Meet To Sleep - Bangalore

November 28th, 2015  ( 2 - 5 pm) 

Cubbon Park

Bangalore

Action Heroes include 

Seema Nair, Diya Pinto, Wolfram Thurm, Mahesha Hiremath, Shailaja, Pragati KB,  

Kiri Meili, Anandi Sharan, Silvana Rigobon, Vira Mistry, Tharunya Balan, Sufiya Jay,

 Asfiya Farheen, Yasmeen Taj S, Jasmeen Patheja 

"This was the first time I lay down and slept in a park. I didn’t really have any expectations going into it but the moment put my head on the ground and looked up I was filled with awe at just how amazing the view was. It’s the first time I’ve felt immersed in nature in this city. Having my vision filled by only the green and sky allowed my mind to empty and my body to relax completely. 

Having others lying down and sleeping near by meant I could just be without worrying about my stuff or feeling uncomfortable or exposed. I will definitely be doing this again, with friends and with Blank Noise. Over time I hope to feel comfortable enough to do it alone. Reclaiming our space might not always take a big fight or struggle, small simple acts like these can open us up and open up our world in ways we might never have imagined." - Kiri Meili

"Public spaces are so important to our society - to gather, to meet friends, to picnic with family...and with our expanding cities, where we are literarily building and living on top of each other, a park is a perfect break from all the chaos and noise. As a woman, I want to be there. As a woman I want to feel safe there. It is my right as a citizen of this city. 

Sleeping in the park, facing my fears and dropping my guard for those few hours, was a way of taking that space back from my past bad experiences, and the stories that make me not trust my city and the people who live in it. "-  Diya Pinto

"It was a very powerful experience, for me. I chose a spot under a huge tree, and I could feel the support of its roots below, and of the branches above. It was literally like falling asleep in the arms of Mother Earth..

I hope this initiative that was born in India will spread in other countries. I will invite my friends in other European cities to do the same, next time, so we can connect from many other places, and give our support to this valuable cause.. "- Silvana Rigobon, Movement Medicine teacher  and menstruality educator, Italy

" Every Meet to Sleep I've done has been unique in itself. It has been a process to get comfortable sleeping in a public place. At the first Meet to Sleep I was unable to sleep at all and would open my eyes at every sound i heard, However the third one I was finally able to take a nap. This one was very special for me as two of the park dogs also came and napped on my blanket with me. " - Vira Mistry

" I love sleeping in parks because it is a welcome disruption to the monotonous way in the way I relate to the city. I have usually slept in parks with my husband or my dog enjoying a siesta after a heavy lunch, or reading a book in the warm sunshine. To be around bees, flowers, trees and lie on the grass looking into the sky is such a beautiful experience, despite all the stares and ogling from people around. May be they will get used to the idea of a woman sleeping or enjoying the park, if many more of us came out and claimed the space as their own."  - Seema Nair

"I haven't ever lay down in a park or a public place before this. As I lay down and looked up, the dense foliage and its beautiful pattern against the sky caught my eye. Though I could not fall asleep, it was an experience I'll take back. But beyond this, my apprehensions still stay- I will still think twice before sprawling in a park alone. I could lie down and try to sleep only because this was still a protected environment." - Pragati KB

"The view of the tall tree under which we slept was beautiful. It was a peaceful atmosphere away from home. Despite that I could not sleep though. Got bored towards the end. And hence felt that the duration could have been shorter."  - Shailja GP 

"It is a shame that people can not use public spaces. Thats what they meant for. Public paces that should comfort society instead of scaring it. This has to change. But we can not wait for rules and their enforcement. These spaces are ours and we have to reclaim them. Not through limitations, but through presence of society itself. How beautiful it is, to use the comfort of a nap as a step in that direction..." - Wolfram Thurm

photo: Jasmeen Patheja