This week's release.

Hello Gaia!

So there's a new little button up at the top for those of you with Gaia+ accounts. Your usual 'internal' messages can still be found by clicking on the little icon (the speech bubbles) next to your name (which links to your profile) in the upper right, but for those subscribers with @gaia.com email addresses, we've made it easier to check your mail. (Chris has also added a few updates to the Resonance Engine, so make sure—if you've got that box on your profile—to check it out. :)

Jessica's been working on a plan to revitalize the Ambassadors program; this month we'll be launching a new Group for Gaia Ambassadors, with a new invitation to join and a snazzy new packet of guidelines and ideas for those of you who're passionate about the general energy and mission of connection and positivity and contribution and heart behind this space, and who want to do more to enhance it here and in the world 'outside.' Hopefully it'll be a fun cause to rally around, and we're excited about doing more to empower those of you who love the idea of this community and what it means.  But more on this next week!

There've been some lovely reports from the Gaia Gatherings that happened for Conversation Week 2008... but if you missed the opportunity to host one of those get-togethers, all is not lost. It's still perfectly possible to pop a note to a member or two in your area and invite them for conversation—and to explore a bit the hearts and concerns of those others around you. (Exploring, I think, is a good word for this... it's a little like going out into the world in hopes of discovering something new, but instead you're exploring a shared inner landscape. And it would be one thing if this sort of activity remained contained between the two of you, but I've found very real projects can arise as a result—and if nothing else, that practice of understanding can make such a difference in the world.)

Also, though many of you are likely familiar with James Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis (that is, the scientific theory that posits the Earth as a living thing), you might not have seen Peter Russell's articulation of Gaia and the role of human beings in the ongoing evolution of the planet. There's a short video of his thoughts here. I already posted a personal blog entry about it, but the movie touched me deeply and it feels wonderfully relevant to the community as a whole. If you have a minute, do go have a look. To my mind it makes the critical importance of the connections found here so, so clear.

Hugs until the next time,
Siona