and embraced similar healing practices. ROOTT, a Black women-led reproductive justice organization, offers affordable doula services, healthcare provider trainings, and consultation to meet their clients' environmental stresses and to address the staggering infant mortality rates in the African American community. We'll post the transcript of the call ... Read Full Story

Limitless Love At A Farm In Hyderabad Posted by Nisha Srinivasan, Nov 03 2018 Earlier this month, during Nipun's whirlwind tour de India, one of the stops was Hyderabad and I was fortunate to join the group of friends on a trip to Anahad, an eco-community that aspires to live by the principles of love, trust and sustainability. The community is a brainchild of two brothers Abid and Shabbar, and their families. It wasn't long ago that they shared their dream at a Startup Service event and here it was, a reality. A reality where 3 families live in their eco-friendly homes as stewards of the land around, assisted ably by people who have been mentored by Shabbar in these values. His wife Fatema reinvented herself as an architect among other things and had designed the homes, a community center and very comfortable labor quarters. Their energy has attracted their cousin Mustafa and his young family to move on the farm as well. And in their welcoming ... Read Full Story

Sanskrit Song From The Mārkaṇḍeya Posted by Srikumar Rao, Nov 02 2018 A song that never fails to elevate my state of mind ...

Moved By Love: Whats's Your Superpower? Posted by Shaalini Srinivasan, Nov 02 2018 Latest issue of 'Moved By Love' newsletter is themed Whats's Your Superpower?. What's your superpower? A kind smile, a warm hug, a loving ear, or a heartful space? This month's newsletter brings stories of everyday superheroes (as little as 10 year olds!) connecting hearts and hands around the world through selfless acts of generosity.

What's Happening In Vietnam Posted by Giang Dang, Nov 02 2018 Our ecosystem in Vietnam has been quite a blooming garden. As Hang Mai anchors the rural communities, I focus on urban communities, particularly with youth. Having engaged in Laddership Circle two years back, hosting Awakin Circles in various cities, and learning from Nipun's memorable visit in May, we are now engaged in farming permaculture and social permaculture in so many different ways. There is no way to express gratitude in words for all this, so we just keep paying it forward. :) Below is a summary of some of the local activities. In May 2018, we held our first retreat of anchors around Vietnam with Nipun. They came from major cities in Vietnam (Hanoi, Sai Gon, Hue, Da Nang) and from the rural areas. In cities, our anchors engage with local communities in building playgrounds, school gardens and community gardens. In the rural areas, our anchors are "back-to-the farm" and engage in ... Read Full Story

'Chai And Chat' -- Rung Of An Invisible Ladder Posted by Nirupa Bhangar, Nov 02 2018 Inspired by so many of you, and our Awakin Circles, Vijay and I got back to our long held dream and started "Chai and Chat" -- just a conversation with anyone who feels like the need for one. We turned 70 this year. In gratitude for all that we have received, and how we have been held unconditionally by so many, this is our small way to pay it forward. We don't have any answers or solutions, often to our own problems, but over the years, we have learned how to listen and ask questions. Through all our training, from Conflict-Clarification to Narrative Ideas and Practices to personal daily living struggles, we have seen that conversations are often the best way to make visible the landscape of our lives and make informed decisions. Anyone at crossroads or trying to think through an issue or struggling through a problem, and needing a ... Read Full Story

Priceless Cafe In Kamakura, Japan Posted by Helen Kimura, Nov 01 2018 I recently visited Japan, and was very excited to know about a localized Karma Kitchen experiment happening there -- Priceless Cafe at Kamakura's Sonbe Cafe. As the evening rolled on gift-economy gift-economy in Japanese, ServiceSpace appeared on the screen! Here's the food for the day ... Lots of smiles all around, including meeting old friends and friends of other volunteers. Going to various local events in my neighborhood, it's hard to imagine just how far the ripples of ServiceSpace reach. :) Thank you, all!

Shakkuben Passes On, But Her Pencils Of Love Live On Posted by Mariette Fourmeaux du Sartel, Oct 31 2018 Bhaskar's mother, Shakkuben, passed away peacefully this morning, after several years of struggle with Parkinsons. Both her sons were by her side. You might remember Shakkuben as the woman behind 'The Trashed Pencils'. Thank you, Shakkuben, for your inspiration and love.