What’s a Heart Circle?

The Heart Circle is a community practice rooted in mindfulness and radical empathy.

What happens in a Heart Circle? Here’s a brief rundown of how it all works:

  1. The circle is formed by anyone who shows up, we go around the circle and share names, preferred pronouns, and a brief check-in.

  2. The facilitator explains the guidelines for how a heart circle works, the particular style of sharing we’ll be using (more on this below).

  3. The circle is opened and any who are willing may share.

  4. After everyone has shared to their satisfaction, the circle is closed.

Some guidelines for how to share in Heart Circle

  • Generally, we place a speaking talisman in the center of the circle–whoever picks up the talisman has the floor. Everyone else is asked to wait to speak until they are holding the talisman themselves.

  • No one has to speak in the circle.

  • In this circle we practice speaking from the heart, which means talking about your feelings in the present moment. The emphasis for sharing is on emotional authenticity over storytelling.

  • “I” statements are best–speaking from a place of your own emotional experience, avoiding assumptions about others, and refraining from blaming others.

  • We also practice listening from the heart, which means listening with presence and awareness to whomever is speaking. The mind is always prone to wander, even when we’re trying to pay attention, and so part of the practice is noticing when the mind has wandered and returning to the words of the person currently sharing.

  • Cross-talk and/or responding to another individual’s share directly is discouraged in the circle. We are not here to fix or advise, simply to listen. 

  • We ask that confidentiality be respected in the circle in order to maintain the trust needed to share from a space of heart-centered vulnerability.

  • You are welcome to leave the circle at any time, whether to take some space for yourself, to use the facilities or simply because you are not able to stay past a certain point. We simply ask that you wait for someone to finish speaking before leaving.