Harvests from January 29, 2012 Gathering

[Amanda Fenton]

Was great to see everyone today at our first gathering and be in a flow together (check-in, what are we learning, some bodywork, playing with the Group Works Deck (pattern cards), and check-out). Starting a thread to hold our harvests - I'm looking forward to seeing them all!

I took photos of my sketch notes and uploaded them here (apologies - I should have been using a different notebook as the colourful background makes these hard to read). 

Here were a few of my key insights:

• Our community of practice is a place for teaching and learning, to bring our questions
• To offer what we can and take what we need
• Exploring centres, how to co-create, the fine art of beginnings and play
• Exploring edges, the collectors like the edge of a sidewalk where life grows; hacking the system through a honeycomb of conversations that scale
• Being aware of our own projections; can we be like Atreyu who walks through the sphinx gate without a shadow of a doubt?
• Promising to do bodywork at every gathering (thanks Zack for today's experiences!)
• Using the pattern cards in different ways e.g celtic cross tarot spread
• We pulled the cards one at a time around the circle, reflected on it then spoke to it in the context of what we know about the pattern and what it could mean for our next gathering
• Cards we pulled: Reflection Action Cycle, Time Shift, Experts on Tap, Mode Choice, Appropriate Boundaries, Balance Process and Content, Power Shift, Challenge, and Iteration
• Ideas for our gatherings: time to reflect on scenarios we might bring forward or practice facilitation, using the space on the ning to share what we want to achieve and take steps to work on that, to play with different modes at our gatherings and also harvest with different modes to share back with the broader AoH community, that our gatherings are in the field of the Art of Hosting but strangers are welcome, to observe any assumptions about our experience, to ask for help when we need and to hold these little shoots of growth with compassion, to challenge each other with heart-intention to lift everyone up, to iterate in these gatherings
• We named a rhythm for our meetings: the last Sunday of every month with additional 1/2 day or day long gatherings from time to time (a google docs will be created to brainstorm venue ideas)
• Then checking out with any unspoken gratitudes; loved the sense that we were all slowing down together (being in a garden!)

Seven years in the making... moving from "we should" to "here's the date". Yes! Can't wait for the next one.

[Laura Cameron]

I came home feeling very glad I made it out to the January meeting.

I've been 'thirsty' for connecting with people who share a passion for this great work for some time, to learn from and to build... "Community"

I learned something lovely from each of you and look forward to 'tapping' into more of this (Smiles - my card was "Experts on Tap")  

I especially enjoyed the pace of the day (alike nature's heartbeat), as well as the group "exercises" to aid grounding and being more fully present with each other.

Thank-you Amanda for leading this thread.  

Such a joy to meet all of you today.

Namaste.

[Conrad Juraschka]

That was really fun. Was really nice to connect with you all again. I feel like I found more of my people.

[Lisa Dymond]

Wow, Amanda.  Such rich information here, from your sketch notes to the web site for Group Works Deck.  The reference to Atreyu makes much very clear.  Thank you for fertile ground for understanding more.