Check in: What is ticking in you? 

  • ​Meta-harvest is a blessed gift
  • We can step up, we all have it in us
  • Peaceful within me and with others; work towards unity
  • the bell of truth is ringing
  • creation and co-creation is possible; I am fertile, receptive and soaking in the juices
  • anxiety; needing to move forward and do work in the world
  • optimism and positivity; energy to give and carry out
  • timelessness; feels like a dream; we have time
  • dragons heart being; gratitude
  • metaharvest set the tone; positive and powerful gratitude inspiring
  • peacefulness; heart ticking
  • magic and mystery; space opening up in my heart; relax and fall into it
  • feel filled with hope; momentum
  • wanderlust; find similar people in consciousness when alone I feel exposed; when connected everything seems possible
  • peace with self
  • Stepping up despite the fear; trembling
  • easy when alone to be cynical and frustrated; what holds me here is community folk whol work from their hearts
  • gratitude
  • conversation with self; showed up with our hearts
  • I am possibility, tranquility and possibility emerging; now is the time and its our time
  • More ideas opening up
  • Energy of creating something; peace lands here; find some balance
  • Patience
  • Love
  • Calm and knowing, everybody is right and a fire is
  • Enough time and time is precious
  • Make every moment count
  • Slow down to go fast
  • Words can wound and words can heal and inspire
  • Conversation with intent and authenticity; head to heart
  • Patience, emotions,, uncertainty; question and eagerness to find questions and patience to wait for the answers

Cynefin Framework

We learned about the Cynefin framework and the complex space, which is where the Art of Hosting shines.

Welcome to Jatra

Often called 'Knowledge expedition' - we named it Jatra, an opportunity to 'taste' and learn about other practices, theories and movements adjacent or connected with The Art of Hosting. We chose which introductory sessions we wanted to take part in:

Collective Story Harvest

We learned about a process called Collective Story Harvest, a way of practising deep listening through specific 'arcs' or 'lenses' and revealing more of the story to the storyteller from the listene's refl;ections. ​Stoytellers were:
  • Jane - a story of the Australian Art of Hosting Community of Practice
  • Tamer - a story of attempts to establish a sustainable community in Goa, and
  • Beena - a story of prisoners supporting each other through peer leadership in an Indian prison.
​What the story tellers noticed
  • Confirmation of my sense of what happened
  • Validated my feelings
  • Tied to the story of this training
  • Reliving
  • Collaborate wherever you are and whenever you can
What the listeners noticed
  • Lens made me listen deeper; with structure
  • Counteracts our personal lens or world view.
  • A human connection arises when we hear someone’s story

Open space

Another core mothod of the Art of Hosting, Open Space allows participants to set the agenda, and have conversations that matter to them. Here is a harvest of the conversations we had:
How to hear the voices of children and youth?
Cisco with Mel and Nicole

Key insights:
  • Allow space
  • Invite
  • Dream
Unanswered Questions:
  • Fear?
Next wise  steps:
  • Shift fear to a place of love
 
Bal Ashram children
Sharad with Tamer, Sukhmani, Nirav, Frank, Heenal and Anna

Key insights:
  • Boys to Men Program
  • Ask children what they need to build their capacity to live in this world.
Unanswered questions:
  • What are life skills?
Next wise steps:
  • sit with Tamer and understand what is Boys to Men concept
 
How I balance being alone and being in community?
Tanja with Achintya

Key insights:
  • Being alone and feeling alone
Unanswered questions:
  • Do we need to be alone?
Next wise steps:
  • Find out what makes you happy and don’t do things that don’t make you happy
What is it that generates courage?
Catherine with Fiona and Debbie, Heenal and Nomita

Key Insights:
  • See emotions as guidance/messenger
  • Understand what the fear is and wisdom contained in it
  • Host yourself
  • When to go over the edge
Unanswered questions:
  • How do we make friends with our shadow?
Next wise steps:
  • Host yourself
  • Ask for help
 
How can we spread this conversation technology in India?
Jessica with Jo, Beena and Nomita

Key insights:
  • Need test cases
  • Circle and listen respectfully even when parties are antagonistic to each other
Next wise steps:
  • Report back how intended to use AoH and what networks of theirs are RIPE.
  • AoH India Group/Community of Practice
  • Testimonials through different lens eg design
  • Beena, check in with RVK
  • Demonstration conversations
    A) prisons
              B) discussion on gender focussed on gender (men)
  • Translate language eg: host, flow. 

Check out - how are you feeling now?

An invitation to check out with our bodies, and a few words 
  • Connection and heart space
  • Coming together
  • I am full up but there is always room for ice cream
  • Namaste
  • Inspiration sit and smile
  • Hug
  • Shiny
  • Hugged and aha
  • Started small; grew out
  • Hungry; I can see what this brings to me
  • Souring heart
  • Heart connection
  • My eyes are wide open; I see a little more
  • Held and hold
  • Jazz hands
  • We are opening our heart to the love light of the one

Meta-harvest from day 2 - Heenal does it again!

​Day Two,
Time for something new,
Time to step up and into the game.
We welcome our brethren and we frame
The day about to come our way,
We rejoice and say,
Here we are!
Like a shooting star,
Look at our journey so far.
From where we’ve come,
Look what we’ve become:
A powerful force with collective decision,
We’re right on course with united vision
And the circle we call our home.
It connects us forever, wherever we roam.
All that we’ve known
Was just a stepping stone
To a new way of seeing,
A new way of being,
And everyone's agreeing
That this is deeply freeing/
We speak with intention,
Listen with attention,
Take care of the group.
A leader in every chair,
Responsibility is shared,
Let us be whole.
 
Is it chaos where we’re at?
Life’s pretty complex in any format,
But maybe it’s not so complicated:
This is the simple life we awaited.
It’s not bad or good,
Just know how you should
Enter consciously into conversation:
Step up and see it through for the duration.
 
Now we have the jatra
Coming right atcha.
It’s so hard to know
Where to go.
Stay in the flow,
So much info
And stories told,
Time to be bold,
Listen through new lenses
And take hold
Of the story’s teaching.
Everybody’s reaching
New heights of power.
Step up, bloom and flower
Because today is the first day of Spring
And we can do anything
Our hearts desire.
We can walk through fire and never tire.
We just have to call,
Construct a question that resonates with us all.
Focus inquiry, simple and clear,
Generate energy and questions from your peer.
So we step up and make our call,
Write it proudly on the wall.
Participant, caller, butterfly,
Bumblebee buzzing right on by,
We share our dreams
For a world that gleams.
Common themes
In all our teams,
Common thread
Through all that’s said:
We do it for the kids,
By them we’re led.
How can we leave the world in a better state
And connect our hearts to co-create?
How can we mentor, guide, initiate,
Unify, teach, facilitate?
What would it take
For them not to repeat our mistakes?
What’s possible when we connect
Authentically, not fake?
 
We’re co-creating a vision for the nation
Thanks to the art of hosting conversation:
Initiating boys, initiating men,
Teaching life skills to rescued children.
We all have a dream
And together we beam
It across the earth,
Nurture it and give it birth.
When we co-create, cultivate, vibrate,
Everything falls into place,
We grow wings and confront our fears face to face.
When we step up into this sacred space,
Our doubts disappear without a trace.
We’re full of courage, we see it everywhere;
Alone or together, community’s always there.
Step up step up, it’s our duty:
Trust in the process, trust in the beauty.

Heenal Rajani

Watch the video here - thanks Anna!


​

Visual postcards from participants