Budapest, Hungary is astonishingly beautiful.
The Art of Hosting training is powerfully transformative.
To experience the two within the same context is a memory I never want to forget.
As Mary Alice facilitated the first session by defining community and connection, I thought: I am exactly where I am supposed to be. What a liberating feeling!
The Art of Hosting is a training in process facilitation grounded in the belief that dynamic questions and authentic stories can lead to lasting change.
Our Context:
Calling Question: How can we stand together and collectively build new paths forward in the age of polarization and "othering"?
Hosting: Offering an intentional space and a light structure for meaningful dialogue.
Harvesting: Making meaning, surfacing patterns, and capturing outcomes and insights for shared clarity.
Through the use of diverse methods such as Circle, World Café, and Appreciative Inquiry, we explored our involvement in "othering" (conscious or unconscious) and ways to build community through common connections. The learnings gained during this time did not just happen. The intentionality of the Hosting team, shared responsibility of participants, and radical faith in the process made it possible.
The “8 Breaths of Design” was one of the most impactful process facilitation frameworks modeled and taught. It begins with an awareness that what is happening within you (as a facilitator) will manifest in the group. Thus, the importance of hosting yourself-–being present and caring for your personal wellbeing. Each step builds upon the next through a sequence of different “breaths” or phases of divergence, emergence, and convergence.
First breath
THE CALL: name the issue.
Second breath
CLARIFY: create collective clarity of purpose and the first articulation of principles.
Third breath
INVITE: provide form and structure to the design and invitation process.
Fourth breath
MEET: serve as the instrument/container to allow the collective wisdom of the group to emerge and make meaning together.
Fifth breath
HARVEST: make sense and meaning of the harvested conversation and determine the needed decisions for the wisest way forward.
Sixth breath
ACT: implement the wise actions decided during the conversations and harvest.
Seventh breath
REFLECT & LEARN: reflect on learnings and long-term steps with the core team and key stakeholders.
Eighth breath
THE BREATH THAT HOLDS THE WHOLE: Eagle practitioners who hold awareness of all the 7 breaths, tending to the long-term intent and wisdom of the actions and practices of this community of practitioners and the wellbeing of everyone in the system.
Like Human-Centered Design, “8 Breaths” is not a linear but cyclical process rooted in reflection, collective meaning-making, and a bias towards doing. I am grateful for the Hungary Hosting team for curating an environment that moved us from knowledge exchange to inspiration and action.
The following questions continue to animate my mind and might be useful for you to consider for your own personal and professional journey:
You can learn more about the Art of Hosting & Harvesting Meaningful Conversations here: https://artofhosting.org/
