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Tending the Flame
Tending the Flame is a support group and community for people who want to feel more authentically connected to themselves, their people and their planet.
It is a facilitated space where people come together regularly to share and be heard non-judgmentally, as well as explore their inner and outer lives based on topics and interest and values of all the participants.
I curate each cohort of Tending the Flame to be a unique balance of backgrounds, personalities, and affinities of each participant.
Delicious Diversity Cohort
6 August
This tending the flame will take a deep dive into the repression of diversity in sex, sexuality and intimacy as a form of systemic oppression, and gently hold space for you and our community to open up to authentic experience in a safe and brave space.
Who is it for?
People looking for community with shared values
Folks finding ways to deepen community care in their life
People wanting to experiment with models for building safety in communities
Folks looking for a space where they’re seen among kindred spirits
People looking to slow down and pace communication mindfully: engaging body, mind, heart and spirit
Folks looking for tools to understand and embody transformational justice
The model and offerings
The first session is a deep exploration of the intentions, values and stories of each participant.
The rest of the sessions offer a guided facilitation on topics that emerge during the first conversation, offering tools, practices and strategies for personal, interpersonal and systemic awareness and growth.
The space invites you to be brave in how much you open up, while striving to remain safe for your nervous system via the core values of confidentiality, non-judgment and equity.
You will receive these tools (and more!) to cultivate, reframe and immerse in daily practice as it suits your needs.
“The wound in one person can become the door through which everyone can find the centre of life again.”
– Michael Meade
Check-ins
Recognising wants and needs
Drawing Boundaries
Self Awareness
Visualisation
Tools, strategies and practices for self care
Learning about socio-political systems
Community Support
Intentions and Commitments
Community Resources
Body-mind connection tools
Art based processing tools
Why attend these circles?
“The times are urgent. Let us slow down.”
– Bayo Akomolafe
Testimonials
“Sometimes I feel stuck and I don’t know how to get out of a difficult space. It helps to hear that there are people – even if it’s a different struggle – that there are people to listen to you and who are willing to share. It’s good to know that we are each doing our best and doing whatever is possible.”
“The topics that Arpita chose to bring into the sessions were new to me – I didn’t expect it. Marginalisation and Privilege – that’s a conversation we need to have and I’ve not had it in many spaces. I always learn something new.
After attending safe spaces I notice myself checking on my own boundaries – am I comfortable? And that is feeling so good.”
“Arpita is very present in the session. The energy of connection and safety stayed throughout the sessions no matter how the situation changed. She naturally holds space to contain the changes so it doesn’t feel jarring.
Giving importance to silence stood out for me. That you don’t always have to share, you can receive also. Either you talk or just stay silent – I love that.”
“In the time between sessions, I work on the topics subconsciously and that is really a good thing for me. It also helps to settle down the emotions that emerge in a session.”
“This is a space for you to show up as yourself without fear of judgement. So far, we have discussed topics like self-care, slowing down, rest etc. Other things to know: We are all friends here. You are safe! It’s a good balance of lightness and seriousness You can speak if you want or stay silent or switch off your video. Whatever makes you comfortable.”
“Circles have been a space of sharing, authenticity, warmth and listening. It has been a space to listen, share silences and offer some solace to each other. The circles make me feel heard and held, and I wish for every single being to feel that way.”
“The circle was a safe space where I could come to feel a sense of community and share my needs as well as be there to support others with theirs.
They made me see that others were going through similar issues as I was and helped me not feel alone. This helped me work through things that I was stuck at because I knew I wasn’t the only one going through these things.”
“After every session, I’ve carried this sense of safety into the day. I’ve felt comfortable and calm through the next couple of hours at least. I think the circle really made me believe in safe spaces.
It showed up for me in the fact that I felt safe both during the session and carried that after session with me. That felt like a sense of power and community.”
“Feeling alone and isolated during the pandemic, I often found myself giving up hope about finding a sense of community and connecting with people. With these circles, I feel more hopeful and willing to keep searching for belonging.”
About the Facilitator
Arpita has been facilitating since 2014, and has lived in multiple community spaces. These experiences have strengthened her adaptive and experimental muscles. Arpita has trained in academia, education, fine arts, facilitation and social change, and this renaissance approach informs her inter-disciplinary facilitation style.
Arpita’s own lived experiences with multiple marginalities and ongoing practice in embodying safety, joy and abundance bring versatility and freshness to their process.
