Dialogue
Come directly experience the transformative nature of dialogue.
What's expected of me when I attend a forum or a group?
You. Just bring you.
Be okay with just being you and in
that way, there are no expectations.
Here are some group "tries". We say "to try" because if you did all of these all the time, you wouldn't be human. We're all in this together!
1
Try to be aware.
The learning goes beyond the topic. What is underneath what is being shared? Are you aware of being distracted? Is there an awareness without judgement? Are your reaction out of fear or because someone’s comments hit a button? Dialogue is about being unconditionally aware and being okay if you are not.
2
Try to think of the collective.
When listening or sharing, think about how it relates to the group. Does it deepen the topic? If you want to go in a different direction, pause first and question where this is coming from. Could it be that this topic is uncomfortable? Did someone say something that affected you? Does the topic seem finished and now it is time to move on? It's all okay, sit with that, then share your thoughts.
3
Above all, try to be compassionate.
Instead of stating your opinion, try to be curious and wonder about how others view the topic. "What lead you to your belief? How did you come to understand that in this way? That's really interesting, can you tell me more?" It's not always natural to be curious as adults, so it might take time and that's okay. Notice it. And try again!
TED Circles
On hold for the summer! Check back soon for in-person and fall options.
7 - 8:30 pm EST last Tuesday of every month at our Love University office.
Next Circle: July 27th, 2021
We will be social distancing. Bring mask. As we get closer, we will know more information about social gatherings. We will keep you posted.
Click here for more information, to get the link and to sign up.
Join the conversation. TED is doing something awesome; engaging people in exploring new ideas. They’ve been doing this for years, but now they invite us to do it, um, together! Love University is a registered host for TED Circles. We are so excited to have yet another way to bring people together for a deeper look. What to expect? We’ll watch the TED Talk first, then start the discourse with some open questions. From there we’ll let it fly!
Please RSVP by clicking the link above.
Dialoguing with Us?
Great!
We love LOVE ❤ coming together and dialoging with you- we appreciate your willingness to step out of your comfort zone, and get vulnerable and real with us.
A few things to know…
We run solely on donations. If making a donation is possible for you, we’ll appreciate it and use it wisely. Although any monetary amount is welcomed, if you need a gauge; a typical donation for a 10 wk group is between $60-125 or $5-20 recurring weekly.
We’ve found frequent processing of dialogue concepts helps with group cohesiveness. Please find a few minutes to go to our dialogue page to get acquainted.
All groups are ‘challenge by choice’; meaning, you can choose how you participate. We want you to feel comfortable in how you interact within the space. Our hope is to help you bring awareness to you, so however you do that is welcomed.
By participating you are agreeing to keep shared information confidential. Although these are not therapy groups, there are many similarities. Opening up to vulnerability and sharing personal stories is part of the process, and can only happen if we vow to keep a confidential space. We set up a space that will be based first and foremost around meeting you where you are, and secondly, honoring your shared experiences and insights. To be vulnerable is hard, necessary, and the only way for real change.
Lastly, we’ve found the more participants can come consistently, the more cohesive the group becomes, and the deeper we can all go. We know it’s not always possible, and just love to see you any ol’ time, but if you can, please try.
Let us know if any of the topics below sound enticing. Let’s get a group started... together!
Parenting with Love and Limits
There are so many opposing voices in our society telling us what constitutes acceptable parenting. There are also many stressors in our lives that impact our ability to parent. This group is a way for us to come together to share, discover and get curious around new ideas, and to help each other drop old, unhealthy habits. Possible topics:
What does it mean to truly see our children?
How can we minimize stressors to be more thoughtful parents?
When have you felt judged as a parent? When do you judge the most?
How do we parent with love and freedom within boundaries?
How to Create a Healthy Community
We are going to explore practical, yet utopic ideas of what a healthy society could look like.
Taking ‘The Other’ to Lunch
Do you boil over with anger sometimes when you hear an opposing view that makes no sense to you? Do you find yourself baffled by this other person’s viewpoint? Well, we all do sometimes! This group will explore these underlying emotions, and help us discover how to have more real, world changing conversations.
Religious Dialogue
No matter your background; whether you’re highly religious, atheist, or somewhere in between, we are here to understand each other’s story and religious or non religious points of view. Instead of seeing other, this is an opportunity to understand each other in new and profound ways.
Relationships and Sex Dialogue
We are all relating to others all the time. If we’re lucky, we’re intimately relating to others. So often, in these intimate relationships, we feel alone or confused by our experiences. Is this normal? Is this me? Why do I feel weird about that? Does anyone else experience that? Well, this is where you can explore all your relationship happenings left unspoken.
Political Dialogue
Politics is one of the most divisive aspects we see in culture. We feel that it is necessary to bring ‘the other’ into dialogue. No matter your personal political preference, we want everyone to feel included in this interactive interface using the practice of dialogue to bridge the gap between each other.
Past Dialogue Focused Groups.
Want us to do one again? Let us know!
Confronting Power- Creating a Just and Healthy Community
Be a part of the first dialogue group focusing on the impact of power and injustice, and how we can confront our harmful conditioning.
Education
Come explore the world of education in our culture and others in a thoughtful environment. Although the focus will surround education and learning, the specific aspects we dive into will be decided by the group weekly. Some possible topics:
What is education and what is learning?
How is culture structured by the way in which we are taught?
Should children have voice in their learning?
Does trust or fear dictate how we educate?
On Waking Up
This group is for those who are deeply passionate around waking up. We will dig into our cultural and “normal” state of consciousness and observe our beliefs, assumptions and the nature of thought and knowledge. We will explore duality and Wholeness. We will leap into what different people call Wholeness, Buddha Nature, Cosmic Consciousness, God, or Tao and what transcendence and transpersonal means.