...  In the circles  where we face ourselves, we listen like a miracle,

En los circulos en donde nos enfrentamos a nosotras mismas, escuchamos como un milagro,

and I reclaim the song which is mine...

y reclamo la cancion que es mia... 

Janice Mirikitani

If we are going to live on this planet and truly celebrate life,

then it is time to come home ...

Imagine being part of a great planetary circle

committed to life and wholeness. 

Imagine joining hands with others like you

who are seeking wholeness and healing for

their own selves and others. 

Feel the power that comes from joining

hands with like-minded people. 

If you can't feel it, imagine it. 

Know that, step by step, we are working

on a wonderful healing journey for all life. 

You are now part of an unseen circle,

a circle of love held together by people

and helping spirits. 

Know that circle is supporting you on your

own soul's journey. 

Please take from the power of the circle

when you need to, and give back to it when

you have some extra to give. 

Know that circles don't end -they continue ...

Excerpt from Soul Retrieval by Sandra Ingerman

WHAT IS A WOMEN'S CIRCLE?

Circling has been part of women's cellular memory since the beginning of times.

"Circling ignites deep inquiry, dismantles appropriateness, invites prayer, calls forward our wild raw nature and creative voice, evokes compassion, creates community, and naturally threads a commonality from which we can each become more unique, from a place of inclusion and sharing rather than competition and assumption." 

Unlike a casual women's gathering, circles are held by a grounding center, a specific intention, and the shared agreement to honor certain standards of participation.  These guiding principles provide a level of safety for each woman's authentic expression. 

My personal experience with circling began when I was living in Kenya in 1997.  A friend invited me to Olamal, a Masai women's fertility ceremony in the midst of the Loita Hills.  

I would like to share a taste of this experience with you, in the hopes that it will awaken something in your own journey into circling.

We gathered for three days under the full moon.

 As the women arrived, they were welcomed by other women, through a singing call and response exchange. They were then walked to the ritual circle, where all of the women joined together in prayer, song, breath and healing.

As the night went by, the circle grew larger, stronger and more potent.  The power of circle was revealed, as woman after woman felt moved to express herself and release in whichever way she was moved to do so.  They continued to midwife, chant, breathe and pray, as the power of the raw energies inside of them found its expression and release. 

As I witnessed the ceremony, I felt and recognized in my body a deep ancestral remembering of the experience of circling, one that I believe is held quietly at the core of each and every woman.  From the cave paintings to the fire hearth, the power of the circle has been deeply imprinted in the cellular memory of our bodies and psyche.  

I will be eternally grateful for this experience; for it reminded me of the ancestral inheritance we all carry within us and just how transformative it can be to be witnessed and supported by a community of women. 

Since that day, I have kept in my prayers all of the women across the planet who are in need of support.  May they find a sister, a brother, a sacred space to be held, seen and celebrated... Maybe even a circle!

For more information regarding women's circles, please see the schedule on this website. 

UPCOMING CIRCLES :

August 2011

IEATA-International Expressive Arts Therapy Association-

Conference in Lima, PERU

Starts January 10th

Ongoing 9 week women's circle.

This circle will include one Holotropic Breathwork session mid-series.

We are living such strong times, how are we taking care of ourselves, of our energy?  In this group we will use expressive arts, movement meditations. sitting in circle and altar creation to nourish and tend the fire within, in preparation for the Spring.