Since the beginning of humanity people have told and listened to stories to connect, engage, heal, inspire, and co-create shared worlds. Storytelling is one of the essential building blocks of connection and empathy.
In 2020, a group of ILA BIPOC facilitators and teachers gathered to vision about how we would like to enrich our BIPOC teaching community by practicing being in relationship with one another in creative ways that would nourish, build community, and counter biased societal narratives.
One of the many suggestions that grew out of this visioning was to gather together in storytelling circles.
In sharing our stories, it is our intention to practice honoring our life experiences and cultures, acknowledge the presence of our ancestors, practice bringing our mindfulness to listening and speaking, and understand one another more deeply. There is power in storytelling. When it is diverse, richness, complexity and intelligence emerge as we build our capacity to embrace multi-storied experiences. Developing such a capacity broadens our heart’s capacity to hold our own experiences as well as the experiences of those who are different from us.
Together, we will:
- Practice learning that we have something to say and that we have a unique and valuable voice.
- Learn the ingredients of a compelling story and how to construct a narrative.
- Learn how crafting a personal story can help us to develop perspective and support a sense of shared vulnerability.
- Learn how to construct boundaries about what to share.
- Deepen the sense of openness and trust in our sangha.
This workshop will be useful for a wide range of practices and applications, including:
- Cultivating skill in sharing a story as a part of a dharma talk.
- Creating your own storytelling circles in your sitting groups.
- Practicing mindful listening to people in our sangha/family/greater community who are different from us or have different life experiences.
We are holding an inaugural BIPOC storytelling workshop for ILA facilitators and teachers in January 2022 and would like to invite any BIPOC self-identified facilitators/teachers who are interested in participating in such an experience.
No experience in formal storytelling is required.
We will gather on Saturday, January 29th between 9:30am-12:30pm during which we will participate in icebreaking practices and a few brief and light-hearted storytelling exercises. We’ll learn about the ingredients of a compelling story and how to construct a narrative. On Sunday morning, January 30th, between 10am-12pm, participants will share a story idea or a story in progress with the sangha.
