The best analogy of circle that I can give is that of boiling water. Picture a large pot of boiling water on the stove. The bubbles are rolling up to the surface of the water. You can see a cloud of steam above the pot. After a while, the level of water in the pot goes down. The volume of water in the pot decreases because it’s transforming and being released as steam.

You come to circle carrying a load. You may feel heavy, tired or a mixed bag of emotions. You enter the sacred space and gently soften. You feel heard, seen and valued just as you are. You receive the medicine you need from circle and contribute your unique ingredients to the whole experience. You let all the shit go without judgments or expectations. You leave the circle feeling different. Feeling lighter.

I follow a similar structure during every circle:

• Opening Ritual – stitch our circle together and ground into presence.
• Agreements – create a safe space and keep everyone in integrity.
• Storytelling – each circle has a different topic that we explore.
• Beaming – celebrate and honour each other’s share without offering advice.
• Sharing – to hear, learn and develop intimacy with one another.
• Movement – drop into your body and integrate the lessons.
• Closing Ritual – unify the group and anchor in our intentions.

At the beginning of every circle, we create a set of agreements that are foundational to our experience together. They create a bond and a shared structure of how we relate to one another in this space.

There are 5 foundational agreements. The first one is that what we share is held in confidentiality. The second one is that we speak and listen from the heart- allowing the feelings and words to come from within instead of your mind. The third one is that we are spontaneous. The fourth is that we speak leanly by honouring the timer and wrapping up our thoughts. And last but not least, we don’t interrupt, fix or try to help others unless asked. This gives everyone the freedom to express and feel seen, heard and valued as they are in that moment.

You will not be interrupted when you speak. During every share, everyone is given an equal amount of time to talk. I have a timer and will say how much time each person has before beginning. When the timer runs out, whoever is speaking will be asked to wrap up. This creates another layer of safety for the group.

The community circles are open to the public and are drop-in style. It’s recommended that you purchase a ticket in advance to ensure that you have a spot. This is also so that I can ensure that you have any materials needed for the rituals.

I intentionally create a sacred space for everyone that commits to being there. Once you commit to coming to circle, the magic begins long before you arrive.

No, it is not. You do not have to share if you do not want to. Listen to your inner guidance; listen to your intuition. You’re welcome to share as much as you want to. You don’t have to go deep. Others may need to go deep because of where they’re at.

Speaking your truth about what you’re currently going through helps to release the energy that may keep you stuck. The answer can be hard to find because that energy is swirling inside your body. When you speak out those the things that are bothering you, it releases that energy and your solutions will come to you more easily.

It’s not compulsory to share, but you may miss out on the beauty of circle. Circle shifts you out of the shit.

I worked in environmental sciences for over 15 years. I planted trees or checked the quality of planted trees for 7 years. Taking care of our planet continues to be a super high value of mine. I give back to TreeSisters by donating a portion of my profits to them every month. TreeSisters is a non-profit organization that consciously raises awareness to stop mass deforestation through nature-based feminine leadership. TreeSisters have planted over 26 million trees and are still going strong.

Trees give us oxygen without asking anything from us. For that, I’m forever grateful.