Bangalore SHG -15th June 2025

 

Date: 15th June

Location: Lalbagh, Bangalore 

Participants: Praneet, Vidya, Raju, Arjun, Likith, Pramod, Mouzam, 

We began the SHG meet with a quiet pause near the lake and a few light conversations with our new joinee, Raju. It was a smaller gathering today, and we tried something new.
Arjun suggested that we sit in silence and simply embrace boredom instead of avoiding it. It turned out to be a calming experience, helping us slow down and connect with ourselves and our surroundings.

We then reflected on our relationship with stammering.

Praneeth shared an interesting analogy, describing stammer as a noisy, annoying drummer neighbour. It felt frustrating when present, and peaceful when the neighbour was away on vacation. With support from TISA, this relationship softened. What once felt intrusive now feels like a companion he can live with.

Likith spoke from his heart about his childhood experiences. Though his friends were supportive, much of his struggle was internal, something others couldn’t fully understand. He shared that he has been able to work in a professional setting without his stammer affecting him much. Through TISA, he learned what true acceptance means and how it has helped him embrace his stammer more fully.

Raju, identifying as an introvert, said he often hid his stammer. Now, inspired by people like Joe Biden, he’s working on becoming more open and confident, starting by confiding in a friend. He came to know about TISA through YouTube and now wants to improve his communication and build confidence.

Mouzam spoke about both the challenges and unexpected gifts of stammering. He felt it helped him avoid harmful paths and shaped him into a kinder, more thoughtful person and explained how TISA played a significant role in that transformation.

Vidya shared how stammering was met with a positive, casual attitude at home, thanks to her father who also stammers. This helped her grow up with a sense of ease around it. She also spoke about her arranged marriage, and how allowing herself to be seen as a whole person, beyond her stammer, helped her connect with someone who understood her beyond just the stammer.

Arjun spoke about his lifelong companion, his stammer, and how it stayed with him through different stages of life. In the earlier years, it was tied to feelings of shame and guilt, but over time, it became a path to deeper self-awareness. Reflecting on Eckhart Tolle’s teachings, he shared how even suffering and hardships can hold something good at its core. He ended by saying he now feels more at peace with his stammer and closer to himself.

Finally, Pramod delighted us with a creative mono act using a simple hat as a prop. He played two roles, himself and his stammer, portraying their relationship across different life stages, from childhood to adulthood. Once an annoying, mocking, and bullying companion, the “stammer” has now become someone he can share a cheers with. It was playful and deeply moving.

We concluded by forming small groups and doing “stranger talks.”
Overall, it was a lively, heartfelt, and reflective gathering.

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