A group of women – usually between four and ten – sit together, on the floor or on comfy chairs, around a central focal point, decorated with seasonal plants, candles and lanterns. The room is quiet, the light is low, and you’ll have a cup of hot, nourishing tea in your hand. There may be music playing quietly in the background, the crackle of a log fire, the smell of scented candles and the warmth of a woolly blanket over your legs. The circle starts with a grounding exercise, simple breathing to slow down and soothe our nervous system, before opening the circle with a simple talking point or question for everyone to consider and answer. We go around the circle and you can share as much or as little as you like. After this round of sharing, we top up our tea, maybe wrap ourselves in one of the soft blankets dotted around the space, and relax into a deeper meditation, giving us space to sit quietly, and reflect on what is going on with us that day/week/month and also how we’re feeling in that moment, in body, mind and soul. Then we ‘return’ to circle, and the space is open for us to share whatever we want to give voice to. We take turns, each woman can speak until she is finished, and no-one is interrupted or offered advice. We listen, we acknowledge, we say thank you and then it is someone else’s turn. As the circle comes to a close, we finish with a shortened grounding exercise, considering some of the themes that may have come up during the session, and then, in your own time, you can weave our way gently home.

Life is moving too fast. We're disconnected and we need to come back to ourselves. Circles encourage us to take regular care of ourselves, to practice the art of slowing down, to be more intentional in our thoughts and actions, to reflect and connect more deeply with the things that matter. We can all be into ‘self-care’, but it's often not a habit, because life takes over, and we’re pulled in too many directions. Circle ensures we have this vital time every week that’s just for us. It’s a reflective practice which creates good habits and a routine of time just for ourselves.

A regular routine of self-care and self-reflection. Space - in a held, safe, supported. Time- just for you, where there are no meals to cook, lists to make, school bags to pack, emails to answer. Connection - to nature, to the seasons, to yourself and other women. Reflection – a chance to explore the bigger questions in your life, to mindfully acknowledge your journey through the circling year. My circles are an invitation to women to develop a regular reflective practice where they step back, stop, slow down and create space and sanctuary for their beautiful souls. We make time for our bodies, we plan yoga, and healthy meals, and get a good night’s sleep - and we also need to make time for our minds.

Women who have been to my circles say they feel lighter, calmer, less anxious, ‘filled up’. Often, they leave with a sense of being in a warm cocoon of safety and wellbeing. It’s different for everyone – but taking the time to reflect and connect with yourself will likely leave you feeling inspired, grounded, softer. You will know that you and your story have been absolutely welcomed, and absolutely heard and you will know that your contribution that evening was valuable and vital. You may well feel a shift of perspective, what was shared may have spoken to you in a myriad of ways. You will leave knowing that you are enough. Not too much. Not too little. Just you, as you are.

Women who have started asking the bigger questions in their lives, who see the value in a weekly session of reflection and community, women who want to find a simple way to immerse themselves inspiring words, grounding, meditation and a deeper connection with nature and themselves. Circle creates a space where you can drop your nervous system into a place of calm. A space for thoughtful speaking and deep listening.

In circle, we literally sit in a circle, and you’ll find that this is an incredibly supportive and open space to be in. Often when we share, we are facing lines or rows of faces, all staring straight at us. But circle is different, it had no end, no beginning, no top, no bottom, you face one woman, and you are next to another, shoulder to shoulder with your sisters. It feels very different to talk here.

Not at all. Circle isn’t about being a beginner or an expert, you don’t need qualifications or specific skills - the only experience you need is the unique experience of your own life and your own story. It helps if you’re someone who is open to finding out more about yourself, who wants to ask some of the deeper questions and is interested in hearing the stories and experiences of other women.

Because women need safe spaces where their unique experiences as women can be held and witnessed. Men have plenty of spaces like this – women have far too few. (Men’s circles are a wonderful thing, and I hope that there will be many, many more of them as time goes on), but that’s not my bag! I hold space for women who need a space that their busy lives and societal expectations make impossible.

That's ok. Circle isn't for everyone. (Yet...!) It's ok not to feel the vibe, it's ok not to get it. You don't have to come to one. No pressure! Circle is a space to come to when you are ready to connect more deeply with yourself and your soul. And the time to come to circle, is when the idea of not going feels worse than the idea of going. So if circle feels 'icky', then it's not for you. Yet. And that's ok. At circle we say that all are welcome, and we mean it. And that means you're welcome not to come, just as much as you are welcome to come. Circles are not scary, weird places, they're beautiful, welcoming, warm and gentle spaces filled with acceptance and understanding. They are wonderful places to be. But only you know when you feel able to sit in the space, with openness.

That’s ok. Circle isn’t a social space, there aren’t cliquey groups or an ‘in’ crowd, everyone comes to circle just as they are and many of them sit in silence and quiet reflection before we start. You don’t have to make small talk or natter, you can just be.

At circle we don’t interrupt, offer advice, comment or suggestions. We listen deeply with no judgement and no criticism. We don’t drink alcohol or serve food, and we meet in a private space, often decorated with specific things such as candles, crystals, lanterns and flowers. Circle is a held space – which means it is facilitated by someone trained in holding space, and supporting the other women in that space. It is a space free from agenda, gossip and the usual group dynamics. It has a clear beginning and end, and has been thoughtfully put together each time.

Circle can certainly help create the space you need to find your way through your challenges. All topics are welcome at circle, and you are always invited at every session to share whatever you want to ‘give voice to’. You won’t be offered advice or helpful suggestions from the other women, but you will be given the space to explore whatever is in your heart and whatever might be troubling you in a judgement-free, inclusive space.

No. Lots of women think that going to circle means having to take part in the pulse-racing-hand-sweating-voice-wobbling reality of talking in public. Not so. You don’t have to share in circle. It’s ok to simply sit in silent witness to the sisters around you. Circle is a safe space - so I invite whatever feels comfortable for you. Silently witnessing the stories of other women is a beautiful way to contribute. Sometimes we all just want to be heard and your place in the circle holds that space beautifully for other women. You are welcome here, even if all you do is deeply listen. We all have a powerful, wild, wonderful voice inside us that needs to be heard. What’s stopping you is simply layer after layer of societal expectation. It takes time for some of us to break that down. And that is totally ok. That is what circle is there for. To create spaces that make it possible for you to be authentically you, at your own pace.

Ritual is a process that takes us from the hamster wheel of the day-to-day to a more intentional place. We often talk about bridging that threshold from social space to circle space. Rituals such as lighting candles, reciting our circle agreements, music, readings, poetry, meditation, and breathing are all just cues for the mind and body to help them slow down and find that authentic, thoughtful place within.

For several reasons – because I am trained in running them and in holding space, and that training took time, and money. Because my circles are professional and beautiful spaces that I take seriously and charging for them ensures they stay this way. Because each circle takes almost a day to prepare for and arrange, from the foraging and planning, to the research, further training and preparation. And finally, because it’s about intention – when we pay for something it creates a commitment in our minds that isn’t the same when something is free. I wish the world didn’t work this way, but, for now, it does. (I do offer subsidised spaces for anyone that might need them. Please just email me.)

An online circle is very similar to an in-person circle, but you are in your own home and connecting with other women via Zoom. You will be asked to mute yourself, unless you are talking, and keep your camera on so you can be as present as possible. You may be asked to bring a candle with you to light as a way to connect with each other across the ether. All the other elements of circle – sharing, meditation, music, readings – is the same.

You can find the full list of agreements here >>