A Shelter of the Hearts
◯ Circle of Self-Compassion for Mothers (Americas, Asia and Australasia friendly time) → 8pm Eastern Time Tuesday / 9am Singapore Time Wednesday (8am from early March to October). The planned dates are: US/Canada: 15 July, 29 July, 12 August, 26 August, 16 September, 21 Oct, TBC. Asia : 16 July, 30 July, 13 August, 27 August, 17 September, 22 Oct, TBC. ◯ Writing Circle (Europe, Asia and Australasia friendly time) → 8am Central Europe Time every Friday / 2pm Singapore Time every Friday (3pm from November to March) ◯ Meditation Circle (Europe, Asia and Australasia friendly time) → 8am Central Europe Time every Monday / 2pm Singapore Time every Monday (3pm from November to March) Planned days away: June 20th Friday to July 5th Saturday 2025, Singapore time
Be Here as We Are
Dear friend, We are a small online practice group of Mindful Self-Compassion. We practice together in the form of writing, meditation, or simply resting together. And we bear witness for each other. "The human soul doesn't want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed — to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is. When we make that kind of deep bow to the soul of a suffering person, our respect reinforces the soul's healing resources, the only resources that can help the sufferer make it through." - Parker Palmer I was moved to tears when I heard these words of Parker Palmer’s during a retreat. Intense feelings of both grief and relief washed over me, and I could feel the truth of these words deep inside my body. And yet my personal journey has also taught me how hard it could be to find such witnesses and to be such a witness for others. With humility and deep gratitude to all who have supported and encouraged me, I initiated this space in June 2023 with the intention that it could become such a safe place where we can be seen, heard and companioned exactly as we are. Join me, if you hear your heart saying “Yes!” to this shelter of hearts that we are building here. 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. Curious about these circles? You can read about our story here and the participants' experiences here . Looking foward to connecting with you, Mabel, Cai Lei● All circles are currently on going. We meet on zoom and this is the link. ● Once you have the full zoom link, you are welcome to either drop in or write to me to inform me of your attendence. ● Attendence is free, and you are welcome to make a donation to help cover the cost of powering this space. ● 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 the time is right.
Our Story
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."