Non-violent Communication

Join us at The North Austin Language Cafe for an evening of networking and language practice! This event is perfect for anyone looking to improve their Spanish skills in a relaxed and social setting. Whether you are a native Spanish speaker or learning Spanish as a second language, this meetup is a great opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and practice speaking in Spanish. See you there!

We connect you with up to 30 Men or Women tennis partners close to your PLAYING REGION and skill level. This program is less competitive, no champions crowned, no league standings just dedicated tennis partners who want to meet up with you on the courts. Players will meet up to play a tennis match or just to hit around. Just go through the [Join Page](https://www.tennis-austin.com/partner-program) to enter this program. [https://www.tennis-austin.com/partner-program](https://www.tennis-austin.com/partner-program)

The Brewtique allows you to grab a beer/cider/water from the coolers to drink inside, and as they don't have a kitchen, you can bring your own food to munch on. There's also a new restaurant at the other end of this shopping center, The Dugout Gametime Grill - https://thedugoutgtg.com/ you can order from and pick up to eat while you're frosting!! *** Craft with Crafts. Bring the portable CRAFT of your choice and enjoy it alongside CRAFT beer (or whatever) and friendly faces sporting crafty wit\*. We're pretty darn fun. For reals, we craft in a bar, so we are nothing like your mama's stitch & bitch. Knit, Crochet, Cross stitch, or craft whatever lap work you are into at the moment. The lighting is pretty good. Still, you might want to bring an easy project as a backup as we usually sit in the couches sitting area, not at the tables. **PLEASE NOTE:** If you are new to a hobby, and would like to use this as an opportunity to learn more or get some 1:1 time with someone who can help you get through a roadblock, etc, please let us know beforehand so we can come prepared either with supplies/tools and the plan to focus with you, or make accommodations as needed!! \*We So Punny!

Peers in recovery who need to use a Wifi connection, a printer, or a desktop computer are welcome at the Communities for Recovery center between 1 and 4 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Our computer lab is ready to offer you online access to whatever you need to take the next step in your recovery journey!

Hey everyone! Let’s go to Downtown Round Rock and see a FREE show! This is part of the city’s concert series where there are free shows every Wednesday until the end of June. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair so that you have a place to sit during the show. Feel free to bring snacks to share or you can get popcorn sold at the park or pizza and beer next door. Music starts at 7, but you may want to arrive early to grab a good spot. See ya there!

Bring your violin, cello, or viola and join us for a practice session. We'll discover the fun in practicing the violin, cello, or viola together and maybe even make our practice even more efficient by comparing notes and sharing tips and experiences. Let's meet on the second level at Whole Foods in the Domain. All levels welcome. See you there!

Let’s meet up at 6:15 to stretch in the parking lot on the left side of the restaurant then head out at 6:30 for an adorable 2.5 mile walk! Get that blood pumping then back to the Grove for drinks and/or dinner.

Come join us for a fun night out with drinks, dinner and new friends! We’ll hangout, watch sports, converse and have a great time. Feel free to bring your friends with you and we’ll see you there! Disclaimer: The host of this event and meetup are not liable for any injuries, loss of funds, or any type of unfortunate event that happens to any attendees of the meetup.

**Reminder: This retreat is being shared on multiple platforms and currently we have 40+ registrations. The retreat capacity is 50. Please be mindful of the spot you're taking and if you can't make it, let us know.** **Austin's largest meditation community. 1,000+ members, 4.9 stars.** A same day meditation experience that goes deeper than the surface. Start with a free meetup. If it clicks, stay for the breathwork and a full afternoon of awareness practice. **Important Note: Please bring a meditation cushion, or a pillow to sit on. This will greatly help your practice.** You don't need to commit to a full retreat to go deeper. Just come to the meetup. If it clicks, stay for the retreat. Most meditators want to go beyond technique. They just don't have a real space to actually do it. *This is that space.* **WHAT THIS IS** A same day meditation experience that starts with a free meetup and continues into an optional retreat. Show up for the part that fits you. • **The Meetup (First 2 Hours).** Show up, learn awareness practice, meditate, meet people. Free and open to everyone. • **The Retreat (Rest of the Day).** Stay after the meetup for nondual breathwork, deeper instruction, and extended practice into pure awareness. No need to decide in advance. Come to the meetup. If you want to go deeper, just stay. **HOW THE DAY WORKS** **THE MEETUP:** First 2 Hours (Open to Everyone) This is where the day starts. Everyone is welcome. • Arrival and connection • Introduction to awareness practice and what we will do today • Guided meditation: resting attention in awareness itself • Q&A and networking No experience needed. You will leave with a real practice. If you want to go further, the retreat picks up right after. **THE RETREAT:** Continues Right After the Meetup This is where things go deep. After the meetup, the retreat picks up with the practice most people say is the highlight of the day: a full 90 minute nondual breathwork session. **Hour 1: Nondual Breathwork** • A 90 minute guided breath practice that goes far beyond standard breathwork • We use sustained, conscious breathing to dissolve the felt boundary between you and your experience • The aim is direct recognition of awareness itself, not just relaxation or activation • No experience needed. You will be guided the whole way. **Hour 2: Turning Attention Inward** • Clear instruction in the most direct meditation technique ever taught • The simple question "Who is aware right now?" cuts through the assumed sense of self • This is the real inquiry that the breathwork prepared you for **Extended Practice: Pure Awareness** • Seeing directly through thought, emotion, and the sense of self • Looking for the one who is supposedly looking • Direct pointing into the awareness that has always been here • Alternating sitting and walking practice • Q&A and integration **WHO THIS IS FOR** • You already meditate and you want to go beyond technique • You want to feel what nondual breathwork can do • You are curious about what awareness itself is, not just what's in awareness • Or you just want a real space to spend a day going deep You don't need a long history of practice. You just need to show up. **RECOMMENDED CONTRIBUTION** The meetup is free. If you stay for the retreat and the day meant something to you, we welcome a contribution. **Recommended:** $50 to $150 for the retreat, sliding scale. **Contribution Link:** Venmo.com/meditationcommunity Don't have Venmo? Click the donate button on our website: MeditationCommunity.org Every dollar goes directly to keeping these days running. **WHAT TO BRING** • Comfortable clothes • Water bottle • Lunch or plan to grab something nearby (for retreat attendees) • Cushion or pillow (very important) **YOUR INSTRUCTOR** Brandon C. Mehrgut is the founder of MeditationCommunity.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Austin. He has taught mindfulness to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and the FBI. He leads all instruction at the org and developed the curriculum from beginner foundations through nondual practice. **LOCATION** Gracie Barra Jiujitsu School 8868 Research Blvd #608, Austin, TX 78758 Start with the meetup. Most people who stay for the retreat say they're glad they did. Either way, you walk out with a real practice. **More about us:** MeditationCommunity.org Can't make it in person? Meditate with us free online at DailySit.org We meet every Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8AM CST **Important Note: Please bring a meditation cushion, or a pillow to sit on. This will greatly help your practice.**

Join with us for a peaceful and uplifting gathering and experience the soothing spiritual sound vibration of Kirtan meditation. We'll finish off the evening with a guided deep relaxation. This free event is open to all and offers an opportunity to explore a meditative state through the singing of sacred mantras. This evening will allow you to participate as much or as little as you’d like, whether you prefer to chant along, listen, or simply absorb the peaceful yoga sound. No previous experience is necessary. Just bring an open heart. Feel free to bring a friend! We look forward to sharing this special evening with you.

Welcome to READ—WRITE—REMIX: a reading club + creative writing workshop + social hour! We read an interesting article, poem, or story, talk about it together, and write about it for 15 minutes. We then "remix" our thoughts by discussing anything we want to share. Then we write for another 15! And after that, we just hang out and chat ☺️🫶🏼📝 In this way, we come to deepen our understanding of the text, ourselves, and each other. Note that this is an open language workshop. The discussion components will be in English, but participants are welcome to write in any language 📝🌎🌏🌍 **Our Monthly Theme for May: Belonging** Every 1-3 months, our group chooses a special theme to explore in our events. This writing workshop is part of our May session on "Belonging." What does it mean to belong? How do you know when you belong? And how does language shape our sense of belonging? Those are some of the questions we hope to investigate this month, while offering Austinites a creative home in our own arts & humanities community. **This Week's Theme: Failures of Belonging ⟡ Translation & Mistranslation** *"I need someone with whom I can struggle, and fail."* — Jhumpa Lahiri, this week's featured writer Feeling a bit lost in translation? Us too! In this all-levels creative writing workshop, we'll touch on: * failures of belonging & their generative relationship to creativity * the struggle to locate oneself & the search for a narrative voice * the complexities of travel, relocation, immigration, identity in a global world, etc. Emphasis on the etc.! This week, we'll also be be thinking about translation, mistranslation, and how we learn to speak. So immigrants and ESL speakers are particularly welcome and encouraged to come hang! *Workshop Reading:* Teach Yourself Italian *by Jhumpa Lahiri* For the discussion component of our workshop, we'll be reading *Teach Yourself Italian* by Jhumpa Lahiri. She's a British-American writer and the daughter of Bengali immigrants who later immigrated herself to Italy - and started writing novels in Italian. The essay is quite short (9 pages), but very thought-provoking! **Please read this essay in advance and come to our workshop prepared to have a casual chat about it.** A free link to the reading is provided below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Orcy8Y8Lt_SHIp2nwe3Qm5-a2E9MHAcxGTnV1FwPvwQ/edit?usp=sharing **READ—WRITE—REMIX ⟡ Workshop Structure** We'll be meeting at Central Market on North Lamar at 7 PM on Thursday, May 14. Mostly likely, we'll be on the upstairs patio which you can get to by going through the inside cafe stairs. Look for our signs on the table! Our workshop structure will be roughly as follows: * Saying hello (names, introductions, pronouns) * Discussing the workshop reading * Free writing time [15 minutes] * Sharing a couple of thoughts from your writing block * Free writing time [15 minutes] * Sharing final thoughts in a big group * Optional post-event hang Thank you in advance for contributing your unique perspective to our workshop! Whether you’re just starting to explore your own creativity or you’ve been committed to it for decades, we hope you’ll join us in welcoming all of our workshop writers in a spirit of vigorous encouragement, thoughtful engagement, and empathetic open-heartedness. **About Us** This group is a project by *Difficult Friends,* a community-run arts & humanities club: [Website](https://www.difficultfriends.com/) ⟡ [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/difficultfriends/) We empower Austinites to tackle Difficult ideas and projects. Our core values are: 1. creative growth, 2. intellectual challenge, 3. human connection, and 4. civic imagination. Our events are designed as intellectual workouts and creative experiments. We host workshops and discussions that push Austin residents to think harder thoughts, make cooler stuff, and connect more deeply across their human differences. This is not an organization for the faint of heart. As our name suggests, we take pride in being Difficult Friends and in confronting Difficult challenges. [Meaning is Difficult! Embrace the Difficult](https://www.difficultfriends.com/)! **About Me** I'm a writer and photographer living in Austin with my dog, Cookie. You can find out more about me and my work here: [https://rachelsummercheong.com](https://rachelsummercheong.com/) I've been busy working on my first novel, but I hope to get around to doing more with Substack this summer as well. [https://substack.com/@rachelsummercheong](https://substack.com/@rachelsummercheong) — Rachel **Statement of Welcome & Inclusivity** Here at Difficult Friends, we believe everybody can be Difficult. ;-) Difficult Friends is an inclusive community space, and we particularly seek to protect and welcome our LGBTQIA+, queer, transgender, and nonbinary members. Event attendees may be asked to share their preferred pronouns and will be asked to respect the preferred pronouns shared by other participants. Women, immigrants, people of color, religious minorities, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent folks seeking a diverse community are also especially encouraged to attend! That said, no particular identity performance is needed, desired, or expected from our Difficult Friends. Come as you are and know you have a seat at our table, no matter how life has brought you into our community. **Photography Policy** The event organizers of this meetup may take photos or videos of our events. By attending this event, you consent to being filmed and photographed. (If it’s Rachel, don’t worry - she will airbrush any blemishes & imperfections xoxo)!

**This is an IN-PERSON meeting.** Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous meets on Saturdays at 11:30 AM at Communities for Recovery, offering a supportive space to discuss issues around relationships and cultivating a positive relationship with romance and sexuality. Learn from the experiences of others and share your own story with peers who understand. For more information about the SLAA program, join us for a meeting or learn more at www.slaafws.org.

Lakeline Toastmasters is one of the Austin Area’s most accomplished Toastmasters Clubs. We are proud of our diverse members who are striving to be better communicators and leaders. You are invited to visit us on any Friday, in person, to experience how the Toastmasters program improves communication and leadership skills. Location: Cedar Park First United Methodist Church 600 W Park St, Cedar Park, TX 78613 Time: Meeting starts at 7:15 PM, Doors open at 7 PM For more details go to [https://lakeline.toastmastersclubs.org/](https://lakeline.toastmastersclubs.org/)

**Let’s kick off our very first CBUS Maker Meetup!** Whether you are looking to carve out dedicated creative time, wanting to get a lingering project across the finish line, or just looking to chat with fellow local makers—this is the space for you. 🧵 **What to Bring** Bring any art or craft project you are currently working on, as long as it is portable and quiet. Think: * **Yarn & Thread:** Knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, hand-sewing, mending. * **Paper & Sketching:** Sketchbooks, adult coloring books, watercolors, bullet journaling. * **Digital:** Tablets, iPad drawing, laptop writing/design. * *Please note: Because we are meeting in a shared public space, no power tools, sewing machines, or high-odor materials (like strong solvents or spray glues), please!* **📍 Where to Find Us** * We will be meeting at **Columbus Metropolitan Library - Karl Road Branch** in **Meeting Room 1**. Room is reserved under **CBUS Maker Meetup.** **⏱️ Timeline** * **1:00 PM:** Arrive, grab a seat, get settled, and do a quick round of introductions so we can see what everyone is working on. * **1:15 PM - 3:00 PM:** Open maker time! Chat, craft, relax, and swap creative ideas. **⚠️ A Note on RSVPs** Space for this first meetup is strictly limited to 10 spots. If your plans change and you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP to "Not Going" as soon as possible so someone on the waitlist can grab your spot. We ask that you try to give at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel. *** **We can't wait to meet you and see what you're making! All skill levels welcome.**

We may pick a specific topic and post in advance or may discuss current events and various ad hoc topics . We would love to spend time hanging out and getting to know one another. Atheist, agnostics, other non-theists, and atheist-friendly people are welcome to join us. Note: COUNT operates a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions (http://www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions/) to promote discussions among members and visitors.

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

Come assist Van Buren Shelter (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/vanburen) staff in serving dinners and cleaning up on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Dinner for the women is 5-6 pm and for the families is 6:15-7:15 pm. There is ample free parking available in the shelter's lot. The recommended area to park is in green in the image above. There will be a new entrance for the time being. We are asking all volunteers to enter through the Donation Dock door, the orange mark on the image above. This door is located between the Single Adults and Family Shelter. You will see 2 large garage doors with a large green trash compactor in the center. Please head to the closest garage door to the building wall, with a ramp leading up. There, you will see a door with a sign stating instructions on how to enter the building. Please ring the doorbell, and a staff member will come and escort you into the building. If a staff member takes longer than 5 minutes, please call the front desk at 614-689-2020. This is a new process for us, and we do not want to keep you waiting! We appreciate your patience as we navigate this temporary change. The shelter needs a volunteer count the day before the event so sign-up ends Monday at 4:50 PM. Afterwards some of us go to the Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup in progress to have a bit to eat or drink (http://www.meetup.com/omnipresentatheists/). Volunteers must be 14 or older. Since we will be working around families, the YMCA does not permit volunteering by individuals with convictions for violent or sexual crimes. The YMCA reserves the right to run background checks on volunteers. For questions, comment on this page or contact: Andrew, awhit12@yahoo.com, (614)937-5802 (cell). Please let Andrew know if you volunteer anytime other than our COUNT events so that he can count your hours toward our service record.

How to be a Better Communicator Communication is everything in life Sunday, 23 February at 2pm. You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

We connect you with up to 30 Men or Women tennis partners close to your PLAYING REGION and skill level. This program is less competitive, no champions crowned, no league standings just dedicated tennis partners who want to meet up with you on the courts. Players will meet up to play a tennis match or just to hit around. Just go through the [Join Page](https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program) to enter this program. [https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program](https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program)