Meet To Sleep. Feb 28. Bangalore

Action Hero Lijya

Action Heroes Bhawana Udhani , Satya Gummuluri , Shruti Chandrashekharan, Yamini Deen
Monica Nanjunda, Maria Emille Burger, Lijya Perayil, Rishita Nandagiri

Action Hero Evetta Cardosa with her friends

Satya Gummuluri

"i sleep when i feel like it.
i sleep where i like. i'm just a person who's sleepy, So i sleep. i make myself comfortable - i ignore the unwanted, i let the breeze whisper. i sleep. So what."
"Meet to Sleep was a wake up call - having spent years abroad in places where one moves about with hardly any social scrutiny, I had forgotten what it means to have people question one for something as insignificant as sleeping outdoors while being female. Repressed memories from a time long ago bubbled back up.


Monica Nanjunda:

I slept well in a public park for the first time in my life, when I joined in with the Blank Noise 'Meet To Sleep'. I felt safe only because there were plenty of other people from the group around, who where also sleeping nearby. I wouldn't have the courage to do it alone

It made me so aware of how I am actually not at all comfortable to doze off in any public space. Like for example, public transports. In a bus or a taxi or an auto. I am always scared to go into deep sleep. The realisation makes me angry/frustrated and every once in while, I need this anger to be addressed through activities like meet to sleep. So that I constantly remember this unfairness and not unconsciously accept the way things are.


Lijya Perayil:
I still remember the first time that I tried to put myself to sleep in a park at the first Meet to Sleep event. I consciously spoke to my head and mind to relax, trust the environment and be at peace. I reminded myself of all the strangers in my life who've been good to me or whom I've had good experiences with. It brought a smile to my face and helped me loosen my otherwise ever present guard for the outside. I think I'm getting more and more comfortable indulging in the activity now. Am normalising the act of sleeping in a park in my own head. It's a liberating feeling to be able to do it--Actually sleep in a park. The nap was refreshing and makes me want to do it more often. The feeling after having slept in the park is just incredible .. sort of makes me wonder why I didn't do it before and makes me a little sad of what I've been missing out on for so long!

Shruti Chandrasekaran:
Meeting to sleep reinforced for me the bliss of being oblivious in using public spaces. Being in a group helped me let my guard down and enjoy that beautiful afternoon without worrying about the integrity of my personal space, and the absence of that fear helped me see how it's up to me to place my trust in the environment and use it without constraint- most of my apprehensions stemmed from being brought up thinking being very cautious will help prevent some supposedly inevitable injury. I have subsequently napped by myself in the park and it was great!