Mingles

First Posted Lasted updated April 2014

Mingles is a grassroots community based network for friends relating and healing dating back to the 1960's. It is a functional matrix of a number of mutual wellbeing, support and self help networks/groups which emerged from the being well energy of staff and residents of Fraser House (1959-69), a very innovative psychiatric unit in North Ryde Sydney.

Mingles re-emerges and survives for a time whenever there is the local energy and felt need. It may energise social, wellbeing enhancing and healing events and other happenings lasting a few hours, a day or a number of days.

An earlier example was the Mingles Ball in 1970 which brought together for the first time in an intercultural social event, the Sydney based Colombo Plan University Students from many SE Asian Counties. This was an early example of Laceweb intercultural networking into the SE Asia region.

Neville spoke of the Dance Band starting up and no one getting up to dance. Neville was active within the social life of half of the groups present. A fellow Laceweb enabler at the time - a person with a psychology and anthropology background confirmed that the other half of the cultural groups present also loved to dance. Still no one was getting up to dance. What was going on. Neville and Lien, his Vietnamese wife got up and danced. No one joined them. It took Lien's Asian knowledge to get the dance started. She singled out one of the girls present and sent Neville to ask her for and dance. As soon as this girl and Neville were dancing they were joined by couples till the dance floor was full. The girl was a member of Thailand Royalty and hence by Asian protocol, nothing could start till she was on the floor. Neville had not known of her background.

In the Eighties, Mingles energised a monthly event called Healing Sundays in Bondi Junction in Sydney. During those gatherings a caring sharing network of over 150 people was evolved over an eighteen month period. It initially comprised a core group of around 15 people with a range of healing skills. Typically each Sunday 35 others would join them. Sometimes different mixes of others would attend along with the fifteen regulars. After the 18 months the 150 who had attended periodically had emerged from the energy as a dispersed urban community of healers who often mingled with each other socially.

A recent example is the Spiral Sunday gatherings in Melbourne - a day where people came together to share healing ways, talents, friendships, caring energy, and play in a caring environment.

The Spiral Sunday on the 2 April 2000 was a joy for around 30 who attended. Superb to share with so many natural nurturers. Other days were enjoyed in May and July 2000.

Mingles is not connected with any religion, sect, cult or political group. Personal and group integrity, social ecology, safety and wellbeing are central. It's fun. It's respectful play. It is re-villaging the city. It's the chat around the village well and play upon the village green.

How 'Spiral Sunday' and Bondi Junction 'Healing Sundays' unfolded

The day may be on a broad range of wellbeing topics or it may be focused, for example on say 'love'. It is experiential. That is we try out simple healing ways that work. Examples:

drumming
dancing
percussion
emotional flexibility
energy
mindbody healing
mediation therapy
peacemaking
socio-healing
healing massage
voice
spontaneous choir
movement awareness

No prior experience is necessary. You can learn and experience many healing ways. It is also a day for extending our social and nurturing networks.

Some may be open to sharing their healing ways with the gathering. Anyone who wants to may link in with the enablers and tee up to enable a small segment - sharing with the group some healing ways you know about.

The pattern is to have a tiny introduction (90 seconds) and by then have people experiencing how to do it. We use the old wisdom - 'we learn by doing'.

THE ENABLERS

Enablers may be known through the 'Healing Sundays' of the late eighties in the Bondi Junction area in Sydney or the earlier Mingles gatherings around Sydney in the late sixties/early seventies, as well as the Mingles gatherings on the Central and Far North Queensland Coast of the Seventies and Eighties.

Others may be known from their sociomedicine workshops at the Sixth International Holistic Healing Conference in Lorne, Australia, or the mindbody workshops at the Healing Arts Festival. Both these events were held by the Monash Institute of Public Health. Some may be known through the Laceweb workshops at ConFest or the Tribal Wave Dance and Drumming Experience and other drumming workshops at ConFest and around Melbourne.

Mingles emerged at ConFest in the early 2000s and now energy is rising for a Mingles Space to emerge at the Easter 2014 ConFest. Perhaps a 24 hour gathering space may emerge. People are gathering resources and ideas.

Some photos of Mingles at ConFest:

mingles1