Homecoming A Journey of Homecoming:

Vipul Shaha on Mindfulness, Nature, and Belonging

At the intersection of psychotherapy, indigenous wisdom, and environmental education lies the work of Vipul Shaha. Based in Pune, India, Vipul is the founder of Mindful Being, where he serves as a psychotherapist, educator, and nature facilitator.

But if you ask Vipul who he is beyond his titles, he will tell you he is a pilgrim.

“I have been a seeker for as long as I can remember,” Vipul shares. “My work is a natural extension of a personal path focused on understanding the nature of reality (Dharma) and cultivating inner silence. To the extent that I’m calm and rooted within myself, I can create spaces where others experience the same.”

What is the heart of your work, and what inspired you to begin it?

Vipul Shaha: “At the heart of my work lie awareness and connection, guided by a quiet faith in the unfolding of human consciousness. Through Mindful Being, I hold spaces where people can slow down and reconnect—with themselves, with one another, and with the living Earth.

This path has been shaped by three formative experiences: encountering Vipassana meditation as a teenager; living alongside an indigenous, land-based community; and working with children in a forest school. Each revealed the same truth—belonging to self, community, and land is essential to our wellbeing.“

The Seeds of Awareness

At the age of 17, under the guidance of S. N. Goenka-ji, Vipul learned the foundations of self-awareness and “righteous action” at a Vipassana retreat which continue to guide his work with young adults today. Then, after graduating from Harvard, Vipul spent a gap year living with a land-based indigenous community in India. This experience offered him a blueprint for a more integrated way of living and learning. Finally, working as an environmental educator at a Krishnamurti Foundation forest school, he witnessed firsthand how “falling in love with nature” is the ultimate medicine for human wellbeing.

How does your work nurture a deeper sense of ecological belonging?

VS: “My work invites people into relationship with nature—not as a backdrop, but as a living presence. Through forest walks, mindfulness-based retreats, therapeutic conversations, and learning journeys—sometimes held outdoors—I encourage people to listen again.

Inspired by Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), and alongside therapists, educators, indigenous knowledge holders, and land stewards, I co-facilitate one of India’s first Adventure and Nature-Based Therapy programs.

When safety, care, and connection are created — with Mother Nature as a co-therapist — something profound shifts. It becomes a journey of homecoming: remembering that nature has always been our home, and that we are wired for connection.”

Can you share a moment or challenge that brought this to life?

VS: “My niece Anvi has become one of my greatest teachers. Through her barefoot walks, her conversations with trees, her fascination with ants and moon cycles, I am reminded that intimacy with nature is our original language.

And yet, alongside this joy, there is grief. Many children today are separated from such experiences—by urban life, shrinking natural spaces, and systems that leave little room for wonder. Anvi’s presence continually asks me: What kind of world are we shaping for those who come after us? And how closely do my daily choices align with that vision?”

A Practice for You: The “Sit Spot”

If you are looking for a small first step toward ecological belonging, Vipul invites you to begin a simple ritual:

Find your ‘Sit Spot’: A tree, a rock, a stream, or even a quiet park bench that feels safe.
Visit regularly: Observe the changes in the seasons. Listen to the birds. Journal or create art.
The Goal: Over time, you may discover a quiet truth: you are not just in nature; you are interconnected with all of life.

Explore more: 🎧Listen to Vipul’s Guided Mindfulness Practices here.

What is the most critical lesson you have learned that should be shared?

VS: “This work is subtle—planting seeds and trusting they’ll bloom. Over time, I’ve watched relationships soften, health regain priority, and lives reorient toward meaning.

The key insight? Ecological belonging begins with belonging to ourselves. Humanity’s disconnection from nature mirrors our disconnection from ourselves. As Thich Nhat Hanh said, we’ve become “hungry ghosts,” endlessly consuming to fill an inner emptiness.

This work can’t be sustained through shame or fear. It calls for embodied experiences of interconnectedness, tenderness, and love—for ourselves, each other, and the living Earth.”

What small, first step would you encourage others to take in their own community?

VS: “Find a place in nature that feels safe and nourishing—a tree, rock, stream, or park bench. Visit regularly. Observe. Listen. Journal. Create. Let the seasons teach you.

Over time, you may discover a quiet truth: you are interconnected with all of life.“

Connect with Vipul:

You can find Vipul on LinkedIn and his website, or reach out directly by email. He’s always open to connecting with kindred spirits, synergistic projects, and initiatives that align with mindful, nature-immersive, and relational ways of being. He is particularly eager to collaborate on nature-based programs that support youth and marginalized communities.

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Our Partners Meet Our Partners

Thank you to the wonderful group of governmental institutions, cultural organizations, and foundations that partnered with us to make this wellbeing journey and event possible.

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We are thrilled by your interest in supporting our mission! Partnerships are vital to advancing global wellbeing and social change.

Please use the form below, and our Fundraising team will connect with you shortly. For immediate questions, feel free to contact Hayley Barnard, Corporate Development Director, directly at: hayley@wellbeing-project.org

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Credit: Renee van Bavel

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Arts Arts

Art has always been a vital force in human experience — a universal language through which we make sense of the world and connect across differences. It enables us to process complex emotions, bridge divides, and imagine new ways of being. Art is transformation: it heals, questions, and redefines how we see ourselves and the societies we create.

At the global Hearth Summit, the arts are not an addition but a core element — a living thread woven through every aspect of the gathering. They deepen our connection by inviting participants into a shared journey of reflection and creation, where individual and collective experiences intertwine. They act as catalysts for social change, helping us reimagine society, challenge conventions, and inspire new approaches to wellbeing and social change.

Artists Artists

Led by Manuel Bagorro, Creative Advisor at Carnegie Hall and Artistic Director of several global events; alongside Carrie Barratt, former Deputy Director at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; and Anique Jordan, Artist, Writer and Curator; advised by Vicente Todolí, internationally renowned contemporary Art Curator and former General Director of Tate Modern London and Artistic Director of HangarBicocca; and guided by an Arts and Experiences Advisory Board, the artistic program and collaborations with local and international cultural partners bring a vibrant, multidisciplinary pulse to the event — infusing it with dynamic, and artistic energy.

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Arts Commissioned Arts

Commissioned works by acclaimed international artists animated public spaces and Summit venues, while performances, and artistic workshops sparked dialogue, deepen reflection, and inspire collective transformation. Through the arts, the global Hearth Summit becomes not just a space for conversation, but a living work of collective imagination — one that invites us to create, to collaborate, and to embody the world we wish to build together.

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Speakers Speakers

The brightest minds from around the world will take the stage to guide our reflections and discussions around the Hearth, through talks, panel discussions, conversations, workshops, embodied practices and artistic experiences. These incredible voices will co-create a holistic and multi-faceted view of wellbeing and social change with their diverse perspectives from different backgrounds, cultures and traditions.

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Keynotes Keynotes

(Re)connect with our past editions and dive into our video archives.

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Opening to Ritual

Malika Dutt

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Belonging to the Living Web: Healing Through Kinship with the Earth

Donna Kerridge

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Beyond the Known: How Science Is Rewriting What It Means to Be Alive

Dr. Richard J. Davidson

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Seeds of Memory: Fostering Belonging Through Food and Farming

Mai Nguyen

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Lighten Up: The Healing Power of Not Taking Ourselves Too Seriously

Nina Hastie

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What Breaks Also Opens: A Journey Through Burnout

Vishal Talreja

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This Is the Time of Our Lives

Rhonda V. Magee

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Green Shoots and Hard Truths: Listening Beyond What We Believe’

David Simas

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Synodality

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe OP

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From Wound to We: Ubuntu and the Architecture of Healing

Jean Bosco Niyonzima

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Rooted: How Nature Shapes the Way We Live and Lead

Rohini Nilekani

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Performances Performances

Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita

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Songs of Solomon and Artists Ensemble

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Falu

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Aakash Odedra

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Arts Commissioned Artworks

DRAGON NEST – CHENG TSUNG FENG

Taiwanese artist, Cheng Tsung Feng, bridges the past with the present through his deep exploration of traditional craftsmanship. Drawing inspiration from ancient cultures, his works tell stories of handmade memories, while pushing boundaries of creativity with modern techniques. In honor of the traditions and stories of Ljubljana, Feng has created a nest for the mythical dragon–a creature both nurturing and protective, fiery and gentle. Visit the nest, sit inside, be renewed and reborn.

TENT – CHIARA CAMONI

Born in Piacenza, Italy, and working in the Apuan Alps of Tuscany, Chiara Camoni creates connections with people, places, and plants. Her practice engages a shifting, spontaneous group of friends, family, and others who shape the work alongside her. In Ljubljana, she is working with Krater, the artist collective that embraces regenerative practices and alliances to open eyes to nature and each other anew. Camoni’s installation of silks dyed with the natural pigments of local plants, invites all to immerse themselves in an environment of belonging.

THE MIRROR OF PEACE – RENEE VAN BAVEL

Based in Berlin, Dutch artist Renee van Bavel, creates timely work asking the urgent questions: What does peace look like? And how can we protect it? Her reflective wall, THE MIRROR OF PEACE is a spatial monument that invites the viewer to have a personal experience with peace. While looking at their reflection, viewers read: “This is what people living in peace look like.” A life lived in peace cannot be taken for granted, and we must act consciously, every day, to preserve it.

Living Systems Learning from Living Systems:

Nathalia Manso on Regenerative Learning

In the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro, Nathalia Manso is weaving something essential: connections between inner transformation and systemic change, between ancient wisdom and contemporary leadership, between humans and the living world.

As an Ecotuner and Regenerative Learning Facilitator and member of our Ecological Belonging Network, Nathalia creates immersive experiences that invite us to remember what modernity has taught us to forget—that we are not separate from nature, but expressions of it. Through practices drawn from Deep Ecology, Ecopsychology, and ancestral wisdom, she guides leaders and changemakers toward a regenerative mindset, one that honors sensitivity, grief, wonder, and our fundamental belonging to Earth’s living pulse.

What is the heart of your work, and what inspired you to begin it?

Nathalia Manso: “The heart of my work lies in remembering our true nature—that we are part of a greater intelligence—so we can regenerate our ways of being, thinking, and acting within a living world. I create bridges between inner transformation and systemic change for leaders, changemakers, and teams.

What brought me to this path was realizing that the root of the many problems we face is a profound crisis of disconnection and a belief in separation. The symptoms we see—ecological, social, spiritual—all emerge from this same place.

My work seeks to transform the mechanistic, fragmented worldview into a regenerative mindset. By integrating what has been separated—mind and body, reason and emotion—and using nature as our teacher, we cultivate capacities that allow us to find creative, resilient responses to the challenges of the metacrisis.”

Nathalia’s work is rooted in the landscapes of Brazil, particularly the Atlantic Forest, the biome that has shaped her sensibility since childhood. This connection to place runs deep through everything she creates, drawing from Brazil’s relational and cultural richness, a country woven from many ancestries, contradictions, and possibilities of coexistence.

How does your work nurture a deeper sense of ecological belonging?

NM: “I seek to cultivate connectivity through experiential practices that deepen the relationship between our inner and outer nature. This often means creating spaces where people slow down enough to listen more deeply—to the land, to their bodies, and to their own intuition.

Through embodied experiences like nature walks, collective rituals, and practices like Forest Bathing, participants begin to feel their interconnection rather than only think about it. I’ve witnessed again and again how a simple moment of awe or quietly observing a more-than-human being softens the boundary between self and world.

At the core is the strengthening of relationships of reciprocity, reverence, and wholeness with the living Earth. When we understand that the notion of a separate individual is an illusion, we awaken our ecological self. This shift transforms how we lead, learn, and re-imagine organizations.”

Can you share a moment or challenge that brought this to life?

NM: “There isn’t a single story, but a pattern I’ve witnessed many times: people arrive feeling tired, anxious, or disconnected, and then something subtle begins to shift. It shows up in softened eyes and deeper breaths, in silent tears or laughter returning. This might happen while sitting quietly with a tree or sharing a story in a circle.

What often follows is a visible change in how they relate, with more gentleness, curiosity, and care. These small awakenings ripple outward, strengthening relationships and inspiring a renewed sense of purpose and participation in life.”

The heart of Nathalia’s work lies in a simple yet profound recognition: The ecological, social, and spiritual symptoms we see in the world all emerge from this same place—a forgetting of our fundamental nature as participants in a living system. This understanding led Nathalia to study Regeneration, Ecopsychology, Deep Ecology, and ancestral wisdom traditions that remind us of who we truly are. With nature as teacher, she helps people learn from living systems to reframe how we see ourselves, our relationships, and our actions in the world.

What is the most critical lesson you have learned that should be shared?

NM: “I have been reflecting deeply on the importance of having safe collective spaces to honor our pain and grief. A profound learning on this regenerative path is recognizing that death is an intrinsic part of life’s process of renewal. This means learning to process the pain that moves through us collectively, and to compost what must be left behind so that new ways of being can emerge.

Healing the wounds of separation may be our greatest collective challenge, and for that, we need community.

Ultimately, the most important lesson has been recognizing that we don’t need to save, solve, or fix the world. We are simply participants in, and expressions of, a living system in the ongoing process of transmutation. This frees us from the heroic narrative and gives us the humility of those who are part of something much greater.”

What small, first step would you encourage others to take in their own community?

NM: “A simple first step is to begin noticing the place where you live with new eyes. Start building a relationship with your surroundings as if they were part of your extended community.

Practices of attention, presence, and deep listening—like Sit Spot (regularly sitting in the same place outdoors)—help resensitize our senses. Forest Bathing invites us to slow down and perceive the forest and its beings as teachers.

Above all, ecological belonging is about allowing ourselves to feel. Reclaiming sensitivity is revolutionary—it reconnects us with both beauty and grief, reminding us that to belong is simply to be in relationship.”

Connect with Nathalia:

You can find Nathalia on LinkedIn and Instagram, or reach out directly by email. She’s always open to connecting with kindred spirits, synergistic projects, and initiatives that align with regenerative and relational ways of working.

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Investing in Wellbeing Investing in Wellbeing:

A Core Strategy for Lasting Impact in Philanthropy

Guest Post By

The resilience and impact of the nonprofit sector hinge on the wellness of its people.

Once seen as a peripheral concern, wellbeing is now central to philanthropy—especially amid declining funding, shrinking civic space, and rising social and climate pressures. Even more, research shows that prioritising wellbeing has immense social, psychological and economic returns, including up to $11.7 trillion in global economic value, higher retention, improved productivity and a more resilient and adaptive workforce capable of navigating complex change.

At Laudes Foundation, we did not come to this conclusion alone. Our growing commitment to wellbeing was shaped by listening to philanthropic peers and especially our partners. This prompted us to pilot targeted initiatives aimed at strengthening wellbeing—and in doing so, to also reflect on our own internal culture and practices. We are learning alongside our partners and still have a long way to go.

This article explores three key insights drawn from that experience, and from emerging research, to offer a roadmap for how funders can more intentionally support nonprofit resilience through wellbeing.

1. Challenging Perfectionism and Efficiency as Dominant Values

In philanthropy, the pressure to demonstrate impact can lead to an overemphasis on delivering programmatic efficiency and perfection. While these values are often seen as benchmarks of success, they can unintentionally create unattainable standards that nonprofits feel pressured to meet.

When grant-making culture skews towards a “maximum output” mentality, burnout can become more than a risk—it can become systemic. Historian Jill Lepore’s work underscores this issue, framing burnout as not only a consequence of modern workplace demands but as a “badge of success” within performance-driven environments. In the nonprofit sector, the damage is compounded by the emotional burden of mission-driven work, often leading to moral distress—the gap between what one aspires to do and what limited resources make possible.

To shift this and embrace flexibility and care in how we fund, funders must examine their own expectations. Are we applying pressure through rigid KPIs, unrealistic timelines, or inflexible reporting demands? Are we inadvertently valuing deliverables over the people delivering them?

2. Philanthropy Should Fund Nonprofits to Win, Not Just Survive

A primary barrier to achieving nonprofit resilience lies in funders’ tendency toward transactional rather than transformational funding. This can manifest as rigid grant structures, burdensome reporting, or inflexible budgeting. Ultimately, this has created an internalised culture of scarcity among the nonprofit sector, where results, programmatic growth, and scale are prioritised often at the expense of the very individuals driving the work.

We must recognise that nonprofits are not all the same, and thus a culture of scarcity is also an issue of equity. They vary by size, geography, sector, and the lived experiences of their leadership and staff—all of which intersect to shape their access to power, funding, and influence. Smaller organisations—especially those led by women, youth, or people from marginalised communities—are often more deeply affected by power imbalances, underfunded operational costs, and donor-imposed constraints.

To be genuinely effective, best practice shows funders must move beyond “project funding” and instead provide multi-year, flexible grants that cover core costs, fair wages, staff retention, and leadership development, among others. It’s about investing in both what an organisation does and who it is. When nonprofits can budget for the time and wellbeing of their people—not just their outputs—they can build stronger, more adaptive teams and a culture of care that allows innovation and resilience to flourish.

3. What We Learned from Funding Wellbeing Initiatives

Supporting wellbeing initiatives as a funder sends a powerful message: we see the people behind the work and we care about their health, as well as the organisations’ broader culture and sustainability.

Our wellbeing support came from listening to what partners needed to thrive and thus connecting the benefits of wellbeing to our strategic goals. This became the starting point of our Wellbeing Pilot, which offered partners EUR 10,000 stipends alongside tailored advisory support from experts in mental health and psychological support to design and implement culturally relevant wellbeing initiatives over the course of one year.

The initiatives that emerged were as diverse as our partners—ranging from mental health support and team building exercises to improved workspaces, coaching, and activities to alleviate financial stress. While these grants were too modest in size to deeply transform organisations, they proved catalytic. For many partners, it was the first time they had engaged their boards, leadership, or teams in open conversations about wellbeing, and thus helped to normalise a topic that has long remained hidden behind mission-driven urgency.

As one partner noted, “I’ve never had a wellbeing budget from a funder before… the fact that we’ve got it means we can have discussions with the team about what to do with it. In the grand scheme of things, the amount of money we got isn’t much, but it’s a massive boost to the organisation and the team. It’s so forward-thinking, and I wish other funders did it too.”

Through this journey we learned that:

Wellbeing Is Context-Specific—and Should Be:

Partners defined wellbeing in diverse ways, from mental health and stress management to team cohesion, leadership development, and organisational clarity. This reflected differences in team size, sector and geography, and reinforced the need for flexible support – rather than one-size-fits-all solutions – to ensure relevance and respect.

Leadership Buy-In Is Crucial:

Where leaders championed wellbeing, teams were more engaged, and initiatives took deeper root. Where buy-in was limited, progress stalled or felt surface-level. This reminded us that wellbeing cannot be siloed but rather modelled from the top and embedded into leadership behaviour and organisational values.

Cultural Grounding of Wellbeing Is as Important as Financial Support:

Despite the support provided many partners faced hurdles, such as staff seeing wellbeing as “extra work,” unclear priorities, or lack of time. These barriers showed that wellbeing is not just a new initiative—it often requires a shift in organisational culture. Partners who succeeded made time for open dialogue, addressed team hesitations, and aligned wellbeing with mission and strategy.

Organisational Development (OD) and Wellbeing Are Deeply Connected:

Some partners used the funding to strengthen internal systems or strategy, while others prioritised team care. Rather than separate domains, we found OD and wellbeing reinforce one another: well-run organisations are more likely to sustain wellbeing, and wellbeing, in turn, strengthens team performance and cohesion.

Sustaining Wellbeing Requires Creativity and Continued Ecosystem Support:

Many partners are exploring ways to sustain wellbeing—such as budgeting a portion of grants toward it or integrating it into team planning. But not all have the same capacity or external support to do so. Partners flagged the need for additional non-financial support through peer learning, access to trusted consultants, and shared tools or case studies. These ecosystem-level investments can help ensure that wellbeing is not a one-off intervention but a long-term practice.

Reinforcing Philanthropy as a Force for Wellbeing

Ultimately, this pilot showed us that we can not build impact on the back of a burned-out workforce. Prioritising wellbeing is not a distraction from outcomes—it is how we unlock them.

It is time for philanthropy to prioritise people over outputs, actively funding, offering technical support and normalising conversations about wellbeing with partners. At Laudes, we are trying to walk this talk—not just externally with partners, but also internally reviewing policies and practices to ensure that wellbeing is embedded into our own culture and operations.

Disrupting perfectionism, scarcity mindsets, and transactional relationships is not easy, but it is necessary to build a sector that is not only more effective, but also more humane, just, and resilient. We hope these lessons encourage others to invest in people, organisations and the ecosystem not as a trend, but as a core pillar of how we build a healthier, more just philanthropic sector.

Sources:

1. Thriving workplaces: How employers can improve productivity and change lives, McKinsey Health Institute and World Economic Forum, 2025.

2. Partners shared wellbeing was a growing area of support during the 2022 Partner Perception Report, which was reinforced during direct conversations and the 2023 Partner Retreat.

3. Burnout: Modern Affliction or Human Condition?, The New Yorker, 2021.

4. The Psychology of Burnout within International Development, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2023.

5. Breaking the Starvation Cycle, Humentum, 2022.

6. Project Grants Still Need Not Be the Enemy: An Equity-Oriented Update One Year Later, Centre for Effective Philanthropy, 2022.

7. To Ensure Nonprofit Well-Being, Invest in Wages, Workload, and Working Conditions, Centre for Effective Philanthropy, 2024.

Marlene Ogawa

Synergos

Marlene is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she works with cross- and multi-sectoral leaders on the Bridging Leadership project, building collaborative and purpose-driven servant leadership principles. Her work centers on relational leadership and social connectedness, emphasizing personal change, common purpose, and collaborative action.

Marlene partners with clients to design and facilitate processes around compassionate leadership and foster effective intercultural diversity, equity, and inclusion (ICDEI) environments. She designs strategic development processes, leads courses, and consults on and facilitates various ICDEI and organizational development initiatives around themes like race, gender, and social transformation. Marlene’s approach encourages impactful dialogue spaces and focuses on building the capacity of leaders to hold space, lead teams, and model the institution’s vision. She is the author of several publications, including the book, Thriving Women, Thriving World: An Invitation to Dialogue, Healing and Inspired Actions.

Marlene has a degree from the University of Johannesburg and various certificates in project management and ICT. Her experience working with decision makers across diverse sectors, including philanthropy, children/youth services, academia, local governance, and the broader business and development sector, has enriched her work, equipping her with tools from cutting-edge methodologies, including World Café, Open Space Technology, and Appreciative Inquiry.