The Power of Sacred Circles

The first time I sat in a circle was in the Sinai desert with some Bedouin men and one other yogi friend.

What was so memorable was how fast and furiously all my senses were attacked, which had the effect of quickly pulling me from the hustle-bustle of the external world into their quieter, calmer internal world. It started with my eyes; visually the fire takes centre stage quite quickly and seduces you into this hypnosis, then the Oud starts playing which dances around your ears, then tiny glasses of very warm and very sweet Bedouin tea are passed around and my taste buds ignite into life; All these things wrapped me up into a safe, warm blanket like trance.

Once the senses are firmly addressed then the stories start circling. There are always at least a couple of very good storytellers, building up the suspense and delivering a powerful narrative that has a message and meaning that adds to the lawyer of warmth, embedding you in this magical gift of sitting in sacred circle with natives. When I left that night I knew I was hooked; both on storytelling and the art of sitting in circles, which left me with a sense of deep connection.

In time I also attended circles with Bedouin women which were much more relatable as I was encouraged to speak. These had the same power of connection and magic element, which I started to realise was their way of living and relating to each other. Bedouin men and women are mostly separate when it comes to social gatherings, so this was their way of sharing, connecting and actually living their lives. Cemented my awareness that there was much to be desired in the west with our ways of connecting and socialising.

When I returned from living in Egypt and re-adjusted to Western society and London life again, these memories kept me sane, warm, and fuzzy as I tried to work out ways of 1. How to tell my own stories, who would listen? And 2. How could I call a circle myself and lead.

I attended many circles like Red Tents which were being revived all over the UK as well as different themed workshops and circles and gatherings around London. Some were epic and replicated the desert bedouin vibe and some lacked connection and deep listening, though all were a learning experience.

Eventually, in late 2019 I did start holding my own Women’s circles at Ninth Life pub, which were incredible.

I replicated as best as I could the sensual experience of reaching the senses and getting everyone involved. As a bodyworker and yogi, I know that somatic experiences are more memorable than mental only experiences so this was common sense to me.

I set up beautiful fabric and cushions to sit on, a circle of candles, a pot of herbal tea with little glasses, some music, incense. Space was created and held, then we started with introductions and welcomes, oracle card reading and then the circle was open to share. We ate food that we all brought to share and indeed did have a little fire ritual on the balcony to close by burning our written intentions, the whole event was beautiful and sacred.

Since that first circle, I’ve held several circles, Women’s and currently a mixed group of men and women on our Moon Ceremony group which has grown and grown!

4 REASONS SACRED CIRCLES ARE SO IMPORTANT

1. It’s a Somatic Experience

   Meeting in circles takes us out of our heads and into our bodies via our senses. Too much of life is mental and intellect, to the point where I hear people often say they don’t have an inner voice or intuition. When you listen to your body and senses and move somatically, life feels very different as it’s perceived through a different lens; that of your body.

2. Deep Listening

The power of being listened to is not to be underestimated. In a circle when one wants to speak they pick up the talking stick and have free reign to communicate whatever’s on their hearts. No interrupting, talking over or fixing by others around the circle. The ability to be heard, felt and witnessed is deeply powerful as it’s not something that is honoured in everyday life, especially in the West. Also learning to listen to others without fixing them or offering up solutions to ‘help’ them can initially be a challenge. Deep listening is reciprocal healing medicine.

3. Circles are Non-Linear

Just the shape of the circle is the opposite of our linear, square, desks and offices that we are often confined in. This gives a real felt-sense of everyone being included and equal as there is no Hierarchy. When you give it just a little thought, you see that nature is non-linear; seasonal, cyclical and circular is the way mother nature rolls. Sitting in circles is a deep remembrance of this truth.

4.Healing comes with Sharing

When we share and speak the truth of our life experiences and stories - however painful- this allows others to feel a resonance with you, as often we are going through similar circumstances Allowing is powerful as it gives permission for broken or unintegrated parts of ourselves to be seen and come out of hiding. As the old saying goes; A problem shared is a problem halved. Healing comes from sharing.

Now more than ever we all know how powerful it is to gather and unite to share stories, life experiences and to connect. In the age of Individualism and separation, we need to feel our Interconnectedness as often as possible. Essentially this is what it means to be Human..

If you fancy joining the next circle, drop me a line! Blessings and stay circular xx