No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -Eleanor Roosevelt   Wisdom Circle Wisdom Circle Defined What is a Wisdom Circle? Simply stated, it is a "meeting heart to heart" experience. The sacred space of a Wisdom Circle is created by the Wisdom Constants (see below) and participants' desire to speak or listen from their heart, their willingness to be present to others, their commitment to explore their truth and honour the values that sustain their lives. Ultimately, participants leave the Circle with a greater understanding of themselves and appreciation of others. For an overview of Wisdom Circle, click here. R. Duff Doel or Stephanie Scheid offer themselves as facilitators to lead Wisdom Circles for small groups or organizations. It is an effective alternative method to resolve issues and shift communication in the work, home or social environment. Anyone interested in beginning a Wisdom Circle meeting group is welcomed to contact us for permission to use the following Wisdom Constants. Wisdom Circle Constants To help establish and maintain trust, every Wisdom Circle begins with verbalizing the "Wisdom Constants". These ten guidelines help set the tone and intent for each Wisdom Circle event. Honour the Circle as Sacred Time and Space We recognize the power of the circle to shape our experience and we embrace the values it represents. Unity. Wholeness. Reverence for Life and for every manifestation of Life. Create a Collective Centre The centre marks the centre of our present world; our experience. It gives us the power to shift our consciousness from our individual existence to the larger web of life. We begin to know ourselves as members of the group and begin to feel the group within ourselves by gathering around the flame of Wisdom. Ask to Be Informed …reminds us that we have to ask, and keep on asking from a deep place in our being, for guidance…we intend to go into our hearts and have the opportunity to grow from what others are willing to share of themselves. Express Gratitude for the Blessings and Teachings of Life Caregivers find their hearts expanded by gratitude. In circle we experience a deep sense of gratitude and the more profound our feelings of gratitude, the greater our desire to respond in the form of acknowledgment and compassion. Create a Safe Container for Full Participation and Deep Truth-Telling We reveal our authentic self when we feel safe to do so. The creation of sacred space is established when the intention to listen and speak from the heart is upheld. We speak only when holding a sacred item such as a "talking stick". Silence, in all its presence is respected and we all agree to commit to confidentiality. Listen From the Heart When we listen from the heart, we are present to serve others as compassionate witnesses. As we fully participate in being present, we find ourselves able to hear the deeper messages and we expand our capacity for unconditional love. To listen without judgement, without the need to respond, to advise or to correct another, is to honour our Selves as well as Others. Speak From the Heart and From Direct Experience In sharing truth from direct experience we find courage, strength, and wisdom that contributes to one and all. In speaking from the heart, we learn that we need not prepare what we will say in advance. Comments are spontaneous and express your inner Self. Make Room For Silence to Enter Sometimes we are more nourished by the silence than by our words. It is by the whole process, our words and the silence that reveals wisdom. Silence reveals; silence heals; silence helps us locate ourselves. Empower Each Member to Be A Co-Facilitator of the Process We remind each other of our inner truth and support each other in living our beauty. Each participant sits in circle as leader, as facilitator and as truth-bearer. We are all responsible for upholding the essence of the circle and for being empowered co-creators of the process. Commit to An Ongoing Relationship with the People in Your Circle and Take the Intentions of the Circle Into Daily Life In order to trust others with the most tender and vulnerable parts of ourselves, we need to feel that participants will hold everything we say in the strictest confidence. A wisdom circle expands its capacity to support and transform its members to the extent that it sows trust. The Circle brings to our heart the knowledge of oneness; and we experience the Divine presence that connects us all, each moment of our lives. This Wisdom Circle Constant information is based on the work of Charles Garfield, Cindy Spring and Sedonia Cahill who co-authored the book, Wisdom Circles: A Guide To Self-Discovery And Community Building In Small Groups.