My energy circle group
December 16, 2009 – 1:24 pmI used to eclectically gather people for healing circles, for that’s what they were at the time. People would show up, share with us what hurt and what attention they needed, and then the group would gather around them and fill them with healing energy. These sessions became wonderful puppy piles of love, but the numbers grew to the point where they required large amounts of time, whole afternoons or evenings, so that everyone got to receive. After awhile, though, I began wanting to shift the focus away from these as ‘healing’ sessions. My own understanding of healing was changing, and I began to see that ‘healing circle’ reinforced the concept that something about them was ‘wrong’ and needed ‘fixed’ – that we need others to heal us.
I have come to understand that true healing is a paradox: that on the one hand, healing comes from within us and we can only heal ourselves – and yet, in order for this to happen we must open ourselves to life source, surrender to energies profoundly deeper than our own yet which are inextricably part of us. As a ‘healer’ (a term I am not comfortable with), I cannot know how to heal anyone. Yet I can guide them to tap into their own inner healer, and reconnect with their own light. In effect, I work with each person’s higher self, or soul, supporting them to more fully embody this brilliance. Supporting people in this way helps them re-empower themselves. It also tends to allow them greater comfort and expanded ability to handle higher levels of energy. In relation to my last post, it also feels like I’m helping others get ready for an energetic shift that may be coming. In this light, this exercise in looking outside of oneself for healing no longer made sense to me.
I stopped gathering such groups for awhile, and pondered what the next adaptation would be. What came to me was a refocus toward creating energy circles, with the intention of creating a safe space to support each other in what I view as our main task: Connecting to our higher selves, and raising each of our vibrations to higher frequencies, and allowing waves of positive energy to cascade out into the world (because, quite frankly, we are always connected to it all, whether we know it or not).
This energy circle process looks like this: half the group sits in chairs in an inward-facing circle, with the other half standing 1:1 just behind them. I lead a brief guided meditation, suggesting that those seated release to the earth or the universe what no longer serves them, opening themselves to their highest good. All they need to do is receive. Those standing behind gently place their hands on the seated people’s shoulders or heads, or do not necessarily even touch them at all. They are just to be energy conduits; there is no need for them to communicate or be intuitive or even to use their own energy - just to simply allow the earth’s energy to come up through their legs and into their hearts, and let universal energy come down through their heads into their hearts, then allowing these blended energies to flow from their hearts and out their hands to the person seated in front of them. After ~5 minutes, I ask the outer circle to lovingly step away and move to the next person to their right. This continues until each person in the outer circle has connected to every seated person. Then we switch the circles, so that every person gets to give and to receive. You can imagine the beautiful necklace of love and light this creates, and it flows in all directions. The beauty of this process is that as you give, you also receive.
This circle process certainly may support someone with a physical or emotional issue, but it’s organic: it’s a byproduct of the process, and not the primary focus. I find this practice to be very clean and very powerful. It also reinforces that we don’t have to do the path alone. We each may be at different points along the path, but this experience of unconditional love and universal oneness applies to all. And it is a great way to experience these profoundly healing energies.
We gather once a month, varying the days/times to allow everyone a chance to come when they can. There is no requirement to attend all gatherings. After the circle process is done, some members may ask for some focused individual time from the group, and those who are available to do so may choose to participate. Those who choose to leave are free to go.
In addition to coming together in monthly circles, we have also initiated an email system to circulate member-specific energy requests for light as needed. This allows us to continue to send each other energy, and reaffirms the community we are building together: You may be the one you have been waiting for, but you are not alone.
If this appeals to you, consider creating one of these circles yourself. Love and light!
