All Blog Posts (172)

Hi All!

I just posted in the Conversations section, under "Exciting New Development" - some friends and I are riding from Sweden to Serbia, through Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. 

We are seeking help in organising small events to promote Sustainability and collective empowerment for positive change. We'd love you help, and it would also be an opportunity for you to practice facilitation, holding space, and spreading collective…

My first blogpost on the AoH Community site, and with it I find the depth of my relationship with the arts, a hidden jewel that was waiting to be discovered to be integrated into theoretical mental models and practical awareness social technologies to continuously generate a creative process that touches, moves and acts from a deep place - living and working from the heart with conscious attention and intention ....

the story I share is in response to a questionnaire I…

One of the things that stands out from my Envision Halifax days when a team of us co-designed and co-delivered a nine month leadership program, meeting with the group once a month for either a retreat or a learning day, is how often people talked about getting their Envision “fix” – essentially being able to step out of the craziness of their workplaces into a deep breath of a different kind of space, where…

From the last few…

I'm back in Japan.  Gathered this weekend, once again, in Kiyosato where we held two major art of hostings in Japan last year.  Mt.  Fuji still sits with majesty on the horizon.  The food is still excellent.  The onsen is once again very hot.  AND, much has changed.

I've been in Japan for four days.  Listening, sensing, trying to understand what is present here -- what is possible here -- that was not possible before.…

I recently posted an entry on the MIT CoLab Radio site (Finding Firm Ground in Times of Upheaval) in which I reflected upon the current events that quake and swirl all around us and my initial responses to them.

Shalom to all.

Dave

This post was inspired by the AoH UK gathering last Saturday in London.

Our world is more connected than ever and it is getting more likely that people have at least a friend or two in places where an accident or natural disaster occurs. Some will have family and other stronger links, of course, but my point is that you are likely to feel closer…

“I think so, but it’s not up to me”, The Earth replied with deep compassion.  “I’ve tried to help you understand that we are intimately connected – and influence each other daily - not always positively I might add - but its only when Disturbance shows up that you hear me.  And when he does show up  - and he…

Recently in the final check out of a circle conversation, I was framed as having been ‘…in the background’.  The others in the circle were each thanked by name for offering such insight in the conversations…

What’s the big fuss about, you might ask?  Remember, Power in Making Tea…?  Its tricky business being in the space of holding all that goes on in the foreground, and that those of us ‘back stage’ could be deemed less important, or even immaterial.  Certainly, we’re…

Blowing hard, placing small sticks, opening and closing the bottom grill to bring more air – the conditions simply did not…

An interesting experiment has been taking place in Melbourne, Australia around the creation of generative spaces for strengthening neighbourhoods and tackling challenging issues.

The experiment was started, perhaps rather unexpectedly, by a church but most decidedly it was not an attempt to try draw people “into the institution.” Instead it asked how might we create more neighbourhood spaces for authentic engagement, person to person? It worked on the assumption that we can…

For one of our recent AoH Practice days I trained this song with a little spontaneous choir, so we could sing it together with the whole group as a check-out activity. It had a really good effect, and the participants asked to do it over and over...The good thing was the melody everyone knew, so pleople could really join in and open up to the words. After a day like this the content connection did the rest...

So here is the text for alterations and adaptations to any…

An audio file of Teresa and I teaching the Berkana change model from a perspective of hosting mastery:

A recent source journal for the Art of Hosting.

Are you a rider on the storm?

A 'Rider on the Storm' is a term we use to describe people such as facilitators and coaches who work with organisations and individuals facing the storm of external and internal change. Professionally and personally our job is to ride the storm on an almost permenant basis. We also need to be able to ride our own professional and personal storms so they don't affect the quality of the services we offer our clients.

Does this…

From our recent Art of Hosting in Calgary, here are links to a number of audio files featuring Chris Corrigan, Teresa Posakony and Tenneson Woolf teaching some of the tools and frameworks we are currently using.

• Teresa teaching The Five Breaths (.amr format, 5Mb)
• Chris teaching  Wise action that lasts (mov format,…

In Calgary last week we used a ning replacement called webs.com to host the harvest from our days together.  If you head on over there you will find photos, Open Space reports and an extensive collection of audio files with some of the teachings we did including teachings on the Berkana model of systemic change, a framework for balancing work, co-learning and relationships, the chaordic stepping stones, the art of harvesting and a…