Community Conversations
with Madison Mallett and Hollie Meador
1st and 3rd Thursday Each Month • 7:30-9:00pm
In-Person or Online • Free to All
With the conclusion of our initial Community Conversations circle over the summer, we found ourselves in want of more opportunities to gather for community discussion. We realized how valuable it is to create a space for everyone to share and listen to one another without judgment, even in the face of challenging topics.
In an effort to create more opportunities for this type of gathering, we are happy to have Madison – longtime Satya student, yoga practitioner and teacher, and all around great human – present a twice monthly offering of Community Conversations.
Community Conversations: a way to build community through conversation
Coming together as a community is something we highly value at Satya. While each of us leads lives across a diverse array of experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds, the practice of yoga is what unites us all – building a greater connection with ourselves, and each other.
Community Conversations is a space where members of the Satya community – and beyond – continue the unifying practice of yoga through purposeful, facilitated conversations. Much like the physical practice of yoga asana (poses), the practice of intentional conversation is a practice of connection and awareness. As we exercise our capacity for purposeful and patient communication, we gain a greater understanding of ourselves and others, build a stronger sense of community, and carry compassion forward into the rest of our lives.
This practice integrates fundamental tenets of yoga philosophy, namely ahimsa (nonviolence) and satya (truth), while using the framework of Community Building Circles (CBCs) to facilitate the intentional conversation. In each 90-minute conversation, Madison will guide participants through thoughtfully prepared questions that center around a particular theme, to which all participants have the opportunity to respond. In order to ensure a respectful space for all, conversations follow community-established guidelines.
Please note that you are not required to attend every session.
Registration Available for In-Person or Online Attendance
You will be prompted to login to your student account to register
CURRENT THEME: Attunement to Awareness: Deeply listening, to ourselves and each other, with the intention to understand.
Conversations within this theme will have dedicated time for participants to write reflections after each facilitator question. Whether or not individuals choose to write down their thoughts, this dedicated space is designed for us to be patient in the practice of self-inquiry. By practicing the patient (albeit challenging) process of tuning into our awareness, remaining curious throughout the process, we cultivate a greater sense of compassionate understanding. It is through the attunement to our own awareness that we are able to offer this compassionate understanding to others.
PRACTICE STRUCTURE
Community Conversations utilizes the structure of Community Building Circles (CBCs), a restorative practice rooted in Indigenous and first peoples cultures around the world, designed to facilitate meaningful conversation within the community. In each practice, all participants, including the facilitator, are comfortably seated in a circle facing each other. The format of every conversation consists of: Opening, Discussion, Movement & Breaks, and Closing.
Opening: Facilitators begin each conversation by guiding participants through a short meditation before honoring the history and intention of the CBC practice. Once connected to the purpose and moment of the practice, facilitators review the community-established guidelines for conversation (these guidelines are available in the section below for you to review).
Discussion: After agreeing to the conversation guidelines, facilitators then guide participants through a series of thoughtfully prepared questions related to the current theme. Conversations are mediated by a talking piece: an object passed from person to person that signifies the roles of who is speaking (holding the piece) and who is listening (everyone else) at any moment. This allows every individual equal opportunity to speak without interruption, as well as respectfully listen to others. As it moves around the circle, the talking piece signifies the roles of speaker and listener.
Movement & Breaks: Staying seated for the full 90-minute practice may be possible for some, but can be uncomfortable (or simply not possible) for others. To ensure everyone can remain present and comfortable during the conversation, facilitators will offer some time for breaks and guided movement between prompts, though participants are encouraged to do whatever they need to do throughout the practice to take care of their bodies.
Intentional Closing: Once all questions have been asked and everyone has had the opportunity to share, the facilitator will close the conversation practice with another meditation.
CONVERSATION GUIDELINES
Community Conversations is intended to be a welcoming and respectful space for purposeful discussion in our community. To honor this intention, all conversations will follow community-established guidelines for participation. These guidelines are essential to the practice of intentional conversations: they are a deliberate, mutual agreement for community dialogue to ensure that every community member listens to--and is heard by--others with compassion.
We will begin with the following guidelines, adding more as the practice grows:
Respect the talking piece. Remember that the talking piece serves as a symbol of reverence for the intentional conversation. Throughout the conversation, the talking piece designates who is speaking (holder of the talking piece) and who is listening (everyone else).
Speak from the heart. Remember that this space is for everyone to speak honestly, without worry for how others may feel as a result. This practice of intentional conversation encourages us to speak truthfully, to practice satya.
Listen to understand. Remember that this is a space for compassionate understanding, not a space for judgment. This practice encourages us to listen to our fellow community members, without defensiveness, judgment, or impatience.
Take the time you need, knowing that others need time as well. Remember that speaking honestly requires patience, from both speaker and listener. The practice of intentional conversation is a space to practice patience in communication.
Honor confidentiality. Remember that this is a space of confidence for our community., and what other participants share here is not yours to share with others. What happens in community conversations, stays in community conversations.
‘Pass’ at any time. Remember that you are not required to speak during this conversation, only listen. At your turn, you have the autonomy to pass the talking piece instead of sharing.