Conversation Café – Summer 2021 Online

Saturday August 21st, Online from 10:00-11:30 am

Join a community-wide online conversation on a topic of our choosing. 

* Please Note: All are welcome to join this online conversation with other sangha members. Please have a look at some possible topics and/or suggest your own before the start of the event at 10 am, at which point we’ll vote down to one topic and begin the conversation.

About Conversation Café: it is a simple and open community-based conversation-practice format for sangha members interested in having dialog with and hearing what really matters from other sangha members. Participants are encouraged to bring 2-3 conversation topics/questions that you would love to hear others’ perspectives on! Together we vote on a specific question/topic, break into small groups (of 6-8), and embark on a simple format of each person in turn speaking (or holding silence) for one minute during the first round, then two minutes, then a 15-minute open discussion, followed by a final round of each person speaking about something they heard from someone else that intrigued or moved them, made them curious, or that they found helpful or interesting. The main practice is to first listen deeply, return to silence, and then speak from the heart when it is your turn. As a deep listening practice, everyone is encouraged not to think or plan about what they will say, but to allow whatever expression arises in the moment, from a spacious, open, and curious mind.

Past conversations have included the following topics:

  1. How has being a part of this sangha changed your practice?
  2. Can we make up our own vow (i.e. where does vow come from)?
  3. What does safety look like in a sangha?
  4. What does ‘wholeheartedness’ look like?
  5. How do we maintain a community practice during COVID?

Basic Outline of Conversation Café

  1. First you’ll want a count of how many people plan to stay for the Cafe so you know how many chairs to bring down.
  2. Participants are encouraged to bring 2-3 conversation topics/questions around a theme (like “forgiveness”).
  3. Write the topics/questions down on the big sheet on the wall so everyone can see them. 
  4. By show of hands, vote down to one specific question/topic (maybe 2-3 rounds of voting?)
  5. Break into small groups (of 6-8) seated around a table (or in a zoom break-out room), and decide who will be the time-keeper, and who will speak first (then go clockwise).
  6. Time-keeper will time 1 minute for silence. Ring a bell to begin and end the minute.
  7. Each person in turn speaks (or holds silence) for 1 minute during the first round.
  8. Return to silence for 1 minute (or more depending on the spread of people – some tables may have an extra person).
  9. Start the 2nd round, where each person has 2 minutes.
  10. Return to silence for 1 minute.
  11. Open discussion for ~15-minutes (could use a talking stick if you like, but not necessary).
  12. Return to silence for 1 minute.
  13. Final Round: for 2 minutes, each person shares something they heard from someone else that intrigued or moved them, made them curious, or that they found helpful or interesting.