For Nearly 30 Years, Ordinary Living Rooms Have Become Sacred Spaces
An hour of silence. A circle of sharing. A meal offered with love.
No teachers. No agenda. Just presence.
What began in one living room in 1996 has quietly rippled to over 100 cities around the world. Each circle is unique, independently organized, and rooted in the same simple invitation: come, sit, be.
Begin Your JourneyEverything you need to know is on this page.
"My father tinkering with the sound system, my mother moving pots in the kitchen — it is all so very ordinary. But they have been hosting these sessions, every week for more than twenty years, and that... is extraordinary."— Nipun Mehta, on the original circle
Awakin Circles are gatherings rooted in three simple elements: stillness, community, and service. When you host a circle, you're not teaching anything or building anything. You're simply opening a door—to your home, to silence, to whatever might arise when people come together without pretense.
There are no credentials required, no fees involved, no organization to join. Just a personal commitment to creating space for stillness, and a willingness to serve whoever walks through that door.
Collective meditation in whatever form feels most natural. A bell opens and closes. No guidance, no technique imposed—just an invitation to be still together.
A weekly wisdom reading opens the conversation. Going around the circle, each person shares what stirs in them. Not debate—reflection. Listening is the practice.
A simple vegetarian meal, prepared by the host as an act of service. Often eaten in silence. The gift of food without expectation of anything in return.
This is the template, not a rule book. Many circles add their own flavor—music, guest speakers, different readings. The essence remains: stillness, sharing, serving.
Hosting an Awakin Circle doesn't require special training or organizational backing. It requires something more challenging: consistent presence over time.
Your own commitment to stillness. You don't need to be an expert meditator, but you need to value what silence makes possible.
Your living room, a community space, anywhere people can sit comfortably in a circle. Cushions on the floor work beautifully. So do chairs.
Same day, same time, every week. This consistency is part of the gift. People can count on it. The practice holds you accountable.
A home-cooked vegetarian meal, prepared in the spirit of service. Simple is perfect. The love matters more than the cuisine.
Consider this: The original circle in Santa Clara met every Wednesday for nearly 25 years, until the pandemic. Anchored by Harshida, thousands of meals were cooked. More than 20,000 people have walked through that door. This isn't an event you plan—it's a practice you sustain.
Read about the origins of Awakin Circles. Explore stories from circles around the world— Dubai, London, San Francisco, Mumbai. Understand the nuances of generosity and gift-economy organizing.
Decide on a day, time, and place. Most circles meet weekly in the evening. What matters is choosing something you can sustain. Start by planning your first four circles—a month of practice to find your footing.
Start small—a few friends, colleagues, or neighbors who might value this kind of space. Share what Awakin Circles are (link to awakin.org/local), your date and time, and select a wisdom reading for the circle of sharing. Ask people to RSVP so you know how much food to prepare.
Arrange cushions or chairs in a circle. Print a brief intro to meditation for newcomers. Prepare your meal in advance. Consider a candle or simple centerpiece. Unlock your door and begin sitting in silence 5-10 minutes before start time—this invites others into stillness as they arrive.
Ring a bell to open the hour of silence. At the end, ring three bells. Read the passage aloud, share some opening reflections, then invite the circle to share. Close with gratitude and a moment of silence. Serve the meal. Breathe. You've begun.
Send a thank-you note to attendees. Consider writing a blog reflection to share with the wider ecosystem. After a few circles, reach out to us—we can connect you with other hosts and add your circle to the global map.
No. Awakin Circles are independently organized by hosts who resonate with the values. There's no central authority, no application process. If the spirit calls you, begin. We simply ask that you honor the essence: stillness, community, and service—without commerce, agenda, or promotion.
Perfect. Some of the most profound circles have been the smallest. Size doesn't determine depth. What matters is that you showed up, opened the door, and held the space. Keep going.
You don't lead it—you hold space for it. Ring the bell, sit in silence together, ring the bell again. No guidance is needed. People are free to practice stillness in whatever way feels right to them. Your job is to protect the silence, not to fill it.
After reading the weekly wisdom passage, share some opening thoughts—what the reading stirs in you, perhaps a personal story. Then invite each person to share. Go around the circle; anyone can pass. The key: this is reflection, not debate. No one responds to what others say. Each voice stands on its own. Close with gratitude and a moment of silence.
A few simple ones: Meals should be vegetarian—this keeps the space inclusive. No alcohol. No promotion of products, services, teachers, or techniques. During meditation, the space should be still—no walking meditation, no loud breathing exercises. Keep the number of attendees comfortable for your space.
Yes, with care. Many circles have added their own touches—background music, guest speakers, potluck meals instead of host-prepared ones. The core elements matter most: an hour of silence, a circle of sharing, food offered in service. As long as those remain, you have room to experiment.
Keep it simple. Most hosts use email, a shared calendar, or a simple signup form like Google Forms. Some use WhatsApp or Signal groups. The goal is knowing roughly how many people to cook for. You don't need specialized software—just a way to communicate the date, time, reading, and any logistics.
Life happens. It's okay to pause or transition. If possible, give your community notice and see if someone else might step in to continue. Some circles naturally run their course. What matters is that you hosted with integrity for as long as you could.
After you've hosted a few circles, reach out to us. We can connect you with an "Awakin Circle Buddy"—a fellow host to share reflections with. There are also periodic Awakin Host Calls where hosts from around the world connect, share challenges, and learn from each other's experiences.
Start by attending an Awakin Circle when you travel, if possible. Subscribe to the weekly reading and practice sitting with it in your own time. When you feel ready—or when the calling becomes too strong to ignore—begin. Many hosts started by simply inviting one or two friends to sit in silence together.
Over nearly three decades, thousands of circles have generated countless stories of transformation. Here are a few glimpses:
How attending Awakin Circles transformed one person's relationship with giving.
The kind of quiet transformation that routinely unfolds.
A story that took a dozen years to make.
The kind of people who naturally get attracted to these spaces.
Read more: The Extra "Ordinariness" of Wednesdays
Somewhere in your city, people are looking for exactly this kind of space— a place to be still, to be heard, to be fed. You don't need to be special to offer it. You just need to begin.
"When you change within, the world changes."
Thank you for your resonance with our shared values. We are grateful to be connected in the spirit of service.