Dear friend,
Whoever you are, wherever you might be on this planet, as long as you are a child of the earth, you are warmly invited to join us.
We are a small group of friends and we love to take pauses together, in online meetings which I call circles. The intention is to make a space where we can rest in the midst of living our human lives which can often be challenging, and to allow and encourage each of us to choose whatever feels most supportive to care for ourselves. It might be meditation, writing or simply resting together in silence.
Since its birth in June 2023, I have received many gifts from the circles, among which, common humanity is the most precious one. It now no longer feels like an abstract concept for me, as I come to appreciate how much more we have in common than differences, when I meet people from different places. And friendship, deep and warm, organically grows for the few of us who meet regularly.
Join us, if your heart, like mine, longs to rest in the spacious warmth of a group and make a friend or two. And you are always welcome to drop in whenever you can.
Planned days away: 3 Dec Tuesday to 12 Dec Thursday, Singapore time
Self-Care Circle:
◯ Self-Care Circle 1 (Europe, Asia and Australasia friendly time)
→ 8am Central Europe Time every Monday / 3pm Singapore Time every Monday (2pm from April to October)
◯ Self-Care Circle 2 (Americas, Asia and Australasia friendly time)
→ 8pm Eastern Time alternating Tuesday / 9am Singapore Time alternating Wednesday (8am from early March to October). The planned dates are:
US/Canada: 29 Oct, 12 Nov, 26 Nov, TBC.
Asia: 30 Oct, 13 Nov, 27 Nov, TBC.
Writing Circle:
◯ Writing Circle 1 (Europe, Asia and Australasia friendly time)
→ 8am Central Europe Time every Friday / 3pm Singapore Time every Friday (2pm from April to October)
◯ Writing Circle 2 (Americas, Asia and Australasia friendly time)
→ 8pm Eastern Time alternating Tuesday / 9am Singapore Time alternating Wednesday (8am from early March to October). The planned dates are:
US/Canada: 22 Oct, 5 Nov, 19 Nov, TBC.
Asia: 23 Oct, 6 Nov, 20 Nov, TBC.
● All circles are currently on going. We meet on zoom and this is the link.
● You are most welcome to arrange a one to one "trial" circle with me to get a feel if you would like to join these circles.
● Attendence is free, and you are welcome to make a donation to support our work.
● I use the timezones in the US and Europe to anchor the circles, as most of the participants are joining from these regions. Please note these timezones are subject to daylight saving changes. You may want to use a time converter to find your local time.
● If none of the time offered suits you, you can still register your interest with me. We may add new timings when we are able to. I dream to grow this shelter so that it stays open and welcoming to all who need it, myself included, anytime, anywhere.
Email me at smallfish1975@gmail.com if you would like to join the circles. Please do not include links in your first email to me. If you do not hear from me within a week, do check back with me. Once you have the passcode, you may drop-in whenever you can, and I will be here to welcome you, except on the days that I am away. And I will make it known on this page.
Curious about these circles? You can read about the participants' experiences here .
Hope to see you :)
Mabel, Cai Lei
Our Experiences
Marija from Croatia. She has been an encourager and co-creator of the circles since June 2023, and she says:
"This excerpt emerged during one of the writing sessions. The prompt was 'The fruits of the practice.' It speaks well about this community and other communities that I have been a part of on my mindfulness and self-compassion journey.
'What a journey it has been. Communities and the people I have by my side are the biggest fruit of my practice. People who share the same beautiful heart as me. Who commit to the same kindness as me. With whom I feel belonging. You are my neighbors, my heart's neighbors. My practice has built me a new neighborhood, the kind in which I want to live, that knows no boundaries of the physical world.'"
Bindalli from Turkey. She joined my first circle in June 2023, and has been regularly sharing herself with us since September 2023, and she says:
"These circles are like water to me…. when I need water …or when I am not even aware that I am thirsty… I know the difference in me when I join and when I can not join… the times that I join there is light…and there is love…. that I recognize in life… when I can not join, those weeks I recognize more darkness, loneliness…"
Mabel from Singapore. She is the initiator of the circles, and she says:
“I have been struggling to put my experience of these circles into words. One day I came across the following lines, and I said to myself, ‘Yes! This is what I have felt.’
‘The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love - whether we call it friendship or family or romance - is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light. Gentle work. Steadfast work. Life-saving work in those moments when life and shame and sorrow occlude our own light from our view, but there is still a clear-eyed loving person to beam it back. In our best moments, we are that person for another. - James Baldwin’
Every time I open up my vulnerability I run the risk of falling into darkness and not being able to see my light. The eyes of others present in the group help me catch these lights and reflect them back to me - how beautifully real I am.”
Amelia from the United States. She has shared herself with me for a number of times, and she says:
"Mabel offers a graceful and gentle container for writing. Her capacity for deep listening is rare and invites participants toward self compassionate expression."
Last updated: Nov 2024