About us
# Wake Up KC is a small home-based community of practice rooted in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh and inspired by the international Wake Up movement.
We are still in the early steps of planting this garden here in Kansas City. Our hope is that Wake Up KC will not simply be something Amir and Hope are building, but a community that grows through the presence, wisdom, practice, and care of everyone who joins.
Wake Up is rooted in the aspiration to respond to suffering in ourselves and in the world. Through mindfulness, concentration, and insight, we practice to cultivate understanding, compassion, non-discrimination, and care for the Earth.
Our practice is guided by the Five Mindfulness Trainings, ethical guidelines that help us live with more love, compassion, and responsibility toward ourselves, one another, and the planet. We approach them not as rigid rules or beliefs, but as concrete practices for everyday life.
Our practice is simple. We return to the breath, come home to the body, and learn to live more deeply in the present moment. Together we sit, walk, breathe, listen deeply, share tea, practice compassionate communication, and support one another in releasing tension in the body and mind.
Wake Up is inspired by Buddhist wisdom and practice, but it is not based on beliefs or ideology. People of all spiritual, religious, secular, and cultural backgrounds are warmly welcome.
You do not need prior meditation experience, special beliefs, or anything to prove. Come as you are.
We aspire to be a place of refuge, nourishment, and support for anyone who longs to transform suffering and contribute to a more healthy, compassionate society.
As the community grows, we also hope to offer other ways of practicing together, such as walking meditation in nature, camping, mindful hikes, community service, family-friendly gatherings, shared meals, days of mindfulness, retreats, creative practice, music, and other simple ways of bringing mindfulness, compassion, and joy into daily life.
Wake Up KC is a place for practice, friendship, and community. We warmly welcome the gifts each person brings, and we ask everyone to arrive in the spirit of humility, shared practice, and mutual care.
At the same time, Wake Up KC is a community of practice, not a marketplace. Our gatherings are not intended for promoting businesses, recruiting clients, advertising paid offerings, or directing people toward outside services. We come together not to build a customer base, but to nourish one another through mindfulness, deep listening, compassion, and community.
Mindfulness practice and community can be deeply nourishing, but Wake Up KC is not a therapy group or a replacement for professional mental health care. We gather as spiritual friends and fellow practitioners, not as clinicians or treatment providers. Everyone is encouraged to honor their own needs and seek additional support when needed.
Because we gather in a home, we are beginning small and with care. The exact address in Belton is shared after you RSVP for a gathering.
We are not trying to build this perfectly. We are trying to build it mindfully, together.
Wake Up KC is not something we attend. It is something we cultivate together.
If you are longing to practice with others, we would love to welcome you.
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