A Seasons and Moods Healing Circle begins with a “check-in” in which the participants are encouraged to share their name and one or two words of what is most alive in them at the time; what are they bringing to the circle? In response, I have heard offerings of “I’m feeling hopeful”… “I’m feeling anxious”… “I’m feeling gratitude”… “I’m feeling happy… sad… hungry… angry…” All of it is witnessed and all of it welcome in the circle!
We will then read through and affirm the “Circle Agreements” as a group, and then a specific theme or focus topic will be presented. This will be done using a poem, short video, an inspiring quote, piece of art, or another inspiring medium, and then we will spend time exploring and unpacking the theme while learning how we can apply it to our lives and circumstances.
There will be time and space for personal sharing, and this will always be encouraged, but never forced. Trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive approaches to mindfulness activities, role playing, and gently guided pro-social interactions will be used.
Words like autonomy, agency, empathy, accountability, perspective, paradigm, vulnerability, shame, guilt – and their proper definitions – will become part of our vocabulary and will provide the foundation for learning and discussion during our time together in circle.
In circle we will also have plenty of time for personal reflection, journaling, laughing, and connecting with others in positive and meaningful ways… all meant to encourage collaboration, and foster and sustain healthy communities!
Before we close the circle, we will all take a turn and offer a word or thought of something that spoke to us, something that we learned or that inspired us, or a nugget of “new” wisdom that we are taking away with us until we meet again and then we recite the following together:
My friend and fellow human, I see you – I honor you. I will respect who you are and all that you have shared. Thank you for your courage and your vulnerability. Until we meet again… be at peace… BE PEACE.
The image below shows me, standing in the middle of a circle of my justice-impacted friends, while serving as a volunteer with the Compassion Prison Project (CPP) Organization at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, CA in April 2022.
I have gone into several facilities as a volunteer, and I have witnessed first-hand how quickly a little compassion, understanding, education, and awareness around these things can transform lives almost instantly!
The hardened hearts and skeptical minds that entered the circle at 8:30 in the morning were noticeably more opened and softened by the close of circle 8 hours later. It was an incredible gift to witness such powerful transformation in such a short amount of time, and with very little effort!