Reflecting on the best way to describe a Women’s Wellness Circle, I realized that the majority of the most accurate and powerful words begin with the letter ‘C.’
If you’ve attended a Women’s Wellness Circle or another kind of circle gathering, I’m sure you’ll resonate with the following C-word descriptions:
Community – Humans are social beings; we crave connection with others. Not only does our safety depend on it, our happy brain chemical ‘Oxytocin’ is activated when we sense we can trust another and when we find safety and belonging in a group. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, we immediately feel a sense of community spirit that we are all part of.
Connection – Modern day busy life can feel disconnected and many people report living in ‘silos’. Family members residing under the same roof are frequently on their own tech devices vs. spending quality time together. We crave a network that we can be present to, interact with, share ideas and resources. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, we feel this type of connection with all of the new and familiar faces that gather.
Cooperation – Human beings rely on joint cooperation to survive and thrive. Our ability to work together harmoniously exists at the heart of our human lives and society — it’s how we were able to survive this long on the planet. From daily life interactions to some of our greatest endeavours, co-operation has been a human necessity. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, we are in a co-creative, collaborative and co-operative space.
Clarity – Our personal view of life can become narrow and limited when we lack the input of others. When we are exposed to other people’s experiences, stories and points of view, we have new information and ideas to work with, and can better understand ourselves and clarify our own lens, which will assist us in making better choices and more timely decisions. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, we gain access to clarity that wasn’t otherwise available to us.
Communication – We can become entrenched in our own thoughts and internal dialogue. This can be limiting and repetitive. When women are feeling pressure or stress, we tend to reach out to others for support and dialogue. When we are able to freely express ourselves, and share our stories, our emotions and our values; we are able to gain personal insight and understanding. In a Women’s Wellness Circle there is an on-going spoken and unspoken form of communication that weaves all of the participants together.
Camaraderie – In this busy, tech driven age, making new friends, let alone new acquaintances can be challenging. Friendship is an integral part of everyone’s life journey. Many studies show that friendship boosts our health, well-being and happiness levels, and can provide a reality check when we are not being honest or true with our self. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, new connections and friendships are regularly made.
Courage – It can be easy to get stuck in our own comfort zone and prefer routine over change and adventure, but this inhibits our brain growth which is stimulated through novelty, and stretched by new endeavours. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, we have regular opportunities to build our courage muscles as we expand our horizons; being around new people and exposed to fun and novel experiences.
Confidence – When people notice someone that exudes confidence, they tend to believe that it just ‘comes naturally’ to them; but confidence is not an ‘all or nothing’ skill. It’s easy to have confidence in areas we already have experience or skills. In order to build our confidence we need to be exposed to opportunities to cultivate it. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, we have on-going opportunities try new things, learn and develop skills and confidence.
Coherence – Stress is an incoherent state, whereby our body (actions), mind (thoughts) and heart (feelings) are not working together as a unified team. Daily life demands can easily shift us into incoherence, so we need reminders and strategies that can ‘assist and uplift’ us back into balance and coherence. In a Women’s Wellness Circle we gain tools to support ourselves in reducing stress, investing into our self care and elevating our well-being.
Communion – While we can certainly enjoy our own space and company, there is a powerful energy that is co-created when we are with others. Hearing another person’s point of view, being present to their laughter, tears, insights or ‘ah-ha’ moments can provide a special spark and timely impact on our lives. Likewise, we bring these very gifts to others when we show up, share of ourselves and take part in these group experiences. In a Women’s Wellness Circle, every month we are empowered by the energy and grace of communion.
Of course, we know that Circle is so much more than these 10 descriptive words, but it’s a great place to start. I encourage you to take part in a Women’s Wellness Circle and share with us, the many words and ways you would describe it.
To Your Circle Experiences,
Jill Hewlett
Founder & Mentor of Women’s Wellness Circles
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