Over the summer, Taylor Milsal and I committed to hosting a weekly salon with the sole intention of creating a community of people connected through a common desire to non-dogmatic spiritual and emotional thriving, and to creating more love in the world, starting with themselves. The idea was to meet every Wednesday night, for supper (breaking bread together and hanging out), create a framework for real connection, offer a focused discussion topic presented by a guest speaker or member of the community, and do some meditation together- and usually offer some amazing music. Thus LoveSpring was born.
It’s been running for a few months now, and it’s a beautiful group of people are showing up, from 20 to 60 in any given week. We’ve covered non-violent communication, relationships, meaning/mission, gossip/right speech and more. We’ve had TED speakers, authors, adventurers and filmmakers and former inmates from San Quentin. We couldn’t be more thrilled at the response.
We knew it had a place in the world, and it’s hitting some sweet spot for many people. We’re now working on adding more structure to the topics, a more deliberate skill development and practice component.
Please take a look at what we’re up to, and if you find yourself in San Francisco on a Wednesday night, please join us. We post audio and transcripts of prior events, so they can be more widely shared, even if you’re far away you can participate by getting and commenting on the content.
There will be groups starting up in LA and NY soon, too. If you’re looking for something like this, let us know, and we will connect you with other local people.
XO,
Christine
Love is the most powerful transformative force in the universe. And I like love most when it’s used as a verb, not a noun. Loving can be learned, and practiced- just like a tennis serve or making the perfect cup of coffee. Loving itself isn’t always soft or easy- living from love encompasses fierce honesty, broad acceptance, core strength, and a kind spirit- because to live from love you have to be able to take in the world in all of its contradictions, and not fight it. From love, we see the soul in each person first, not their utility- we put this seeing before judgement. Putting loving intention first makes everything easy, whereas the absence of love creates immense suffering. That’s something worth investing time in.
