Organizational Wellbeing: Transition and Changes + Wellbeing Organizational Wellbeing: Transition and Changes + Wellbeing

Guest post by:

Michelle Arevalo and Ramses Gomez

As I was preparing myself for hosting this interview, I found this quote by Heraclitus that says “There is nothing permanent except change” and when I read it a lot of questions started to come up: Why is it so scary, sometimes? Shouldn’t I be used to it? Why do some people refuse to change, then?

I have to admit that I spent some time trying to answer them (…without feeling any better, actually) before remembering the reason why I started to read about change; so I decided that instead of trying to solve my doubts alone, the interview with Michelle and Ramses was the perfect opportunity to share all these inquiries, both leaders and open people that have transitioned recently and maybe with their help I could find some answers for me and you. 

The first question I asked them was which’s the most important thing they have learned from this moment of transition as a leader, it could be something on a personal and/or professional level. 

Michelle: I have learned that the saboteur voices in our head are always the strongest when we’re going through a transition […] We all have this illusion of progress; that the next thing you do is better than the last thing you did, but it’s actually all cycles. […] So I see myself going into this transition as another cycle, not better, not worse than my last one, but it’s still a cycle and it’s a beginning and at the beginning, wherever you are, no matter if you’re, the CEO of the world […] or starting your own social project […] the saboteur voices take on a very different strength […] Learning that I’m putting my finger on it and saying: “Okay, voices, you’re a bit stronger today, It’s not me”, this “I’m listening to you more” has helped me a little bit more in maintaining peace and calm as I start a new cycle […] because it’s very easy to be hard on yourself when you’re starting something new.

Ramses: One of the most important insights that emerged from the process of transitioning for me was the realization that I work from, I don’t work for. […] The organization, regardless of the role that I play, must provide me with the opportunity to help build the society I want to live in, […] an equitable society, a fairer society, a more caring society for people and the planet. […] I’ll say that knowing that I work from and not for, liberates me in so many ways because taking the transition or the step to transition comes with personal judgment, potentially outside judgment or outside voices […] and just realizing that we are way more than just our roles and titles, it unlocks a beautiful potential for everyone.

After reading several times both answers while I was writing this document, I noticed that in their own way and with the help of each particular process, they increased their awareness about what actually motivated them to transition like the values, in Ramses case; and how they are  living the process,  noticing these unconscious thoughts or saboteur voices, like Michelle accurately called them, that sometimes avoid us of from taking big steps.   

Listening to their learnings made me want to know if there was any recommendation or advice they would like to share with people facing a transition process and here is what they said:

Ramses: ​​It’s important to call things for what they are. And transitions are transitions. In the bigger scheme of things, transitions are also evolution and when you put it like that, it makes things way less scary. […] It becomes more natural. Of course, it comes with challenges and pains and complications, but most of those complications are attached to a mindset that is something that we own and, most of the time, we have built […] If we realize it’s within us, then we can much easily (I wouldn’t say super easily) change it.

Michelle: One thing that you have to start with is just by being kind to yourself because you’re doing something brave. The two things that I would say, one is very practical. Think of your transition as something beautiful and something you need to sit on because we are so used to thinking, “Oh, what’s the next thing? What’s the next thing? I can’t be in a transition for too long”. […] If you sit with yourself and enjoy the transition, you will find out things about yourself that will allow you to take the next step willingly. If you go towards the next step to avoid your transition overall, then you might be escaping from something and you never want to feel like you start something as if you had escaped from something else. […] Nobody likes that feeling. 

The second one is probably the hardest and the one that takes the most courage: Talk about things openly and a lot. A lot like: “if you think you’re done talking about it, talk about it again” because […] sometimes we don’t take chances because of the impact it has on others. […] In my case, I knew that it would impact my business partners, my team, my managing partner […] but once I talked about it […] The conversation that came from the heart was basically, “Wow, this is going to impact me, but I am with you.” […] If there’s something that you need to do, have the open, difficult conversations first, because in the long term, it would be better for sure.

Ramses: What I wanted to share is something that was very valuable for me and much connected to what Michelle was saying and the reason why I wanted to go back: “Being honest in moments of transition and it starts with you being honest with yourself, which is quite challenging” Then it has to do with […] colleagues and very close people and friends that will be affected or impacted by your decision. […] Something that I have constantly made sure that happens in my transitions […] is that for the last two weeks I made sure to book time with absolutely EVERYONE in the organization that I worked with […] I booked time aside, usually it’s outside the office […] and asked them three questions: The first one is, what’s your favorite memory of the two of us? […] then the second question is, what did you enjoy the most while working with me? And it might seem like it’s that you want to hear praise from others, but it’s just a mechanism to prepare them for the last question, which is […] what advice do you have for me before I start my new journey? […] I make sure that I have this conversation with a piece of paper and a pen so they write down the answers and then they read them to me […] I keep those papers in my night table and when I’m going through a difficult situation, it’s usually where I go for inspiration because that’s when people have been the most honest about who I am.

Sometimes when we face difficult or complicated situations, we can forget about taking care of our wellbeing, that is why I asked both members if transitioning affected them in that way, or maybe it didn’t.

Michelle: Caring for my own wellbeing is, in part, what prompted thinking that I needed to transition. […] Many people think of a transition like a breakup […] I think that I needed a different new challenge and that having my identity be so tied to my social enterprise was something that I needed to break up with. […] “I am not my project and my project is not me” and I wanted to prove myself; it was a big part of making sure that my wellbeing becomes whole. […] Going into a transition puts you in situations that are outside your comfort zone and I don’t think that’s bad for your wellbeing. […] Thinking that being outside your comfort zone is bad for your wellbeing is actually not the right way to think of this algorithm; it doesn’t work like that. […] You have to be a little bit outside your comfort zone so that your brain grows in many ways and gets you to places you never thought you could be. […] Transitions are hard, but they’re not necessarily hard because they’re bad for your wellbeing.  

Ramses: In a way it provided me with […] so much clarity about what’s relevant for me and what’s needed in the new phase / organization / role / costs. What is it that I need to be existent in that new opportunity that will get me so excited to the point that will be relevant for me to look after it. […] And of course, that clarity usually is tied to complexity, you have to go through complexity to see the light. So, […] in that sense it was absolutely challenging and I wouldn’t say my wellbeing was affected […] There were many nights awake, many times where my emotions were so confusing and different and, in many cases, new and unexpected that… […] I was honestly going through a very vulnerable time, when things affected me or impacted me in ways I wasn’t expecting. But I think the beauty of the process is that, […] it provided me and forced me to bring clarity to my thinking by being in connection with what’s relevant for me.

The last two questions are  more personal. Before doing this interview, I had a little context of Michelle’s transition process and I matched it with one of the ideas that came out from the Wellbeing Summit feedback session with the Ecosystem Network. Therefore I asked her: ​​When did you know or how did you know when to step aside? How did you know that your personal project is ready to fly without your direct guidance?

Michelle: I think you have to start from an earlier question, which is: Not when, but why. Why would you want to step aside? […] in my case I had a very good clarity that someday I would step aside and that my project will transcend me […] I’ve seen a lot of people take sabbaticals and take breaks because it’s important to take a step aside, even momentarily. […] It’s not always the answer but, in my case, it was and I knew it for a couple of reasons: first I started thinking even more long term than the usual manager would. […] One day, really out of the blue, (maybe it was deep in my heart) I just answered: “My biggest dream is that IMPAQTO transcends me in whatever shape or form”. And that’s when I knew in my mind that I was thinking way longer term and my everyday actions after that started to change; I started to delegate more, I started to think less about the day to day indicators and I started seeing my team flourish[…] And there was a day when I just felt like, “Wow! this is right, this place can actually continue on without me”. Of course, there were also outside voices that were not very nice, a lot of people called me and said: if you step back, your business partners or investors are going to be angry, they invested in you […] I would just take that as feedback and that told me that I’m doing the right thing because that’s not what I was looking for.

I also knew I needed my identity to be more than just this specific project and, in my case, I already had the privilege of having gone through a previous transition before. I used to be a Human Rights lawyer; I worked with refugees in Asia, in Africa, in Latin America; I worked in Geneva, in Switzerland so I already have taken a big lead in a transition in a different way in my career; back then I also knew that the death of my dog prompted it, that grief prompted it.

And I knew it when I started listening to a voice deep down that was telling me to move on but also, I knew it because it was important to my wellbeing along with many things that I learned from The Wellbeing Project itself. […] in my case, TWP means that the social impact we’re doing with IMPAQTO now has a tremendous opportunity to continue growing and that it doesn’t depend on me, and that I can continue doing IMPAQTO in other places. It all comes from this awareness of me being a person separated from my project and all that awareness came from conversations with Xyme, with my colleagues and feeling that this is not something that I made up, you all put words to what I was feeling.

Finally, I also knew that Ramses had transitioned in the past, so my personal question to him was if he had faced any special challenge in his most recent process.

Ramses: This transition was the hardest and the easiest at the same time. It was the hardest because I had been at Sistema B for over 5 years and the organization was perfectly aligned with my values, with what I want to build for the world, the people, the colleagues, everything was a perfect match. So, in that sense leaving an organization that it’s so aligned is quite challenging. But when I say that this transition was the easiest, it’s because I could also see that the same values, vision and spirit was there, yet what was new and different, is the scale of the impact through the lense of a tech company. 

I think that also what’s powerful with every transition is that it opens up the opportunity for new leadership to emerge and flourish. The more conscious the leaders happen to be about that aspect, the more they can catalyze it. So, I think all of us having meaningful, very honest and sometimes raw conversations with team members about how potential can be unlocked by an opportunity like this, but it has to be a co-construction; […] just to make sure it goes beyond the romanticism of the idea, but actually, one has to be very involved in the process of leading and making sure that there are the right conditions for everyone to take on it.

When the time of the interview was coming to its end, both members expressed some beautiful words about it:  

Michelle: At least for me, such a welcome break… to have someone ask you deep questions and to think through the answers and to put your thoughts into words is very powerful. It’s a good format to think through different challenges. Thank you so much for asking thoughtful questions.

Ramses: It resonates with me a lot, thank you so much for the space, as Michelle and I always discuss how much we love the concept of “holding the space”. Thank you for holding the space for us because many wonderful things emerge when the space is curated well, when we realize that everyone has something valuable to say and even if the 2 of you are not speaking, the value comes from you having created the space. It wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t because of you. We all have to realize this is the contribution of everyone for beautiful things, valuable things have emerged and I’m just grateful for having the space where I can share things that are very personal but also that I feel very confident sharing outloud.

Michelle: This space that you are holding for us is also accessible for so many other people.

By the end of the interview I felt very inspired and motivated for changes; I thought about the future and the new beginnings I would face. But I think more important was that listening to them gave me the opportunity to reflect about my own processes and the way I am living them. I hope you have enjoyed this interview as much as we did.

A commitment to wellness and innovation: Design Factory Javeriana Bogotá A commitment to wellness and innovation: Design Factory Javeriana Bogotá

Guest post by:

Lucas Ivorra Peñafort, Coordinator of the Design Factory Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

The Design Factory Javeriana Bogotá (DFJBOG) was born on August 4, 2016, to strengthen the efforts of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ) to better articulate with different internal and external stakeholders of the University, to address different challenges of society that the university could tackle through the development of products, services, or strategies. It also aims to strengthen the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem of the University. The commitment of the DFJBOG, managed by the Faculty of Architecture and Design in Bogotá (At the PUJ campus in Cali the Design Factory is in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), fits the mission of the PUJ under the Jesuit principles in the pursuit of the integral education of people, while being respectful of human dignity.

Educating people must 1) Transcend the merely technical aspects of education which, although important, are insufficient for a comprehensive education; and it must 2) Contribute to the satisfaction of the diverse human needs in the educational processes, not only those related to the curricular content of each course, but those linked to the whole set of material and non-material human needs. Thus, including well-being in the pedagogical dynamics is key to 1) Having more enriching and integral educational processes and 2) Contributing to the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the educational community. At the DFJBOG and the Faculty of Architecture and Design we consider it important to join the efforts of TWP Higher Education Network. Basically, with our involvement in “The Wellbeing Project’s Higher Education Network” we want to 1) Strengthen the activities that PUJ has been conducting to be a better place to study and work; 2) Share our good practices and lessons learned in terms of wellbeing and innovation, to enrich the processes in other institutions; and 3) Learn from the good practices and lessons learned from other institutions.

Currently, at the DFJBOG and the Faculty of Architecture and Design, we have been advancing and supporting different initiatives that contribute to the well-being of our university community. From the different Vice Rectors’ Offices, we develop community building and integral health activities with our Center for Cultural Management, the Center for the Promotion of Identity and Community Building, the Javeriana Center for Sports Training, the Center for Psychological Counseling and Health, the Center for Learning, Teaching and Evaluation, the San Francisco Javier Pastoral Center, the cultural events of the Faculty of Arts, the personalized support of the Academic Counseling, among others.

In the DFJBOG, one of the main bets for wellness is our Open Mind Fridays, where we conduct community and trust-building activities, which are not related to classes or projects. For example, we have developed kite and cookie-making workshops, relaxation sessions, movie and pizza afternoons, and singing and dancing sessions, among others. In this line, following the initiative of Professor David Osorio from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, we joined the sessions that he and Professor Jairo Hurtado from the Faculty of Engineering had been conducting with game afternoons with students, lecturers, and friends. To paraphrase Professor Jairo, this initiative, which we agreed to call “Game Fridays,” strengthens the physical and mental health care of our students and contributes to building richer and closer relationships in the educational community. More recently, the Cultural Management Center offered us their support to increase the reach of Games Fridays with the Cultural Management Center’s initiative called “Fridays at Sunset”.

After more than five Games Fridays sessions held jointly, we are planning to move on to the next stage, with the participation of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering, and the DFJBOG with the support of the Faculty of Architecture and Design. This new stage seeks to combine and strengthen the participation of more people from the three faculties involved, extend the impact to other faculties and units of the University, and merge and document the lessons learned and impacts achieved by this initiative.

Thank you to our TWP Higher Education Network colleagues for having us, and we trust that we can make a significant contribution to the network’s efforts to improve educational processes in an innovative way and the pursuit of the well-being of all involved.

Success Story: Theory of Change. The journey towards wellbeing Success Story: Theory of Change. The journey towards wellbeing

Guest post in collaboration with:

Muhammad Imran Kazmi, Senior Finance Manager in Khwendo Kor

Muhammad Imran Kazmi is the Senior Finance Manager in Khwendo Kor (KK), a well reputed local-based non-for-profit organisation in Peshawar, Pakistan. In 2019 KK was one of 8 social change organisations chosen to participate in  The Wellbeing Project’s Organisational Exploratory Program (OEP). The purpose of the OEP was  to support the organisations through a learning journey to build wellbeing into the heart of their cultures.

Consistent with its vision to build a society where women and girls live with dignity and self-reliance, organisational wellbeing within Khwendo Kor would be defined by a participatory culture and supportive community giving opportunities for every staff member to learn and grow.

Whenever there is change, there will be some resistance to that change: it is a normal human response to uncertainty. Imran explains his own resistance: “At first, I could not accept the idea of wellbeing in the context of Pakistan, where we have such challenges with education, with electricity, with so much. And I did not like the idea of sharing my learning with staff, with connecting with more people.”   

He goes on to say: “I have a stammer tongue by birth and before joining the wellbeing project I was not accepting this problem. All the time I was crucially blaming myself and complaining to GOD for this given. It was always a big challenge for me to accept when I was given a chance to speak in a meeting or a public gathering. Only the thought of it brought always fear in my mind that if I stammer, I would be embarrassed and thus lose self-confidence.”

The OEP was, from the beginning, framed as a learning journey. Everyone came to understand that there were no one-size-fits-all answers. This was an exploration by the participating organisations to define what organisational wellbeing meant to them and identify how they might work to improve it. Learning would come whether the impact was as expected, or not. And learning would be shared among the 8 organisations.

Imran says: “Since I joined OEP in 2019 I had several check-in sessions with our organisational coach. I have a learning attitude, so I have positively learnt a lot from this journey. Since joining the OEP, I slowly and gradually started accepting it.”

“I worked on myself and learned through various session. I did research in internet to found ways to address my stammering and YouTube videos to learn on how to overcome stammering. Once I started accepting my stammer problem, it really worked out and now I don’t feel shame if stammer. This has really built my self-confidence and now sometimes when I speak, I don’t even stammer anymore. For this I feel very grateful first to myself because I’ve learned to change and to The Wellbeing Project /OEP team and Khwendo Kor (KK) for providing me with this beautiful platform not only for organisational wellbeing but also for my personal wellbeing.

Based on my experience I developed some powerful wellbeing indicators which has not only bought miracle change in my life but also a positive attitude. I recommend everyone to apply these in their life.

Regular practice meditation.

Acceptance.

Believe in yourself.

Expressing gratitude.

Calm and peace to have healthy mind.

Be happy and stay positive.

Exposure to nature.

Focus on yourself.

Be aware of the present moment.

Don’t think about your past and future that has yet to come.

Let the ego go.

Having said that, one indicator ACCEPTANCE from the above list has changed my life.

Last year, in 2022, one of our senior Board of Director Dr. Salma Masood Khan and myself have attended The Wellbeing Summit for Social Change in Bilbao, Spain. There we learnt from different sessions and met with beautiful souls across the world. This was an extraordinary experience for me as it was my first ever experience to travel abroad in an airplane. This international exposure was also an additional booster for me to learn and share mutual experiences. Upon our return, we have prepared a PowerPoint presentation and successfully conducted a one-day session on wellbeing to all our staff.”

As for powerful organisational wellbeing indicators, KK is currently heading into its mid-term Strategic Planning Review Process with organisational wellbeing top of mind. Initially Imran was primarily responsible for the KK wellbeing work. Now the KK Human Resource function is taking the lead -reviewing policies through the lens and perspective of wellbeing, looking at salaries, providing interest-free loans to staff, and offering retirement benefits to which the organisation and the staff members contribute.

Imran offers his own powerful wellbeing guidance. “Last but not least my humble submission is: Love yourself, care yourself so that you are able to love and care others as well”.   

Inspiring Change through Wellbeing: Insights from Fundación FEMSA’s Breakfast in Mexico City Inspiring Change through Wellbeing: Insights from Fundación FEMSA’s Breakfast in Mexico City

Guest Post by

Alejandra Garza & Fernanda Martínez

Last week, on July 27th, we had the honor of attending a remarkable breakfast organized by Fundación FEMSA in Mexico City. The event brought together more than 100 participants working in the field of social change in Mexico, making it an inspiring and timely occasion.

Since 2008, Fundación FEMSA has been working on the premise that “a sustainable company can only exist with sustainable communities.” Over the years, they have made significant strides in Sustainable Development, Early Childhood, Arts & Culture, Circular Economies, and most recently, Wellbeing, which was the focal point of this enriching event.The session was inaugurated by Sebastian Viramontes, Global Wellness Manager at FEMSA, who shared FEMSA’s wellbeing model, integrated by 5 areas: Healthy Body, Psychological Wellbeing, Workplace Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing and Social Connection. He highlighted the far-reaching impact of this model, not only on FEMSA’s workforce, but also on their families and the broader community.

After this presentation, Dr. Rosalinda Ballesteros, Director of Instituto de Ciencias del Bienestar y la Felicidad of Universidad Tecmilenio, México, elaborated on the challenges of work-related stress and the implications of this in social change work. Drawing on her expertise in positive psychology, she shared practical strategies for promoting personal wellbeing, emphasizing the importance of curiosity in exploring one’s own emotions, needs, as well as unique perspectives, and learning how to do this in normal everyday life.

Both presentations highlighted the link between personal flourishing and the sustainability of collective efforts, affirming that only by taking care of ourselves and each other can we hope to build a future where transformative change becomes a reality.

The event ended with a psychodrama exercise led by David Ordaz, Social Psychologist and Master in Political Sociology. Through role-playing and embodiment exercises, participants connected with their emotions and shared their visions for the future of the social change sector in Mexico.

It was a real honor and pleasure to attend this wonderful event. We are inspired to see wellbeing as a topic that is growing strongly in this region and to have witnessed how everyone present was genuinely interested in exploring ways to incorporate and enhance wellbeing on both a personal and organizational level. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by all attendees and speakers was wonderful and it is heartwarming to see a growing community that values the wellbeing of individuals and organizations alike. 

We are very grateful to have been part of such an uplifting experience and are excited to witness the continued growth of a community that values the wellbeing of all its members.

A “Pénc” for African Wellbeing: Convening social change actors at a critical moment A “Pénc” for African Wellbeing: Convening social change actors at a critical moment

Guest post by

Elena Bonometti, CEO of Tostan

African, community-centered, collaborative models are showing a way forward that is organized around locally driven and globally supported efforts. Locally-led initiatives, capacity development for communities and agency-first programs are mapping ways to both address unequal and antiquated power dynamics, and ensure that communities are centered and leading as they face shared global challenges.  

Yet even with promising directions like these, the realities of rapid, multiple global crises and growing challenges have also created a largely unaddressed and growing risk: those at the center of social change and wellbeing efforts are being stretched increasingly thin. In particular, there is a growing risk that the wellbeing of the social sector and community leaders is declining when the world needs it the most. 

Wellbeing can be defined in numerous ways. In Tostan’s work in partnership with communities, it is communities that define what wellbeing means for them and their goals. Commonly we see themes around health, finance, education, women’s leadership, equality, and governance emerging. These are lessons we must take into professional, personal and community-wide projects to consider wellbeing not as a “nice to have” but as absolutely essential to social cohesion. 

The potential challenge  of a decline in wellbeing is especially relevant  in West Africa, where a  social sector already confronted in recent decades by major issues — in health, education, economic hardship and many others — now faces many new challenges simultaneously – as climate change joins pandemics, challenges to peace and security and the erosion of democracy, and increasing inequality. 

Yet West Africa also has many positive aspects and major contributions to make to our world – ways of seeing and being that promote inclusion and respect and increasingly feel relevant to a fragmented world. As my colleague Carina Ndiaye, Chief Partnerships Officer for Tostan puts it:

In Senegal we call it Teraanga. For openness, sharing. It means: we invite you to come in.  But this cultural norm is present throughout the region and throughout the continent…Through Teraanga, the concept behind the Hindi word Namaste (meaning: the light in me sees the light in you), is extended and reinforced to say, what is mine is yours. Not only materialistically, but the earth, the sun, the sea, and the unseen as well. From visitor to member. From transitory to influenced. In our culture, the ‘you’ never stands alone. What affects you, what ails you, what reinforces you also affects me and my community. And community means any, and everyone, who walks our way and crosses our path.

In Senegal and across West Africa, when challenges arise, a community gathering – referred to as a pénc in Wolof – is called to bring together the community for discussion. 

For all these reasons Tostan and our partners will host an African-based, African-led, globally connected pénc – a convening at the intersection of wellbeing as a global goal–and growth of wellbeing as a daily practice in our organizations, communities, and personal lives. To support the emergence of sustained impacts in wellbeing through practices of wellbeing. wellbeing within ourselves, our organizations, our communities, our nations, and around our world. 

Together with partners like you we hope to convene a discussion among African actors about critical local, regional and global issues at the heart of wellbeing across the continent. 

Guest Post by Alejandra Garza

I had the privilege to represent The Wellbeing Project in the Latin American Impact Investment Forum (FLII) a few weeks ago (Feb 28th – March 2nd, 2023) in Mérida, Mexico and am still reminiscing over all the shared encounters, stories, people, music and color that I got to meet and experience during this inspiring event.

It is with deep admiration and gratitude that I remember each person I met, each story I heard, and each dream that was shared with me so kindly during this wonderful event. It was a short pause for all of us who care so deeply for our region, to meet, share and explore our possible collaborations and hopes towards creating positive change in Latin America today and in the future.

I am especially grateful for being invited to share about The Wellbeing Project’s work in the region in a shared discussion titled “Burnout in the era of Wellbeing.” I had the privilege to share this beautiful space and conversation with Juan Carlos de la Hoz from the Inter-American Development Bank, Nicolas Demeilliers, founder of &you, Anna Corona from ayam, and Daniela Peralvo from IMPAQTO. Through our engaging conversation and Daniela’s key questions, we shared about the importance of wellbeing for social changemakers in Latin America, and the key characteristics that make this region so special and unique.

It was particularly inspiring to hear a collective awe from the audience when sharing that at The Wellbeing Project we truly believe that Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing. I could feel that the phrase clicked with everyone present, and they too recognized the importance of inner wellbeing, as it relates to the success of their projects and work. The conversation ended with a shared mindfulness meditation imparted by Anna from ayam, and we all got 5 minutes to pause, give thanks and reset, amid this lively and exciting event. This helped all of us present to recognize that it is something we have in us and that we can do every day. No matter the situation, it just takes a minute to pause and connect with our breath in the present moment. We all have that superpower within us.

Thank you, New Ventures for organizing this amazing event, and for this opportunity. Thank you everyone in the audience for attending, for your passion, your commitment, and your willingness to be a part of this important conversation for our region. I am honored to have connected with each and every one of you, and I look forward to continuing this amazing journey of inner wellbeing together.

Global Summit on Dance Movement Therapy for Change – Reflections Global Summit on Dance Movement Therapy for Change – Reflections

By: Anubha Agarwal , Research & Learning Manager at The Wellbeing Project

Date: January 2023

Last month I had the pleasure to represent The Wellbeing Project at the Fourth Biennial Global Summit on Dance Movement Therapy for Change in the eclectic and colorful city of Jaipur, Rajasthan in India. 

The two-day event was co-hosted by Kolkata Sanved – a non-profit organization based in India promoting holistic well-being through Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL), Tata Institute of Social Sciences – a unit of the leading public research university in India.  

The fourth biennale held on January 12-13th , 2023 in Jaipur was focused on exploring the role of DMT and other creative expressions in building our collective resilience for navigating a world that seems to be at a heightened risk of diminished ecological health and well-being. The 2023 Fourth Biennale DMT for Change was attended by a diverse global audience comprising of development sector professionals, including DMT practitioners, Creative Art Therapy (CAT) practitioners, social scientists and public health experts.

With a colorful mix of experiential sessions, workshops, panel discussions and art installations, the Summit events wove together seamlessly in a rich tapestry. While ecological well-being of planet Earth and the looming danger of the climate crisis was the dominant theme at the Summit, the event was peppered with participatory sessions and workshops employing music, visual arts and storytelling to express individual reflections. 

That artistic underlying theme at the Summit was evident, when at the time of registration, each Summit attendee was offered an option to choose a handheld musical instrument ( displayed below ). I found it amusing to briefly fiddle with the wide range of percussion instruments and select one, even though the intended use was not entirely clear to me. It became clear in time as the attendees enthusiastically sounded the percussion tools to endorse a speaker or an idea, infusing fresh energy and cheerfulness into the Summit events in the process. 

Before the Summit, I was unfamiliar with the role of dance movement therapy as a psycho-therapeutic healing practice. Even though it is commonly known that dancing releases mood-enhancing hormones in humans, I was curious to understand how DMT was different in terms of providing subsistence to trauma victims and survivors of violence in our communities. 

While I was quite thrilled to avail an opportunity to experience DMT through an experiential workshop at the Summit, I was also mindful not to participate in the workshop with the possibly unfair expectation to fully imbibe the therapeutic benefits of dance movement therapy. Considering DMT is a therapy, it might need longer duration support and intervention, than joining in one hour and a half long session. Having personally experienced the de-stressing effect of many dance forms in the past despite having two left feet, I was looking forward to experiencing DMT first hand. 

During the workshop, free flowing movements that came naturally to each one of us were encouraged, the underlying thought being that DMT is a safe space where in every individual is free to express themselves in the way they want. In line with this tenet, an unfamiliar yet intriguing section of the workshop encouraged each participant to imagine their physical body as a paint brush and to use their limbs and torso to paint a limitless, imaginary canvas. Shifting my mental lens to think of my physical form as a paint-brush took some getting used to but eventually the infectious energy of the workshop cohort took over.  

I admit to feeling mentally relaxed and exhilarated post-workshop but still curious to understand how DMT could potentially serve as an antidote to counteract violence in our vulnerable communities. In a country like India, society norms can be quite restrictive of womens’ movement outside the society- or family-ordained ‘safe’ physical spaces, so I felt it would have been insightful to know how the DMT practice can support individuals in freely expressing their possibly repressed agency and take better care of their holistic well-being. In retrospect, I think hearing narratives from DMT practitioners who use DMT as a tool to navigate everyday threats to their physical and mental well-being, would have been of immense value in understanding the practice better. 

It is entirely possible that such narratives may have already been shared in the past Summit editions, but as a first-time participant, I missed the absence of such narratives. I did get to interact with a couple of DMT practitioners who mentioned that the practice helps them cope with everyday stress and shift the lens on how they view their lives. 

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One of the key learnings for me during the Summit was the reinforcement that approaches to enhance one’s well-being are quite individualized. Availing the opportunities to experience different expressive art forms at the Summit was a constant reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to well-being. An art therapy that might have a profound impact on one, might fail to put a dent on another individual’s well-being. 

There is also the question of lack of funding to support well-being – the proverbial elephant in the room. However, until the world decided to acknowledge the presence of the aforementioned elephant and fully awaken to the mental health crisis we are in, one of the speakers at the Summit offered a slightly simpler solution to cope, “Art therapy is expensive… a good place to start is to start noticing what art tools you have easy access to at home such as fallen leaves, spices or other readily accessible elements of nature often overlooked. Art material could be taken from elements that are part of an individual’s environment or identity.” 

The two-day DMT Summit for Change feels like a great step in the right direction as such gatherings help mainstream conversations on mental well-being and facilitate the oft-forgotten human connect. Overall, the two days left me feeling happier, joyous and craving for more opportunities to rekindle the deeper human connect, that often gets overlooked in our everyday lives, but that such events help us remember. 

The reigning emotion for me at the end of the two-day art-based DMT for Change Summit and 2022 The Wellbeing Summit was that of HOPE. Hope for mental well-being taking center stage at a global level, specifically in cultures that in the aftermath of the pandemic are slowly opening up to talking about mental health and well-being.

``How can we have a deep inner realisation about collective power?`` ``How can we have a deep inner realisation about collective power?``

Join us for a transformative episode of “Voices of Wellbeing” as renowned artist Deepa Narayan shares her inner realizations about the collective power within oppressed groups. Discover how embracing joy, letting go of self-judgment, and opening the heart can unleash a transformative force beyond individual capabilities. In “Connecting with Each Other,” Deepa emphasizes the significance of taking time to nurture joys, explore emotions, and foster genuine connections with others. Understanding and sharing gender stories become essential components for both personal wellbeing and fostering social justice. Prepare to be inspired as Deepa Narayan ignites a spark within you, urging you to tap into the power of collective action and embrace a mindset free from stress. Let’s come together, celebrate joy, and create a world where wellbeing and social justice thrive. Don’t miss this captivating episode of “Voices of Wellbeing” and join the movement of collective power. Remember to subscribe to our channel for more insightful content, and share this empowering video with others to spread the message of unity and transformative change.

I’m Feeling Optimistic About 2023, Thanks to Advice From The Dalai Lama’s Doctor I’m Feeling Optimistic About 2023, Thanks to Advice From The Dalai Lama’s Doctor

Words:

Molly Longman
Journalist

I’ll say it — I’m feeling cautiously optimistic about 2023. Let lightning strike if it will.

I feel this way, seemingly against the odds. I’m one of those masochists who reads the news faithfully each morning, taking in the passing of increasingly draconian laws, the “tripledemic,” mass shootings, climate change… and, don’t get me started on the capitalistic voyeurism-nightmare that was #christmashaul TikTok. I could — and have — written pages on these issues individually, so grouping them together almost seems flippant. But we live in a world where we’re constantly forced to skip from one tragedy to the next, like a rock on a lake that happens to be polluted, on fire, and full of genetically altered one-eyed fish.

Okay, okay… I know that doesn’t sound optimistic, but I’m feeling that way in spite of all of these things, even with the knowledge that 2023 will bring its own set of challenges. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about a series of inspiring conversations I had back in 2022 with Barry Kerzin, MD, who happens to be the Dalai Lama’s physician. We spoke at The Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, and I watched him give a talk and workshop. By the end of the week, we were discussing politics and the concept of hell over tea.

Dr. Kerzin isn’t just a nice guy and a famous physician, but a Buddhist monk, an author, a professor, a nonprofit-founder, and the creator of the meditation app AIMIcare. He gets a lot done — and not just because he wears sneakers under his monastic robes. Dr. Kerzin is fueled, in part, because he’s learned through grief, training, and time to have a lot of compassion for people. And that mindset of loving-kindness has led to his pursuits. A lot of people (okay, me!) might initially roll their eyes at the phrase “loving-kindness” — which means putting out positive energy toward yourself and others, often through meditation. But after talking to Dr. Kerzin, it’s not hard not to feel like there might be something to it. In fact, my conversations with him resonated so much, I came back to the tapes of them while thinking about what I wanted to accomplish in 2023. I was especially struck by the way Dr. Kerzin had gone through difficult times — he lost his mother at a young age, and then his wife — and yet found a path that helped him stay steady and make the world a better, kinder place.

There are several nuggets from our talks that I’m taking into the new year with me, and I’ve laid them out here. Hopefully, they’ll speak to you too… and maybe even make you feel optimistic.

Start with self-compassion

The idea of self-compassion can seem antithetical to the whole “I’ll be better in 2023” shtick, which is why I’m starting with it. Whether your plan this year is to move your body more or improve time management, it’s difficult not to be hard on yourself the first time you skip a workout or forsake your to-do list. But negative self-talk can impact us in big ways, and even subconsciously affect our ability to be tolerant of others.

You can challenge the harsh voice inside your head by just noticing when it’s putting you down. Say, if you catch the voice telling you that you’re going to completely fail at all your New Year’s resolutions just because you had one setback. Just recognizing that you’re having these thoughts is a great first step on the path to self-compassion. Then, it’s a matter of redirecting those thoughts to more warmhearted ones (maybe think of an affirmation you’d give to your bestie if they were in the same situation, and write that down or remember it).

Dr. Kerzin also recommends working hard to notice if the negative voices in your head are really echoes of your past. If someone has told you, directly or indirectly, that you aren’t smart or attractive, it’s easy “to internalize those things,” he says. “And the more we do that, we make them our own. It becomes like our own voice saying those things, even though it didn’t start out that way. It was somebody else putting us down. We need to recognize that this is not ours. That gives us permission to slowly just throw that stuff out. Don’t buy into it.”

Another easy way to practice self-compassion: “Doing things we enjoy and that are meaningful to us — do them!” Dr. Kerzin says. “It’s okay, whatever it is.”

Be kind to others, too

Being nice to ourselves lays the groundwork for how we treat others. “Having self-compassion — giving more kindness and gentleness to ourselves — is a foundation,” Dr. Kerzin says. But, “if we stop at only being compassionate to ourselves, that’s when it can become selfish. The more we have compassion for ourselves, the more we can help others, engage with, and listen to them… In the same way that we’re getting in touch with our own pain, when we’re with someone and they are in pain, we can better figure out what we can do to help.”

We can put kindness into play in 2023 in myriad ways — just listening to a friend when they’re upset, volunteering, donating, forgiving someone, or giving a colleague the benefit of the doubt.

And, as with the circle of life, these acts of compassion towards others also end up being in service of ourselves. “Helping others is actually a wonderful way to help ourselves,” Dr. Kerzin says. “We feel good when helping others.” In other words: “Compassion is a win-win.”

Now, it’s easier to be compassionate to some than to others. There are people who get under our skin — and those we don’t even like. When you come across these folks, Dr. Kerzin says it can help your mindset to “make a distinction between the actor and the action. People have to be held accountable for their actions, but you can still have compassion for the person.” This is because, in Dr. Kerzin’s view, if someone is doing wrong, they’ll have to pay for their harmful actions in the future, one way or another. As Taylor Swift has said, “karma’s on your scent like a bounty hunter.”

Develop an inner safe space, even when the world outside is crazy

I mentioned my love of the news — there’s a lot of upsetting stuff screaming up at us from our phone screens. And immersing ourselves too much in such events can make us feel powerless. So much is still out of our control, no matter how much we protest, recycle, and call our Congresspeople.

That’s why it’s helpful to cultivate a space where you can go to find peace despite any external chaos that’s coming from your phone, community, coworkers, or even your friends and family. You can do this through mindfulness, meditation, or journaling. “There are various ways we can go inside in the present moment and observe what’s happening,” Dr. Kerzin says. “Ask yourself: What am I thinking? What am I feeling? What are my emotions? What’s my mood? What are my attitudes?… Rather than reacting, we are just observing. The more we take this approach, slowly with time, we’re less influenced by external affairs.”

Maybe you’re thinking: I have tried meditation and I’m not a fan. But it doesn’t have to be a formal “sit down and count your breath” kind of ordeal. It could be just taking a stroll in the park and noticing your body move. You could also try noticing the sounds and tactile feeling of doing the dishes, something my favorite meditation app Healthy Minds recommended to me. Or going to yoga or a concert or sitting in a church, mosque, or temple, and noticing how your five senses are responding.

“If we develop this practice to go inward and observe without reacting or judging, our inner life can let us develop a home; that home is in our hearts,” Dr. Kerzin continues, placing his hand over his chest. “It’s inside. And it’s something we can always return to, regardless of the climate catastrophe and the pandemics. It gives us a place of safety. A place of joy. And that’s something we can reach in the face of external calamities.”

That’s not to say we should stay in and ignore the pivotal issues around us. Knowing we have this safe place to come home to can give us the strength to turn outward again and fight for the causes we care about. “Having this home in our hearts gives us the strength, inspiration, and courage to go out and fight for what is right the next day,” Dr. Kerzin says. “Of course, ‘fight’ with love and compassion, ‘tough love.’”

Consider your “purpose” — not your goals

“When I was young — six, seven or so — there were two questions that were coming up for me regularly,” Dr. Kerzin says. “I’d ask, Who am I? and What am I doing here? These questions arose spontaneously. My life has been a lot about answering those questions,” Dr. Kerzin says. “I’ve come to the conclusion — it’s still an open question — but what I’ve come to is my purpose is to serve and help others.”

Having a purpose, whatever it may be, is different from having a “goal.” “Goals are temporary but a purpose is more meaningful,” Dr. Kerzin says. Now, having goals is by no means a bad thing, but they tend to be specific and time-related — I want to start volunteering or I’m going to run a half marathon this year — but “the purpose we’re talking about here is a deeper one underlying what’s meaningful and important about your whole life.” Dr. Kerzin prefers the “purpose” framing because he believes too much goal-setting can take you away from the present moment — meaning you can forget to appreciate the beauty of where you are right now.

If you’re not sure of your purpose, you can journal about the very questions Dr. Kerzin was asking himself as a kid: Who am I? What am I doing here? Once you know your purpose, it’s also important to ask: what tangible steps — both long- and short-term — can I take to achieve this?

Don’t put too much pressure on your purpose — it could be ever-changing and as simple as “make the lives of those I interact with a little better” or “do my part to raise awareness for a cause I care about.” When in doubt, “follow your heart,” Dr. Kerzin says.

Take the “middle way”

The “middle way,” is a Buddhist philosophy that involves steering away from extremes — from high highs and low lows in life. Dr. Kerzin happened to write a book about it. These days, many of us spend a lot of time creating highlight reels of our best lives — all the schnazzy shit we got for Christmas, for example. Or we’re venting about negative things to our friends and followers. This culture can make it harder to follow the Buddhist ideology, but not impossible.

“The middle way has different contexts,” Dr. Kerzin says. “It means on the one hand, in terms of our behavior, not to get too caught up with luxury. If we’re treated to something or buy something nice for ourselves, that’s fine, but don’t get too attached to it. Realize it’s not the only way to find happiness. It’s more of a way to find pleasure. But happiness is something in addition to pleasure, and it’s more lasting — subtler, more balanced and centered. But it’s also inside ourselves in our inner home.”

This comes back to having that “home” inside our hearts and minds — that concept helps us be a little less influenced by external trappings.

“Remember, pleasure comes from our senses: That painting is beautiful or this food is over the top,” Dr. Kerzin adds. “These are beautiful things. But they don’t last. They come. They go. If we don’t have them, sometimes we get pretty blown out of the water. We get depressed. But if we’ve cultivated this safety — this warm kindness, this love inside ourselves — we can develop this sense of a middle way, finding inner peace of mind.”

Don’t take yourself too seriously

Having a sense of humor makes life easier. And not taking yourself too seriously helps you avoid both acting arrogant and telling yourself you’re not enough. And if you do notice you’re freaking out over something small — or you’re feeling superior to others — Dr. Kerzin knows the best medicine: “Have a good laugh at yourself and move on.”

Last year, I left my conversations with Dr. Kerzin — and the uplifting Wellbeing Summit in general — feeling re-energized. I told myself I’d do a mindfulness meditation daily and really focus on the idea of compassion. I felt like I had a new lease on life. But, not long after the summit, the real world came crashing in like a tsunami and I felt like I was drowning in those dirty waters I mentioned before. Instead of morning mindfulness sessions, I’d jump out of bed and head straight to my desk, where I’d hunch over my laptop for hours. I was extremely hard on myself — I felt I was never doing enough. I wasn’t practicing compassion towards myself and, sometimes, towards others.

It’s true, I spent a good part of 2022 doing the opposite of everything I’d learned at the summit and from Dr. Kerzin. But there were also times — not every day, but often enough — in which I did come back to these ideas of compassion, mindfulness, and the middle way. I certainly was not always consistent, but I did make progress. I’m acknowledging those baby steps as an act of self-compassion.

So, I’m kicking off 2023 with my purpose in mind, hoping that I’ll grow in these concepts even more. That’s why I’m feeling good about it. And if the year is all uphill from here, I’ll employ another one of Dr. Kerzin’s lessons: I’ll laugh at myself for leading this story with the word “optimistic.”

Voices of Wellbeing | Rajni BakshiVoices of Wellbeing | Rajni Bakshi

“Nonviolence is love in action”

Rajni Bakshi is a Mumbai-based author, speaker and founder of ‘Ahimsa Conversations’, an online platform for exploring the possibilities of nonviolence.

As speaker at The Wellbeing Summit of Social Change, she joins us to share the importance of nonviolent action for social change.

In this interview, she shares her belief that by making space for open dialogue and taking time to understand movements, we can collectively sustain more conscious and humane models of development.