Revision of Circle from April 12, 2008 - 17:19

The Circle, or council, is an ancient form of meeting that has gathered human beings into respectful conversations for thousands of years. In some areas of the world this tradition remains intact, but in some societies it has been nearly forgotten. PeerSpirit circling is a modern methodology that calls on this tradition and helps people gather in conversations that fulfil their potential for dialogue, replenishment, and wisdom-based change.

www.peerspirit.com


Principles of Circle:
o Rotate leadership
o Take responsibility
o Have a higher purpose that you gather around


Practices of Circle:
o Speak with Intention: Noting what has relevance to the conversation in the moment
o Listen with Attention: Respectful of the learning process of all members of the group
o Tend to the Well-being of the Group: Remaining aware of the impact of our contributions


Four Agreements of Circle:
o Listen without judgment (slow down and listen)
o Whatever is said in circle stays in circle
o Offer what you can and ask for what you need
o Silence is also part of the conversation

General Flow of the Circle
o Intention
o Welcome/Start-point
o Center and Check-In/Greeting
o Agreements
o Three Principles and Three Practices
o Guardian of the Process
o Check-Out and Farewell
o Tend to the Well-being of the Group: Remaining aware of the impact of our contributions

Intention shapes the circle and determines who will come, how long the circle will meet, and what kinds of outcomes are to be expected. Additionally, the center of a circle usually holds objects that represent the intention of the circle.