Tea with Dan: Chirps, Laughter, and Mindful Moments

A sizable crowd was gathering on the steps of Fountain House. Included in the midst of this crowd were our usual Fountain House members, some regulars of City Voices, and a few newcomers to the location. By 3:00 PM, we were all through the door and the vibe was ready. We wanted to connect — connect over tea, and just be.

Although the event was slated to be with a guest speaker, it became a last-minute realization for us all that Dan Frey would have to improvise for the afternoon. We all tried our best with the situation.

First, remember to breathe. In, out. In, then out again. After that, we practiced self-compassion by hugging ourselves. We then discussed what meditation means for each of us. A conclusion was reached that maybe what we thought was the right answer could be wrong from another person’s perspective. Three minutes of meditative silence followed.

Dan then asked all of us to go into the social circle we were connecting to and greet each other. This was simple enough, but it was also in this manner that we concluded the event — from a thank you for coming to later on bowing goodbye.

Next was a walking meditation where participants circled slowly around the room, walking one after another. For effect, we also had background music of birds chirping while we spent a good stretch of time pacing together.

Chirp! Chirp!

We then sat down to engage with a difficult topic: What were we like when we were children? Some participants joked to fade the topic away, while others were more blunt in their answers.

Chirrup!

During intermission, many of us were busy connecting on the connections that were developing. From almost every corner of the room, the social chatter could not be avoided.

The last meditation was drinking water. In addition to having a few sips from the bottles provided, we had to imagine a cup of water. We were free to cup this water with our hands, perhaps give it a stir or two, and then drink. A round of laughter about this creative exercise soon followed. And once again, we all tried our best.

If you would like to participate in future City Voices events, please contact daniel.frey@fountainhouse.org or text 929-884-3564.