# Stillness, Silence and Spaciousness

Today, I completed a four-month Buddhist Vassa retreat, attending monthly meditation sessions. As with many religious and spiritual traditions, retreats are a way of deepening their teachings and bringing them into everyday life. I say *their teachings* because I'm not a Buddhist, and I know very little about Buddhism. However, I've always been interested in exploring how different traditions contribute to our humanity, wellbeing and relationships with one another. That curiosity led me to participate in this retreat. One theme that particularly resonated with me was **Stillness, Silence and Spaciousness**. For John, our teacher, a former Buddhist monk, these are three *non-things*. Yet, paradoxically, they offer us something profound: - **In stillness**, we may discover the right movement. - **In silence**, we may find the right words. - **In spaciousness**, we may recognise what is truly worth bringing into our lives. I liked this concept, particularly because these three practices are not easy for me! I tend to move, talk and acquire things, sometimes without really considering whether they fill my heart or bring me joy, meaning and happiness. Perhaps I have something to learn from doing less, saying less and allowing more space. I also learned that the Vassa retreat concludes around the full moon, with a special focus on forgiveness. With the full moon approaching, what a meaningful way to end this journey! It reminded me of what we wrote about forgiveness in *Feelings Allowed*. I've included a link below. Another aspect of the retreat that impressed me was the calm, connected and nurturing atmosphere John created. There was no pressure to perform, achieve or prove anything. Simply an invitation to be present. I found myself thinking that **we need more spaces like this to nurture our humanity**, particularly in these turbulent times, when technology increasingly fills our attention, our conversations and even our silence. And naturally, my thoughts turned to IAGP. I thought about **Social Dreaming**, a wonderful space to share, reflect, discover and grow together. Thank you, Maurizio, for your dedication and the sensitivity and care with which you hold that space and its participants. I also thought about our **IAGP webinars**, the presenters who generously dedicate their time and effort to preparing and sharing their knowledge on important contemporary issues, and Tamar, and Adrian before her, for the professionalism and care with which they create and hold these opportunities for learning and connection. These contributions are much more than activities on a calendar. They are opportunities to connect, learn from one another and strengthen our shared humanity. Perhaps this is something worth remembering as we continue building IAGP together. **We don't always need to do more, say more or create more. Sometimes, what matters most is the quality of the space we create for one another.** Let's keep working together, with kindness, openness and care. Please share other traditions you know or follow that can contribute to our humanity.