Hosting my first Zen Café was a meaningful and grounding experience that allowed me to grow both personally and in my facilitation journey. Going into the session, I carried a mixture of excitement and nervousness, but the guidance I received through mentorship helped me feel more centred and intentional about the space I wanted to create.
As participants arrived, I focused on cultivating a calm and welcoming atmosphere, one that encouraged presence, openness, and gentle reflection. I paid close attention to the flow of the session, from the initial settling-in moments to the deeper conversations that unfolded. It was rewarding to see how a simple, mindful space could encourage people to share authentically and connect beyond surface-level interactions.
This session was unique and powerful because it incorporated arts and crafts as a tool for emotional expression. Participants were invited to paint and create visual representations of eco-anxiety and their personal experiences with the floods in Durban. As the activity unfolded, I could feel the room shift, the quiet concentration, the gentle sharing, and the moments of recognition between participants as they realised the depth of each other’s experiences.
Supporting people as they expressed feelings of uncertainty, loss, fear, resilience, and hope through art reminded me how healing creative processes can be. It was humbling to witness how painting could become a doorway into conversations that might otherwise be difficult to articulate. For some, it was the first time they had externalised their eco-anxiety; for others, the artwork became a way to process memories of displacement, damage, or community vulnerability during the floods.
Throughout the session, I applied the principles I had learned from my mentor: listening actively, allowing silence to carry meaning, and holding the space without feeling pressured to fix anything. I realised that effective hosting isn’t about control, but about trust, trusting the process, trusting the participants, and trusting myself.
One of my biggest takeaways was recognising the power of intention and preparation. The structure offered through mentorship gave me confidence, but the experience itself taught me to be flexible and intuitive. I learned to lean into moments of uncertainty and respond with calm presence rather than anxiety.
Overall, hosting this first Zen Café affirmed my interest in creating mindful, restorative spaces for others. It deepened my appreciation for the practice and strengthened my desire to continue learning, growing, and refining my facilitation skills. I am grateful for the support and mentorship that guided me to this point, and I look forward to hosting many more sessions with greater ease and authenticity.
— by Ntokozo Mhlongo