How we hold the space

How we hold the space for our circle might feel unfamiliar, so we want to point out a few of these differences. We don't have any pre-planned material to deliver in a teaching sort of way, instead we model the things we have to share. For this reason, we might seem more like fellow participants rather than like leaders.

Another difference is that we slow things way down and encourage asking for pauses. This helps us to not jump over things and makes it so we can pay attention to things we often don't pay attention to. It also allows us to take more time to notice what emerges if we don't go with habitual patterns.

Many of us have patterns that include overriding ourselves or suppressing something, often because it doesn't fit social norms. We may want something about ourselves to be different, including wishing we knew how to parent in ways that feel better. In our circle we encourage welcoming and being with what is. The invitation is for each of us to come as we are instead of how we wish we were.

As we practice acknowledging our current experience and as we find that others experience many of the same things, we can often soften a bit and drop some of our discomfort. From that softer place, it's easier to recognize what stimulates us, what triggers us, what motivates us, etc.