A multi-layered experience. Letter from Maria, participant in the S3 workshop in Portugal

While we were getting ready to leave the beautiful Arrabida National Park and Biovilla and head back to Lisbon after the 4 day Residential Workshop in Portugal, Maria stopped to give us a letter.

Here are her thoughts and fresh impressions of the four days we spent together:

"When entering for the first time in that room, quite immediately I recognized a familiar atmosphere… A space when knowing almost no-one I could feel myself at home. And like this started the travel of these last days on Lili & James’ workshop. There was, since the beginning, a field to connect and share from the heart what is alive in us. What does this have to do with Sociocracy? one might ask. I would say that Sociocracy 3.0 is the version I know and it is all about empowering ourselves to be aware of what is really moving us and how we can collaborate to achieve things that are meaningful to us. It encourages us to listen to ourselves and the wisdom of the group and bring it out into the world and through this, bringing light to our lives together. Taking responsibility & empowering one another..

Well, I guess I would not be able to deeply understand this only through its simple logic and believing that a better world is possible... At this point, after these 4 days I feel extremely grateful for this experience together, because it was multi-layered.

There were moments of great understanding of the models and their purpose. The patterns were fitting so well the needs – clear mind! There were moments of pure joy with quick pomodoros, dancing and singing. There were moments of deep sharing, listening to James’ story, letting our tears come out together, sitting in a council., moving through power, vulnerability, leading and following. There were magical moments, illustrated by Osho cards, the water missing, the water falling from the sky, the wind blowing stronger when the wisdom of the vagina is brought in the group and the sun that is shining in special waves and colours…

There were super insightful moments harvested for our lives, in bigger and smaller groups, for ourselves, families, communities and societies in the world!

And the chance to be ourselves was here all the time..

This is nourishing for the mind, heart, spirit and the body (we were also eating, sleeping great and Biovila).

In this moment, together with the sunset, I am ready to go back home, where tomorrow I will have the chance to practice the creation of a space for collaboration inspired by what I discovered with you and we. I am going so grateful for being opened to this and wish from a deep place in my heart that I am able to keep nourishing this safe space in me in order to serve others & the world."

Maria, Vale de Lama, Portugal