Awakin Circle Chennai
ServiceSpace
--Nisha Srinivasan
2 minute read
Dec 22, 2019

 



When we came to know that Nipun would be in Chennai for a couple of events on Dec 18th, we held an intention to host an Awakin circle that would be open for all those who wished to connect. A few weeks back, Sangeeta Isvaran came to Sughad for her first Service Space retreat and wholeheartedly opened up her beautiful home by the beach in Chennai for an Awakin circle.

On the 18th evening, the doors were held open. We had people like Shruti and Sheetal visiting from out of town adding their beautiful voices to the ambiance. Some friends who attended and organized Nipun's afternoon talks in Chennai came over for the evening to continue their deepening. Sangeeta's Dad graciously greeted us and made us feel at home. And we had a bunch of kids who played quietly for 45 minutes upstairs so the mothers can sit in silence. The dog was taken care of in another room. Gayathri made Origami pieces that danced around the terracotta lamps lit conventionally during this Tamil month of Karthigai.

After an hour of silence that started at 7 p.m, we had a quick circle of what we were holding in that moment and beyond. And Nipun went for the deep dive and the Q and A that followed touched many a chord and many a heart. There were questions about receiving too much for doing little bit, giving up on generosity when reality responds otherwise, not being sure if one is truly operating from the We space, not knowing if we are channeling enough of the gratitude that is overflowing within, not intending to prick others and yet those perceptions manifesting, the connection between silence and harmony...

Sangeeta was attending back to back events in the west coast of India but she came all the way back to Chennai in southern India to be present for the event and even bake a dessert :) And her friends-helpers Raji Akka and Rani Akka were on fire too cooking a variety of dishes for the event. Some of our local friends who had never met Nipun wanted to pitch in and we ended up with a hearty mini buffet.

It was amazing to see Nipun eat very very slowly so more spontaneous circles can unfold. It was close to 11 pm and his schedule had been hectic before Chennai and even more busy after Chennai and here he was, in the moment, just giving himself freely.

As an icing on the cake, Prabhu, a cinematographer who came to attend the circle, decided to go the beach at midnight where he knew homeless people would be awake with hunger, to share the surplus of the amazing food we had.

And it was a Wednesday, the day so many homes around the world would host an Awakin. Thank you all, who make such silent spaces so special.

 

Posted by Nisha Srinivasan on Dec 22, 2019


5 Past Reflections