Libby and I are getting ready for the second Circle Immersion Retreat. I am so excited! Last year 18 of us gathered in circle at Hope Springs Institute. We started with the being of circle, exploring the energetics, exploring how it feels to be in circle in formal and informal ways. Then we dove into the doing of circle, the methodologies of circle practice. Integrating ancient Circle traditions from West Africa with The Circle Way gave us a more inclusive we to hold the heart, mind, and belly of circle.
One of my learnings was that we often teach Circle Practice backwards. We start with the methodology, the doing, and then ask people to find their way into it, the being. One consequence of this is we have created a lot of partitioners that get stuck in the imitation of circle instead of the integration of circle. We lose the heart of it.
We came together and traveled through the masculine and feminine of circle, circle and diversity of culture, and we practiced circle design, harvesting tangible and intangible outcomes.
We will once again dive into these areas of practice because we know that we can’t give what we don’t have. As we build our own ability to be in circle, to be in community with each other, we build our capacity to hold others in circle as well.
Quanita
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