There are spaces that are not built by walls or agendas, but by intention, presence, and the courage to open oneself. The Linkara Deepening Practice was one of those spaces. It was a journey inward, a place where leadership was reimagined through the body, through life-giving relationships, and through meaningful reflection.
(The Deepening Practice held in Jakarta in November 2025 created a shared space to return to oneself, witness one another, and grow together)
From the moment the first circle formed, the atmosphere shifted. Silence arrived not as emptiness but as an invitation to go deeper. Presence met presence. In every space that opened, participants witnessed, listened, and sensed the subtle changes that emerged as someone began to share their inner experience.
Day One: When the Body Becomes a Gateway
The morning began with Qigong, a series of gentle movements guiding participants back to their bodies, to their breath, and to the center of themselves that is often overlooked. These slow and mindful movements created room for deeper processes, helping each person soften their pace and become fully present.
As the Way of Council session began, the circle transformed into a truly living space. Words were no longer just information; they became energy, spoken with honesty, vulnerability, and courage. The talking piece moved from hand to hand, sustaining a rhythm of conversation that connected everyone within the circle.
One participant shared, “Getting deeper into the circle method, which has evolved into the ways of circle.” It was a recognition that council practice is not merely a method but a way of nurturing the qualities of presence and listening.
In the systemic constellation session, the body took the role of guide. A standing posture, the direction of the feet, the tension in the shoulders, everything became a language carrying messages. In that constellation, personal and organizational questions were not answered through analysis, but through bodily sensitivity. Another participant remarked, “In constellation, the body responds before the mind has the chance to form words.”
The evening closed with a second constellation, uncovering layers rarely touched, old patterns in the system, invisible burdens, and relational dynamics that often operate quietly beneath the surface.
Day Two: A Space of Depth and Sharper Meaning
The day again opened with Qigong, yet the quality of the movement felt different. There was spaciousness. There was confidence felt in each participant’s gestures. The reflective space introduced witness trios, a format that allowed each experience to be seen, heard, and acknowledged without the need to fix or resolve anything.
In the next council, a more honest awareness surfaced about the fragility of the leadership journey. The stories shared were not about leadership theories but narratives grounded in the body, organizational pressure, customary dynamics, the need for recognition, and the longing to rest from heavy roles.
In that moment, a sentence emerged from one of the participants and echoed throughout the circle, “Being a leader means being a human first.” It was a sentence born from a long journey, from a body that feels, and from a space that witnesses.
The final constellation opened new understanding about hidden orders, the systemic rules that are invisible yet shape decisions, directions, and emotions. Through this process, some participants found clarity, new direction, or even the courage to take long-delayed decisions.
Closing the Circle, Opening New Paths
The closing circle became a space to acknowledge the transformation that had taken place. One by one, participants expressed themselves through simple movements and sounds, small, spontaneous, yet full of meaning. Each expression was received without judgment, spreading like a soft wave through the room.
A participant shared, “I am so grateful for all the practices with amazing people I know and amazing new friends from other cohorts.”
Deepening Practice was not a space to become “better.” It was a space to become more human, more aware, more attuned to what moves within oneself and within the systems that surround us.
At the end of the gathering, what remained was not merely new knowledge but a different quality of presence, a realization that leading is not only about action, but about the courage to show up fully with body, mind, heart, and relationships.
The circle closed, yet the inner journey of each participant continued. Because at Linkara, every circle opens a doorway home, home to oneself, home to stillness, home to humanity.
*(Laras Novalia)
