From Gandhi 3.0 To Deep U Posted by Vasco Gaspar, Jun 22 2018 Dear friends, My heart is full as I write this email in deep appreciation for all of you. Yesterday we finished the first official edition of the Deep U program, a 3-day retreat of Awareness-Based Human Flourishing. I feel that the program is the "coming together" of everything I've been learning, gathering and integrating in the last 12 years (Mindfulness, Heartfulness, Theory U, Social Presencing Theatre, etc.). After Gandhi 3.0 retreat, it became clear that one ingredient that could be deepened in our world today: a huuuuge amount of selfless Love and giftivism! Like the one we have been experiencing and receiving through this ServiceSpace beautiful ecosystem. But a question was present: how to give selflessly what you've been cultivating in the last decade? The Laddership Circle was the "catalyst" that helped us refine the design and experiment the concept in these last three days. After "digesting" all our Laddership experience and also after many ... Read Full Story

A Karma Kitchen Experiment In NYC! Posted by Ebony Gustave, Jun 21 2018 Living in NYC, people tend to be in a bubble of isolation. New Yorkers have a reputation for an individualistic drive and not having an open heart. There's a layer of thickness they feel the need to uphold for protection. In a city so densely populated, a lot of us have a strong desire for community that hasn't been fulfilled. But what happens when New Yorkers think of beings other than themselves? The owner of a restaurant in Brooklyn, was gracious enough to open his doors on June 11th to do an experiment in generosity. I was so eager to share the gift of nourishment to the community that I decided to coordinate the first Karma Kitchen in Brooklyn in just two weeks. The host restaurant gives a vibe that you've been welcomed into the home of a friend or family member. They specialize in slow cooked, live, vegan food. Most restaurants ... Read Full Story

Sacred Imperfection, A Talk By Bonnie Rose Posted by Anuj Pandey, Jun 21 2018 [Below is the transcript of a talk that Rev. Bonnie Rose delivered at our Awakin Circle in Santa Clara last night.] I think I am going to speak about 'Sacred Imperfection' today. I was sitting here meditating, thinking why did I pick something so hard? :) It occurred to me that my whole life, particularly as a minister, there's been a lot of pressure to be a certain way my whole life. I've been trying to get it right and finally be perfect enough to be a really good minister. And what I've discovered in the last couple of years as I've grown more and meditated more deeply -- also through a lot of the values that I've practiced because of ServiceSpace -- that a lot of the secret of my success is failure. Which is odd. It's a paradox. And actually getting it wrong is as good as getting it right ... Read Full Story

Embodied Connection Of Being Held Posted by Jyoti , Jun 20 2018 After a specially powerful opening of the Santa Clara Awakin circle with a new sister sharing her journey of being held by strangers, we listened to each other in the circle of sharing. As usual, there were other newcomers, two of whom were visiting all the way from China, Zilong's parents. When it was her turn to share, Zilong's mother said that she feels the warmth of everyone's shared stories and has a lot to say, but with a hesitancy over her English, she will simply appreciate the warmth and smiles. The lady sitting next to her immediately volunteered to translate from Chinese to English, so she could share fluently in Chinese. What are the odds that these two just happened to be sitting next to each other, to be able to spontaneously connect? At the end of dinner, Zilong's mother said to me that she understood my share had something ... Read Full Story

Bonnie Rose: The Power Of Sacred Irreverence Posted by Preeta Bansal, Jun 20 2018 This week's Awakin Call guest: 'Bonnie Rose: The Power Of Sacred IrreverenceReflection questions: How has connecting with the sacred enabled you to overcome doubts and fears that arise in your life? How has sharing your stories of such experiences helped to instill courage and kindness in those you meet?

TRIP LOG JUNE 12: LEGACY After Four ... Posted by Aryae Coopersmith, Jun 19 2018 TRIP LOG JUNE 12: LEGACY After four days with you, my mind is quiet enough to feel your presence. The peace, the serenity, the timeless joyful stillness. By providing for the life of your offspring for 10,000 generations, you’ve perfected the art of legacy. Not so with us. We’re a younger species. In this generation we’re blindly destroying the web of life that we and our offspring, and yours, need to live. But all is not lost. You remember — exactly 100 years ago while aggressive lumber-baron armies were cutting you down, sawing you up, selling your pieces to make a few men rich — that famous picnic right here in this forest. The one with Rockefeller. How a small group of humans who travelled here to observe were horrified by what they saw. How they decided to pool their wealth for something even more precious: to buy you back your forest. How the ... Read Full Story