Retreat: Exploring "Labor of Love"
We are very excited to invite you to our special "Labor of Love" retreat on November 28th. For half a day, a small group of friends, community organizers and change agents will come together to explore the intersection of inner transformation and external impact, in the spirit of growing in selfless service.

What is labor of love? Anything we do without a price tag, purely in the spirit of offering. Whether it is a small act of kindness or something matures into a virtuous cycle of consistent offerings (like Karma Kitchen that we once held in Baroda), the underlying principle is to tap into multiple forms of capitals and intelligences, build a resilient field of noble friendships, and increase the circulation of "priceless" in our communities. All too often, "labor of money" ends up overtaking our deeply held intentions of love. We, as a circle, hope to provide a backbone of unconditional support to keep that flame of compassion alive, as we brainstorm new ideas and deepen existing practices for the greater good.

In the retreat, we will (a) share inspiring stories from our experiences, (b) help each other identify multiple forms of capital that could be hiding in plain sight, and (c) build friendships to support each other's intentions well beyond the retreat.

We are particularly thrilled to have a diverse array of local inspirations among us. With a wealth of experience, we'll have Bharat-bhai from Vinoba Ashram, Nimisha-ben who has dedicated her life to women's issues, Varsha who runs a home for specially-abled children, and Rachna from MSU who has pioneered some cutting-edge local research. With the wealth of innovative energy, we'll have youngsters like Ritesh who are doing youth circle (particularly in Saurashtra villages), Kirtan and Riddhi who hold soulful prayer circles, and Jaimit who is always scheming interesting generosity experiments (including an upcoming Karma Kitchen). With a wealth of wisdom, we'll be joined by many seasoned veterans like Parag-bhai in Surat.

In addition, we're grateful to Nipun-bhai, for being an excuse for our circle. :) As you may know, he's the founder of ServiceSpace, an incubator that leverages technology for ‘labor of love’ projects. What started as an experiment with friends is now a global ecosystem that includes projects like DailyGood to KindSpring to KarmaKitchen. Since his early twenties, when he quit his job to become a "full-time volunteer", his mission statement in life has read: "Bring smiles in the world and stillness in my heart." When he was honored as a Breakthrough 15 change-maker, he shared with them: “In practice, I've found no grand chasm to cross. Simple do the small act of kindness for those in front of you, right now. Small acts may or may not change the world, but they definitely change you. And when you look at the world with those fresh eyes, it’s a whole new realm of possibilities."

On Nov 28th, from 9AM to 3PM, it would be great joy to have you join the circle, share a contemplative space of reflection, and plant seeds for co-creating more goodness in the world.

To attend, simply RSVP below and we'll send you a follow-up email with the details.