Small Group Facilitator’s Session Plans
Questions for 12/14 Small groups
What did you learn through the process of speaking aloud and guiding another?
What insights did you gain from the five day retreat?
As your proficiency is developing, please share with your group members the deeper aspects of the path that have become illuminated to you. Help us understand how the material is becoming more alive?
How has this yearlong experience helped you to grow?
Is there anything else you would like to share with your small group?
December 14, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Questions for 11/9 Small groups
As we bear witness to the suffering of innocent men, women, and children in the world, what dimensions of the teachings are supporting your ability to stay present, make meaning, and digest the collective trauma? List a few from different stages of the path.
We live on a polarity planet and are continually working with duality. How do the polarities of the conflicts played out on the world stage live in inside of us? How do we hold the energy of both outrage and compassion? Discernment and openness of mind? Please name your specific polarities.
What do you need to do to stay more calm and more present? How could you sharpening your blade of metacognition more? How could you improve your “self” coaching and allow yourself to utilize the teachings presented this year in a deeper way?
November 9th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Questions for 10/25 Small groups
Psychosocial:
Reflecting on your early childhood development, specifically Erik Erikson’s following stages (presented this summer.) What in your early childhood unfolding came into conflict with your unencumbered sense of joy?
Trust vs. Mistrust (Trusting Joy vs Mistrusting Joy)
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Autonomously expressing Joy vs feeling Shame or Doubt expressing Joy
Initiative vs. Guilt (Taking the Initiative to create Joyful experiences vs the Guilt around Joy)
Industry vs. Inferiority (Experiencing the Joy of your Industry (organizing self) vs a sense of judgement and Inferiority in following your Joy)
2. How does mistrust, shame/doubt, guilt, or inferiority hinder your expression of ideas, creative projects, feelings, movement and activities?
3. How can becoming more mindful of these hindering dynamics lend itself to experiencing more joy in your life?
Somatic:
4. Where do you find the armoring against joy in your body?
5. Alternatively, where do you most easily find the source of vital joy in your body?
Perspectives:
6. How do you look at life through the lens of joy? Give examples.
October 25th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Questions for 10/12 Small groups
On this path we are drawing on different sources of motivational energy: the heart connection to the sangha circle, the desire to stay, the deepening interest/curiosity. What are you learning about what keeps you motivated and in peak performance mode, How could you be even more intentional about practicing these principles?
The essence of the Path of Metacognition is in learning to apply full directed and sustained interest, clear subtle dullness by balancing introspective metacognition and then easing up into an automatic flow. How would you articulate where you are in this process and what creative approaches are you taking to master the step you are on.
Where in your life do you need to apply more interest to stay on task and undistracted, and where might easing up allow you a greater degree of staying calm? How would making this shift change you and your life?
At this time of increasing conflict in the world how to you stay open and awake to our common humanity whilst discerning the complexity of our collective karma and the tendency to objectify the other?
October 12th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with Michael McSwain.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Questions for 9/28 Small groups
How has your meditation practice been since the weekend? How have the metacognitive exercises influenced your staying practice?
Are the new exercises filtering into your everyday life? How?
What would your life be like if you had a greater balance between the attentional system and the lucidity of your metacognition?
How are the Heart directions unfolding? What is your Heart teaching you?
September 28th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Questions for 9/14 Small groups
Soul Check-in: As a mindfulness exercise, speaking from your deepest aspect of self, what would you like to share with the group that is meaningful, and is related to your growth, insight, or what you are discovering about yourself and your life’s journey?
During the summer we learned how Integral Tools help us to understand human development and our unique and organic unfolding. These tools are meant to support our ability to mold and shape our practice in such a way that sustains interest and enhances our growth edge. How have the Integral Tools helped you to understand yourself and the world around you?
Looking ahead: What are your learning goals for this fall semester?
September 14th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
At the heart of the Nine Stages is learning about learning. We are going back to school and consciously learning about the very fundamental dimensions of our heartminds.
As best you can when appropriate try to use the technical language we are developing together. This allows us to refine our collective intelligence and will deepen our collective understanding.
We will place a list of terms in the chat for you to draw upon.
Terms:
Motivation, Clarity of Awareness, Loving Awareness, the Community Circle, Directing the Attention, the Receptive Safety of the Ground, Attunement, Intensifying Interest, the Dimensions of the Heart (Depth, Height, Drive, Embrace, Receptivity, Calm, Courage), and Hindrances/Antidotes (Laziness/Exhaustion: Directed Attention, Doubt: Sustained Attention, Aversion: Joy, Agitation: Contented Happiness, Desire: Equanimity)
What have you learned about yourself as a learner?
How are you learning to learn to stay with your experience?
How is your metacognition developing? In terms of knowing when to rest in the ground, when to lovingly attune to the field, when to increase the ferocity of attention, when to brighten awareness….
How is your understanding of the path developing?
How well are you intuiting the teacher’s answers? How is your own intuition beginning to flower in relationship to this material?
If you were to offer to this group the pith of the wisdom you have cultivated thus far what would it be? Just a few words to guide us!
May 11th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Over the last weekend we explored the dimensions of our heart’s field. To stay on our paths we need to stay mindful. The path of mindfulness means learning not to forget what’s closest to our hearts. Our heart is a symbol for our personal journey, but also our journey in relationship with others, and our journey as a collective.
1.To stay on the path we strengthen our mindfulness of our heart’s height , our ability to see above the personality, above just the day to day cycle, and to stay connected to our highest ideals and vision for what is possible in our lives.
Let’s take a moment and reflect upon our ability to maintain our internal heights. During our day how are we doing staying connected to our higher vision? Give yourself a grade 1 to 10 on how this is going. We are not going to share our number but it will give us a personal marker.
Imagine how your life would change if you were to raise the bar by one grade. We are bringing one more grade of elevation to our lives. What are you doing differently?
Let’s share and explore together how we might feel and act differently.
2. To stay on the path we strengthen our mindfulness of our heart’s embrace, our ability to feel the connection to other souls, the extended sangha, the field of interbeing and our relations with the living world.
Let’s take a moment and reflect upon our ability to maintain our heart’s embrace of the world. During our day how are we doing staying connected this embrace? Give yourself a grade 1 to 10 on how this is going. Again, we are not going to share our number but it will give us a personal marker.
Imagine how your life would change if you were to raise the bar by one grade. We are bringing one more grade of embrace to our lives. What are you doing differently?
Let’s share and explore how we might feel and act differently.
3.To stay on the path we strengthen our mindfulness of our heart’s backward dimension, our ability experience peace, calm and contentment.
Let’s take a moment and reflect upon our ability to maintain our heart’s sense of peace. During our day how are we doing staying connected to this sense of peace? Give yourself a grade 1 to 10.
Imagine how your life would change if you were to raise the bar by one grade. We are bringing one more grade of peace. What are you doing differently?
Let’s share and explore how we might feel and act differently.
4. To stay on the path we strengthen our mindfulness of our heart’s depth, our ability to embody the depth of our personal feeling and feel the depths of our shared common humanity.
Let’s take a moment and reflect upon our ability to maintain our heart’s depth. During our day how are we doing staying connected to this sense of depth? Give yourself a grade 1 to 10.
Imagine how your life would change if you were to raise the bar by one grade. We are bringing one more grade of depth. What are you doing differently?
Let’s share and explore how we might feel and act differently.
5. To stay on the path we strengthen our mindfulness of our heart’s courage, our ability move forward day by day making the decisions to bring our lives and the lives of others towards a world of deeper beauty, goodness and truth.
Let’s take a moment and reflect upon our ability to maintain our heart’s courage. During our day how are we doing staying connected to this forward moving courage? Give yourself a grade 1 to 10.
Imagine how your life would change if you were to raise the bar by one grade. We are bringing one more grade of courageous forward movement. What are you doing differently?
Let’s share and explore how we might feel and act differently.
If you have time:
Which two directions need the greatest attention at this time in your life?
April 27th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
The Nine Stages of Maitreya are also characterized as “Calm Staying Practice”. We have worked to reduce insecurity with trust, have brought organization to the nervous system through attunement, and committed ourselves through following the unfolding of our experience.
As a result of this practice, what is your experience of “calm” on the cushion and in your life?
What is your experience of “staying” on the cushion and in your life?
What do you notice about how your practice unfolds when you bring a strong, valued, and efficacious sense of self to the cushion?
When you objectively review the quality of your practice on and off the cushion, what ingredient could you consciously add to this week's practice to deepen your calm/staying? Consider the Hindrances and Antidotes.
April 13th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the following questions below for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Small Group Practice: 60 Minutes
Today’s Circle Practice:
Peer Circle Check-in
Group reflection on Self, Love’s Power, and Reversing the Wheel
60 minutes in total
Trust your intuition
Relax, rest into the ground of being, cultivate light heartedness
If you finish early then please join the main group
Peer Circle Check-in
What are you bringing into our circle today? (Attuning to Oneself, Naming & Being Witnessed by the cohort). 1 -2 minutes per person.
This mindful check-in can be done in a circle - 1 person at a time.
Main Exercise
To gain insight into our hindrances and their antidotes,
This exercise can be a pop-corn style conversation.
Paraphrase and mirror back to the group what you’re hearing as a facilitator.
Make connections between what different members of the cohort are recognizing.
Name the meaning-making that is emerging within the group space.
Facilitators, take notes so you can share back with the larger group.
If you are asked questions specifically about meditation practice, answer to the best of your ability, if you are satisfied with your answer - great. If you are unsure, take note of the question and submit to Rollie to pass along to John.
Have fun!
FRAME/FLOW
Structure: Rounds of “popcorn” sharing; split each round evenly 15-20 mins
Round 1: Become Someone Before You Become No-One
The 3 aspects of self are powerful—self definition, self esteem, self efficacy. Which one are you noticing is really lightning you up and which one do you see may need attention in order to experience a more whole self?
Round 2: Protecting Presence
What have you noticed about protecting your presence (on and off the cushion)? What have you had to say no to in order to have one big Yes, to presence?
Round 3: Distraction as the Way
When we are practicing deeply, stuff will come up. How has it been to relate to whatever is arising—distraction, dukkha, difficult sensations or feelings, etc.—as a moment to release back into the ground?
Whole Group Practice: 15 Minutes (+10 minutes for SGF)
Small Group Facilitator Shared Reflection 10 minutes
Closing Meditation 5 minutes
March 23rd, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John/Rollie
Small Groups gather to discuss the Self, Love’s Power, and Reversing the Wheel for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Small Group Practice: 60 Minutes
Today’s Circle Practice:
Peer Circle Check-in
Group reflection on the Hindrances & Antidotes
60 minutes in total
Trust your intuition
Relax, rest into the ground of being, cultivate light heartedness
If you finish early then please join the main group
Peer Circle Check-in
What are you bringing into our circle today? (Attuning to Oneself, Naming & Being Witnessed by the cohort). 1 -2 minutes per person.
This mindful check-in can be done in a circle - 1 person at a time.
Main Exercise
To gain insight into our hindrances and their antidotes,
This exercise can be a pop-corn style conversation.
Paraphrase and mirror back to the group what you’re hearing as a facilitator.
Make connections between what different members of the cohort are recognizing.
Name the meaning-making that is emerging within the group space.
Facilitators, take notes so you can share back with the larger group.
If you are asked questions specifically about meditation practice, answer to the best of your ability, if you are satisfied with your answer - great. If you are unsure, take note of the question and submit to Rollie to pass along to John.
Have fun!
FRAME/FLOW
Structure: Rounds of “popcorn” sharing
Split each round evenly 15-20 mins
Round 1: Identify Hindrances
What’s the hindrance that is most showing up for you in your practice and in life in general?
Laziness/Lethargy & Busyness/Exhaustion, Doubt, Aversion, Agitation, Desire
Where can you see you would use antidotes?
Directed Attention. Sustained Attention, Meditative Joy, Happiness/Contentment, Unification/Equanimity
(Facilitator can prompt: How so? What does it feel like? How do you sense it?)
Round 2: Sneaky Hindrance
We often find that one of the hindrances is obvious. But as often, there is one that is absolutely NOT obvious which is an even BIGGER obstacle. It’s hiding in the “shadows”. Was there a hindrance you heard someone speak to (in the first round) that you quickly dismissed as “not a problem” or that became apparent to you from listening to others in the first round? What do you see when you bring it into your heart and consider more closely?
(Facilitator can note the connections and relationships between them)
Round 3: Weeeee
How are we starting to get a sense that your hindrance is my hindrance?
What’s it like now to see that this is part of the process and that there is a solution?
What’s it like as we are listening to each other? Realizing these solutions together?
What’s it like seeing that these hindrances are part of the process? (depathologizes)
(Facilitator can note that our practices and solutions are each others’. All boats rise.)
Whole Group Practice: 15 Minutes (+10 minutes for SGF)
Small Group Facilitator Shared Reflection 10 minutes
Closing Meditation 5 minutes
March 9th, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John/Rollie
Small Groups gather to discuss the Five Hindrances & Antidotes for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
Small Group Practice: 60 Minutes
Today’s Circle Practice:
Peer Circle Check-in
Group reflection on the motivational practice of the Four Reflections
60 minutes in total
Trust your intuition
Relax, rest into the ground of being, cultivate light heartedness
If you finish early then please join the main group
Peer Circle Check-in
What are you bringing into our circle today? (Attuning to Oneself, Naming & Being Witnessed by the cohort). 1 -2 minutes per person.
This mindful check-in can be done in a circle - 1 person at a time.
Main Exercise
To cultivate and develop dharmic motivation, we are asked to work with the Four Reflections:
Karmic Law (Cause and Effect)
The Suffering of Individual & Collective Traumatic Existence
Our Precious Human Birth
Death & Impermanence
Together we are going to collectively explore these four impactful reflections and help each other internalize these truths.
This exercise can be a pop-corn style conversation.
Paraphrase and mirror back to the group what you’re hearing as a facilitator.
Make connections between what different members of the cohort are recognizing.
Name the meaning-making that is emerging within the group space.
Facilitators, take notes so you can share back with the larger group.
If you are asked questions specifically about meditation practice, answer to the best of your ability, if you are satisfied with your answer - great. If you are unsure, take note of the question and submit to Rollie to pass along to John.
Have fun!
1. How do we avoid recognizing the truth of cause and effect?
How do we envision our behavior, speech, relationships, and thoughts will change as this realization settles deep in our hearts?
How does our motivation change as we recognize the power of cause and effect?
2. How do we avoid recognizing the reality of individual and collective traumatic conditioning?
How do we envision our behavior, speech, relationships, and thoughts will change as this realization settles deep in our hearts?
How does our motivation change as we recognize the reality of our individual and collective trauma?
3. How we avoid recognizing how precious our life is?
How do we envision our behavior, speech, relationships, and thoughts will change as this realization settles deep in our hearts?
How does our motivation change as we recognize the reality of our precious human birth?
4. How do we avoid recognizing the truth of our death and the impermanence of everything around us?
How do we envision our behavior, speech, relationships, and thoughts will change as this realization settles deep in our hearts?
How does our motivation change as we recognize the reality of our mortality and the impermanence of life.
5. Finally, what are we learning about how important the role of motivation is on the path?
February 23, 2023
The evening begins with a 30 minute Large Group meditation and a short review with John.
Small Groups gather to discuss the Four Reflections for approximately 60 minutes.
The evening concludes with a 30 minute Large Group sharing circle and a closing meditation.
February 9th, 2023
Relating in the Circle
To design a heart centered approach to developing the Metaware/Para-Mind/Buddhic Collective Communication
Goals
Deepening Grounded Loving Awareness
Deep Trust
Develop a space for sharing and support on the journey
Supporting Structural development to 6.5
Awakening the Karuna Transmission of Energy (vehicle)
Practice Right Relationship
Container to support the development of the practice
Learning the language, structures, technology and practice of developmental communication
Large Group Practice: 20 Minutes
5 min: Review with Large Group:
Outline the role of the Peer Group
Present the function of Karuna Communing (Contemplative State Training and Developmental)
Communication, Community, Communion A Union works effectively when there is unity among its members, who strive for the purpose in unison".
We need each other
Basic Listening and Stillness and Movement
Speech Practice: Naming practice
Inner and outer
15 min: Cohering Open Ground Awareness: Trust, Safety, Security, Consistency
5 min: Faith’s Hymn: Humming Practice
Peer Groups
60 minutes in total.
Feel free to trust your intuition
Relax, rest into the ground of being, stay light hearted
If you finish early then please join the main group.
Small Group Practice: 60 Minutes
Exercise 1. “What is Arising?” Direct Experience Pointing Out Circle
20 minutes
7 people in group: 3minutes
6 people in group: 3 minutes 30 sec
5 people in group: 4 minutes
4 people in group: 4 minutes 30 sec
Group Facilitators introduce yourselves and welcome the participants.
Let’s just begin by taking a bow to the circle and then introduce ourselves by offering our names and locations to the circle. As we share our names, we feel the presence of each of us here together. Let’s welcome each other’
Good Evening,. I’m Steven, I’m in Boulder, Colorado
Work out an order of sharing that you can follow each time. Alphabetical etc.
“We are going to begin, just continuing the contemplative space we have been in together, and we will then shift to a reflective space, and end together in personal space.”
‘We are going to engage in an interpersonal contemplative practice.’ One of us will be sharing and the rest of the circle are going to practice deep listening, creating a safe, trusting environment through our caring attention to each other.
Staying in the contemplative space, one of us will share from that space of direct experience, presence and openness, what’s arising in experience while the rest of the circle listens deeply, rests into grounded loving awareness, and receives our friend.
** We are practicing being generous with our direct experience. Communicating what’s arising in the present . Remember there is no right or wrong way, our practice is to share our direct experience whether its openness or contraction, loving kindness or anxiety. We are practicing opening and verbalizing our experience to others who are here to listen and support.
**By authentically sharing our experience this also allows our ‘We’ to become more self aware and helps deepen our collective experience.
These are helpful skill to develop so that we can guide others through sharing the unfolding of our experience.
I am going to go first.
As the sharer please feel free to also rest in silence and spaciousness, that’s also a form of communication along with your speech.
At the end of the circle we will finish by sitting together for a few minutes eyes closed, Hands on Heart, and just process the sharing.
Today I will invite each of you in turn, and thank-you when your time is up.
“Thank-you, Steven”.
“Andrea, please share what’s arising for you”.
Finish by Sitting Together for 3 minutes Hands on the Heart
“I’ll begin … “
As the facilitator feel free to deepen the 3 minutes Hands on the Heart with sharing from your direct experience. Deepen into the Ground, Relax into Receptivity, Intimate Heart etc.
Exercise 2. Reflections on Previous Exercise:
(5 minutes unless super juicy)
The next circle sharing is a unstructured reflection for 5 minutes on the exercise we just did.
“What did we notice about how field of experience changed as we shared with each other?”
If other questions come up for you as a facilitator keep offering them to the group. Questions allow for movement
Exercise 3: Let’s meet our circle now. Getting to Know You!
30 Minute
The spirit of this next circle is for us to explore together the unfolding dynamics of the path. It has been understood in the perennial traditions that sharing in community, revealing our process and our growth edge whilst being supported by others in presence catalyzes our ability to take the next steps necessary. We are actively empowering each other in transformation
We have been emphasizing working with the stability of Ground, of the Mother herself, for the last month. What have we noticed about doing this practice?
Have you found yourself spontaneously orienting towards the Mother during the day?
What helps?
By deepening Trust and the sense of Faith it often reveals what has been obscuring our ability to rest deeper into trusting our lives? Can you please share where you notice ‘the grab’.
The path begins with a monastic. As we begin our journey this year what do we need to let go of?
What habits of mind can we already see getting in the way?
What emotional tendencies?
What behaviors can we release?
What would be low hanging fruit for us, to help us bring a great degree of presence and heart to our lives and relationships?
What else is coming up for you in relationship to the training?
Let us complete this time together by taking a bow to the circle
Let’s sit together.
(If comfortable and it feels right you can invite a student/s to share their direct experience of meditation together).
We can join the large group now. Thank-you
Whole Group Practice: 15 Minutes (+10 minutes for SGF)
Small Group Facilitator Shared Reflection 10 minutes
Closing Meditation 5 minutes
Small Group Facilitators Meet for 10 Minutes after Class
Relating in the Circle
To design a heart centered approach to developing the Metaware/Para-Mind/Buddhic Collective Communication
Goals
Deepening Grounded Loving Awareness
Supporting Structural development to 6.5
Awakening the Karuna Transmission of Energy (vehicle)
Practice Right Relationship
Learning the language, structures, technology and practice of developmental communication
Large Group Practice: 30 Minutes
10 min: Review with Large Group:
Outline the role of the Peer Group
Present the function of Karuna Communing (Contemplative State Training and Developmental)
Communication, Community, Communion A Union works effectively when there is unity among its members, who strive for the purpose in unison".
We need each other
Basic Listening and Stillness and Movement
Speech Practice: Naming practice
Inner and outer
15 min: Cohering Open Ground Awareness: Trust, Safety, Security, Consistency
5 min: Faith’s Hymn: Humming Practice
Peer Groups
40 minutes in total.
Feel free to trust your intuition
Relax, rest into the ground of being, stay light hearted
If you finish early then please join the main group.
Small Group Practice: 40 Minutes
Exercise 1. “What is Arising?” Direct Experience Pointing Out Circle
16-18 minutes
6 people in group: 60 seconds 1 round= 360 seconds *3= 1080 seconds
5 people in group: 70 seconds 1 round= 350 seconds *3= 1050 seconds
4 people in group: 80 seconds 1 round= 320 seconds *3= 960 seconds
Group Facilitators introduce yourselves and welcome the participants.
“Welcome. My name is ______”.
Let’s just begin by taking a bow to the circle
This is our circle for the year. Please feel at home. This is a circle for us to walk each other home….’
‘Let’s first introduce ourselves by offering our names and locations to the circle. As we share our names, we feel the presence of each of us here together. Let’s welcome each other’
Good Evening, again. I’m Steven, I’m in Boulder, Colorado
“We are going to begin, just continuing the contemplative space we have been in together, and we will then shift to a reflective space, and end together in personal space.”
‘We are going to engage in an interpersonal contemplative practice.’ One of us will be sharing and the rest of the circle are going to practice deep listening, creating a safe, trusting environment through our caring attention to each other.
Staying in the contemplative space, one of us will share from that space of direct experience, presence and openness, what’s arising in experience while the rest of the circle listens deeply, rests into grounded loving awareness, and receives our friend.
There is no right or wrong way, our practice is to share our direct experience whether its openness or contraction, loving kindness or anxiety. We are just practicing opening and verbalizing our experience to others who are here to listen and support.
I am going to go first.
We will do 3 rounds of 60/70 seconds per person. We are going to move at the speed of trust, while holding the Adi Mudra - Baby Mudra (thumbs closed inside the fingers in a fist), we will share our direct experience of the present moment.
As the sharer please feel free to also rest in silence and spaciousness, that’s also a form of communication along with your speech.
At the end of the circle we will finish by sitting together for 3 minutes eyes closed, Hands on Heart, and just process the sharing.
Today I will invite each of you in turn, and thank-you when your time is up.
I will set a timer for one minute each.
1 minute to speak from their direct experience:
“Thank-you, Steven”.
“Andrea, please share what’s arising for you”.
3 rounds Finish by Sitting Together for 3 minutes Hands on the Heart
“I’ll begin … “
As the facilitator feel free to deepen the 3 minutes Hands on the Heart with sharing from your direct experience. Deepen into the Ground, Relax into Receptivity, Intimate Heart etc.
Exercise 2. Reflections on Previous Exercise: (5 minutes unless super juicy)
The next circle sharing is a unstructured reflection for 5 minutes on the exercise we just did
What was it like to share?
What was it like to receive?
If other questions come up for you as a facilitator keep offering them to the group. Questions allow for movement
Exercise 3: Let’s meet our circle now. Getting to Know You!
2 minutes per person
8-12 minutes
The spirit of this next circle sharing is for us to begin to get to know each other.
Where do you find yourself? Where are you on your life journey?
This is 2 minute sharing for each of us. I’ll begin, and when I have finished I will invite one of you to share.
Those of us who are receiving,we will keep resting into the ground and listening as loving awareness.
Thank-you for sharing with the circle. We are each coming from different directions in life, on different journeys but here we are together to share in our common humanity.
(Feel free to express it in your way)
Let us complete this time together by taking a bow to the circle
We can join the large group now. Thank-you
Whole Group Practice: 15 Minutes (+15 minutes for SGF)
Small Group Facilitator Shared Reflection 10 minutes
Closing Meditation 5 minutes
Small Group Facilitators Meet for 15 Minutes after Class