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Opening Space through Contemplative Practices: How Facilitators Foster a Field of Collective Learning

This chapter compares and contrasts Scharmer’s Theory U with a grounded theory developed through extensive interviews with facilitators at the Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership summer program. The grounded theory of “opening space to foster a field of learning” describes four consecutive sets of practice illustrating how the facilitator creates an external environment conducive to emergent group learning. All the practices relate to opening space in the learning environment for authentic experience. In addition to the external environment, this research demonstrates the importance of a facilitator’s ability to cultivate an internal sense of openness and awareness.