Circling
Practising mindful relating, bringing life into our togetherness, (un)learning ways to inhabit the world.
What is Circling?
Circling is a relational mindfulness practise. It includes exercises to develop mindfulness skills.
(That’s a bit like practising scales on a piano.)
Sometimes Circling is more free-form. Everyone improvises with the skills and interests they’ve got.
(That’s a bit like musicians "jamming"… if the instruments were your ways of being and connecting with other people.)
It’s a chance to be present for yourself just as you are, while being with other people. It’s an invitation to explore what feels most important, good or interesting to you. It’s a practise of noticing how you matter to others, and how they matter to you.
("Okay... but what actually IS it?", I hear you say. Great question! Come and try it and let's find out.)
What is the intention of Circling?
We’re complete just as we are, and just existing is all we need to do. Circling is a great place to practise resting, just being, and letting go of goal-oriented striving. And, as humans, we’re developing new skills, perspectives, habits and ways of being all the time (without even trying). Both these intentions are welcome in Circling.
My Circling events include simple exercises to train the micro-skills of Circling (e.g. mindfulness of the body, speaking from immediacy, owning our experience, enquiring into our perspectives). We try out new ways of inhabiting the world, and gently explore where our personal edges of growth might be. We might do some free-form "jamming" (aka flow circling or surrendered leadership). Consent is a vital principle of all my work, and everything is optional.
Why do people Circle?
Here are a few reasons (yours might be different):
- Learn how to listen deeply to others.
- Strengthen communication skills.
- Experiment with new types of self-expression.
- Broaden your capacity to see and meet other people deeply.
- Cultivate integrity.
- Discover parts of yourself that you didn’t know were there.
- Learn to honour your needs and boundaries.
- Explore group field dynamics.
- Practise making new choices in tricky places and conflicts.
- Ground your meditation or mindfulness practice.
- Enquire into your habits, assumptions or conditioning.
- Enjoy yourself.
Where does this idea come from?
Circling was first developed by Guy Sengstock and others around 1998. It has evolved in several ways with different groups since then, and some of these are now the ICF. The practice is young and fast-changing, and each facilitator has a unique style.
I have been circling since 2019 and graduated the SAS Circling leadership training run by Circling Europe. I am also influenced by the work of The Relateful Company. I am grateful to be part of the co-creative Circling ecosystem in the UK - find info about related events here. For more about the influences on my Circling practice, see About Me.
