Listening Circles

• We envision circles as safe community spaces, co-created by all people present. We see these circles embedded in the larger fabric of life on Earth, honoring both human and non-human elements. We see listening circles as part of the wide constellation of human circles that exist across boundaries of culture and function (such as healing circles, restorative circles, sociocracy circles, grief circles, tribal circles, and so on...)
   

• We are using practices that are a combination of grounding, slowing down, pausing, and ‘settling our nervous systems’ to practice embodied ‘resonant’ empathy, or deep listening.
   

• We practice in rounds where one person is an ‘active listener’ and reflects back what they are hearing to the person sharing. We aspire to be attentive, sensitive, attuned, and caring towards the person sharing.
   

• As an active listener, we typically respond briefly with curiosity, framing our reflection with questions, such as how our reflection lands, or if the sharer would like any particular support. We leave space for the sharer to respond, clarify, or ask for a pause. Making our reflections open-ended and framed with questions and curiosity creates safety and helps us to not impose our view onto the person we are listening to. We allow the sharer to direct the sharing and listening process and to close the round.
   

• As an active listener, we begin with the intention to support and hold space for the person sharing with the aim of understanding. We typically refrain from offering feedback, guidance, or personal experience, especially at first. Once there is a sense of understanding and connection, and with the consent of the person sharing, we sometimes offer support in the form of feedback, guidance, or personal experience.
   

• We use a framework derived from Nonviolent Communication to structure our practice, to name what we hear, what feelings we recognize, and what universal human needs we perceive.
   

• As part of safety, our spaces are always confidential. We ask that all participants in a circle always ask for consent before referring to another participant’s sharing outside of the active listening round, and outside of the circle setting. 
   

• We commit to being respectful of our differences and also to be aware of socialized positions of power or privilege. We can actively work to dismantle systems of oppression by sharing power and mitigating socially conditioned hierarchies. We want to help each other to be aware of elements such as past trauma, or social conditioning through race, gender, class, age, health, ability, or other conditions that may impact members of the circle.  
   

• Each circle will have a guide (or guides) who will take the responsibility of holding space for the circle, guiding and facilitating the circle in practice (including helping people learn the practice), honoring and welcoming all present, ensuring the safety and integrity of the circle, and helping the circle to decide together if any decisions need to be made.
   

• While everyone is welcome to attend a circle, participation is conditioned on following the spirit and intention of guidelines and practices listed here.
   

• We encourage ourselves to explore our vulnerability while also setting our own healthy boundaries: to know what is appropriate for us to share and not to share.
   

• We honor each other’s autonomy and agency and ask each other for the support we need. We wish to create a space where there is no pressure to do any part of the practice. We choose when and how we share and listen.
   

• We recognize our space as a ‘learning space’ where mistakes are allowed. If hurt does happen in our circle, we aspire to acknowledge it and to begin a process of repair based on our listening, reflecting, and supporting practice.
   

Please contact us if you'd like more information, our to go deeper into the details of our practice!