Festival of Hearts ~ the evolution of a unique event

In February 2024, The Benji Project held the first Festival of Hearts fundraiser. We wanted to create a unique  event for our community - one that incorporated key concepts and experiences from our Mindful Self-Compassion programs. We chose a date close to Valentine’s Day, so that we could elevate the idea of love. Instead of focusing on romantic love, though, we were lifting up Love as compassion for self and others. 

To exemplify the mindfulness practices we teach, we crafted a “journey through the senses.” This journey included different tasting bites, created by Chef Arran Stark and Baker Jenn Tillman, with each bite highlighting a different sense. Our program included music from Simon Lynge and Janna Marit, as well as the Nikles Duo. 

This immersive experience was satisfying, and we received positive feedback from our guests, but incorporating all five of the senses was complicated in the space of a relatively short program. (And we had a lot of tasting plates to deliver!) To give ourselves a simplified framework going forward, we decided to hone in on one sense per event–crafting a five-year Cycle of the Senses! 

Photo by Deja View Photography

Our second annual Festival of Hearts focused on the sense of sight, leaning into the idea of both inner and outer vision. Videographer Tomoki Sage worked with three young people from our programs to craft a video exploring the concept of inner critical and compassionate voices. Our collaboration with Arran Stark continued, and he focused on beautiful bites that were colorful and visually inspiring. 

Photo by Deja View Photography

Due to complications with our venue, we ended up pushing the date of this event out to May 2025. It wasn’t close to Valentine’s Day anymore, but the late spring timing aligned with trees budding. Port Townsend Garden Center loaned us some beautiful potted trees to grace the event. 

Expanding on the tree theme, Artist Meg Kaczyk created a tree mural, inspired by a madrona tree. Event guests decorated leaves to adorn the tree as a collective art project. When they handed in a donation envelope with their contribution to Benji Project programs, they received a cloth heart to add another layer to the tree.

Benji Project Board Member Jennifer Mitchell with the tree mural. Photo by Deja View Photography

This leafy and heart-filled tree mural, a symbol of community vision and love, went to live at Jefferson County Public Health after the event. It has graced the wall of their Pacific Conference Room for the last eight months. It is now being retrieved and will make an appearance this year at our third annual Festival of Hearts. 

The focus of Festival of Hearts 2026 is the sense of sound–a celebration of joy and love through sound. When we do outdoor meditations during our programs, one of the first sounds students usually identify is birdsong. The idea of birdsong is guiding the creation of this event. 

Come experience for yourself this phase of the Cycle of the Senses, on February 7, 2026!

Winter Afterschool Program Coming Up!

We are excited to be partnering with The Jefferson County Library to offer a winter Mindful Self Compassion 8 week after school program on Wednesday afternoons!

The program is open for enrollment for 11-14 year olds from Jefferson County. Students will learn skills to find calm in stressful times and tools to navigate the ups and downs of life. The activities we use engage students in learning through mindfulness practices, games and art activities. Students become a supportive community through the 8 weeks of sharing and working together.

Students from last year’s program appreciated the skills they were learning. Here of some of the things they reflected on: 
“I've learned how to really think about things more than I ever used to"” 

"Now I feel like I have other people I can talk to who will support me" 

"Now I have people I can think of when I'm going through something and know I'm not the only one"

Registration is open for the program! We have a pay-what-you-can policy designed to welcome anyone in the age range to sign up regardless of ability to pay. 

Benji Project instructors Nancy and Steve are excited to be leading the program this season and look forward to connecting with this new group.

To find out more or register: https://www.thebenjiproject.org/after-school

Cultivating Presence and Compassion Through Sound

When we explore mindfulness practices with students, we often focus on the external senses as a way of bringing attention to the present moment. This year we have been leaning into the sense of sound--what we hear and how we listen. Our next Festival of Hearts event (on Feb. 7, 2026!) will focus on sound, including birdsong. Stay tuned for more details!

Meanwhile, our instructor team has been developing as a true community of practice. Most recently we gathered one afternoon at the farm of Teresa Shiraishi, one of our original instructors. We spent time together listening to the sounds of the orchard, and we shared the bounty of the harvest!

Staff members Eden and Nancy reflect below on how they resonate with particular practices related to sound, and how those practices have evolved into meaningful elements of our programs.

Mindfulness in This Moment: Listening to Ourselves and Each Other

As a teen, I remember wishing for two things from the people around me: that they would be “real,” and that they would listen--to me and to each other. In large part, those desires remain the same for me decades later, and as a Benji Project instructor I hear them echoed by the young people we teach; that thirst for authenticity and the longing to be heard are ever present. In recognition of that, last year we introduced Listening Circles into our Mindfulness in Motion summer camps.

The practice of listening in a circle, in community, is an important part of many indigenous cultures. Rosalee Walz, Chemakum elder, joined us last year at camp to share the storytelling and listening traditions from her heritage. This beautifully launched an approach now embedded in our summer programs.

Listening Circles invite participants to practice both authenticity and deep listening skills. This activity demonstrates to young people that those are qualities we seek as adults, just as they do. Listening Circles have become something that campers crave, a space where each individual is given the same amount of time to speak (or not), from the heart, without interruption, while the rest of the circle is actively listening and practicing non-judgment. At first, these circles can feel awkward, but without fail the group relaxes as we repeat the practice, when we all realize we can depend on that time.

Now more than ever, our capacity to listen to one another feels paramount. To witness another person instead of assuming we know their life, their heart, their struggles, means that we can remain curious and truly interested, rather than draw hard lines of separation between “us” and “them.” We endeavor to fortify the skill of listening and the quality of curiosity by way of simple practices like Listening Circles, knowing they are small yet strong elements that create a caring, connected community.

Listening to the Natural World Around Us

I deeply value the experience of listening carefully to my surroundings and being in tune with the environment. As a kid I remember being a student and later a volunteer on board a tall ship called the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater for an environmental education program. They would have a moment of silence and ask us to listen to the sounds around us as we sailed on the river. This was followed by live music to break the silence.

This experience influenced me in several different ways. It was calming and peaceful, and it helped me to feel comfortable in a different environment. I was learning mindfulness skills without being aware of it! The transition into music to break the silence inspired me since I loved music and singing already.

Now I enjoy sharing the practice of listening to the sounds of nature with our students. During summer camp, we have students find a “sit spot” outside every day and use their senses to experience the present moment. This activity helps campers take a quiet moment and check-in with themselves. The sit spot time ends with the ringing of a singing bowl. It's an opportunity to relax and experience calm during a full day.

This year we added to our explorations the practice of creating music. Keeth Apgar of Harmonica Pocket joined us for a songwriting session. For a number of campers, this was a highlight. Some of them already viewed music as an important form of self-expression, while others got to experience that for the first time.

How Self-Compassion Can Improve Teen Mental Health - Mindful Magazine June 2023

Research has demonstrated that cultivating self-compassion—learning how to be kind and supportive to oneself—can act as a shield for teenagers against the negative impacts of social media, trauma, depression, and various other challenges. While self-compassion is not a magical solution, it can help alleviate some of the difficulties that adolescents encounter on a daily basis.

Keep reading this article by Dr. Karen Bluth for all the details, links and research:

https://www.mindful.org/how-self-compassion-can-improve-teen-mental-health/