Ranga - Community Developer, Teacher - Keeping People in Positive Regard, Ep. 498

What this episode covers

🌍 Life Journey & Background: Originally from Singapore, where she worked in community development and was a leader at a forward-thinking charity. Today, she lives in Berlin, teaching social work with a focus on community development at Potsdam. 🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness & Social Work: Ranga and Susanne met during the Team Up mindfulness program; Mindfulness and community work are deeply connected for her — both require empathy, non-judgment, and positive regard. 🎓 Teaching Philosophy: Ranga doesn’t follow rigid plans—prefers a flexible, student-led approach. She sees teaching as co-creation: combining her knowledge with students’ lived experiences. Uses a metaphor of Play-Doh: shaping ideas organically through shared inquiry and exploration. 🌱 Personal Growth & Reflections: she now embraces a more accepting view of herself—focused on living life authentically, not by rigid goals. Ranga reflects often on aging well and nurturing her body with compassion (e.g., talking kindly to her shoulder during physiotherapy) 🍳 Rejuvenation & Joys in Daily Life: she recharges by walking in nature (near Grunewald in Berlin), cooking, and reading real books. She finds joy in wandering, exploring new places, and embracing life’s spontaneous turns. She encourages saying yes to opportunities, even when they feel scary.