CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY! THE NEXT STEP FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING?
Iluna is that rare thing: a useful online tool which encourages us to grow as people. A conscious online community, driven by the desire to create a better quality of human interaction. In truth, it is what Facebook wants to be when it grows up.
Since their beginnings amidst the popularisation of the web in the 90’s, social networking sites have revolutionised how we socialise and share information. However these sites rarely ask the user to rise above the parameters of the tool itself, to create deeper, more meaningful connection in the real and virtual world. Instead, we are all too often encouraged to create and preen a virtual self-image or invited to create an army of zombies, or add some chickens to somebody else’s Farmville project. We have the tools but lack the positive intention.
What makes Iluna such a cracking addition to our virtual lives is that it has a powerful spiritual undercurrent, a heartful intention for positive connecting, and true to its creator’s wishes, the site is crafted to smoothly guide you towards finding individual direction, whether that’s to chat freely with other open-minded people, or find the best local practitioner who can help you with emotional release, or maybe remedy that chronic ache you just never get round to fixing by finding a good yoga class or bodyworker, or maybe you just want a chance to natter with new friends on the forums about great films which inspired you to change or look deeper.
Iluna is growing fast and was born from creator Mark/Rakendra Prem’s experience of working with both people in groups and online networks. It is also an entirely organic project, motivated as it is, by the desire to create a conscious social hub connecting everything that up until the end of last century might have been called “New Age” but has now outgrown the label. The benefit of having one site that unites many disparate strands is obvious: At a click, with Iluna, you can see all the holistic practitioners in the area, read or even add your own blogs on spiritual living, check for events near you, or even pool our collective wisdom in the forums.
From a sceptical point of view, Iluna could be seen as just another social networking site amidst the thousand other dreary Facebook clones. However, the difference between Facebook style sites and Iluna is like the difference between standing in a busy town centre shouting at a friend across the street, and going to a quiet café on the corner where you can relax, breathe deep and gather your thoughts. With the practical benefit that when you turn around, friends are sat on the next few tables, sharing ideas or planning some really great new workshop for happier, healthier living.
Iluna also houses a variety of forums where you can discuss things like natural remedies, easy raw food diets or even suggest skillshares and events. It has a Gumtree style functionality where you can look for help finding a flat/car/job or even a workshop/remedy/yoga mat, and best of all, being that Iluna is not the marketplace, you can share more openly and trust what you read implicitly.
What separates Iluna from other social hubs is that, (aside from its conscious focus), it has a very subtle but clear and easy-to-use interface, and, put simply, it looks great. Little touches like being able to log in through your existing Facebook account and the Karma points system (which adds Karma as you use various features on the site!) all add to Iluna’s well thought out accessibility. And it also offers an incredibly useful and up-to-date conscious diary on its home page, and a fully interactive and searchable events calendar, so that whatever you’re into, from full moon parties to conscious clubbing weekends to silent retreats and yoga classes, you’re sure never to miss out on a good thing.
For more information or to dive in and explore visit www.iluna.co.uk creating an account is easy and you can add information, blogs and events, straight away! For press and media enquiries, consciously contact m.g.blakey@gmail.com
I enjoyed writing this one, can you tell?
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