What is a Shakti Circle?

Women have been bonding together in groups for centuries. Coming together with other women brings fresh inspiration and a wealth of wisdom & insight. We are all infinitely wise, beautiful, creative, spiritual beings with something amazing to offer. The Shakti circle is a way to celebrate our Divine Feminine nature, share our unique gifts, experience healing, offer support and nourishment to each other, open our hearts, increase our awareness, be more present in our bodies, be inspired and nurtured by soft feminine energy and learn more about Tantra and relationships through exploring together.

How will we do this? 

We will use a combination of focused sharing in circle, embodiment practices, dance, bodywork, meditations, simple rituals and other exercises designed to awaken the energy of Shakti, the Divine Feminine. During the talking parts, a subject or question will be introduced, and a 'talking stick' will be passed around the circle, so that each woman has a chance to share from her heart on that subject. The woman with the stick has the undivided attention of the circle, while the others focus on being completely present with her, hearing her without judgement.

How does the circle work? Is there a leader?

For thousands of years people in all cultures have sat together in circle. In circle, we sit and face one another, no-one is more prominent or more important. No-one has a microphone, or sits on a pedestal. There is no distraction from the outside: we are all mirroring each other. As the group facilitator, I will be guiding the group to explore certain areas together, and sometimes speaking a little more when introducing a new subject, but it is not about me being a teacher or having 'the answers' at all. The purpose of the Shakti circle is for us all to support each other and learn from each other. We all have amazing wisdom to share. Women's circles have been a big part of tribal and ancient cultures forever, but just recently they are springing up all over the world as a way for women to feel more connected to each other, to bring some sacred energy back into their busy lives, celebrate the Divine Feminine, share our amazing journeys together and to encourage each other to grow spiritually, overcome challenges and live up to our fullest potential. So, in the circle, we will explore and share this together.

So will we give each other advice? 

Not directly. The emphasis is on each of us speaking from our own personal experience, or what we have found works for us, in our lives. It is not about judging each other, or giving direct advice to each other, saying what you think someone should do, or imposing your opinion on others. It IS about speaking your own truth and inspiring others that way. We are all beautifully different. Most women find that the healing they need comes naturally, through the connection and the sisterhood that we share. Also to be honoured as who you are in this moment is very powerful. Not to only be seen as a role that you take, as wife, lover, friend or mother. To be without all the conditioning, and just be here now, as you are.

Why do we need the structure? What are the benefits of the Circle?

In these busy times it is so easy to feel stressed, to lose the sense of the sacred and profound in our lives, to forget who we really are, to feel alone or isolated. We can often feel like what we are going through is something that no-one else experiences. I know myself that often after a circle I feel such a strong sense of family, this feeling that we are all in this together, and even though sometimes life is challenging, we can encourage each other to live in truth with an open heart, even when it hurts. The structure of the circle allows each woman to have an equal chance to speak, so even the quietest one has a voice. Using the 'talking stick' helps to increase awareness and prevent the unfocused chatter that can be so draining. It also allows us to go deeper in exploring specific topics without getting distracted.

 

But how can I share deeply with women I don't know?  
Will the things I share stay within the group?

We will get to know each other very quickly!  It's amazing how close you can feel to someone after hearing them speak their truth in circle, even without having had a private conversation with them. Also, everything we share is confidential. What happens in circle, remains in circle. You may speak to others about what YOU experienced, but you may not repeat what anyone else shared. You can speak to other women from the group, but it is important that we all trust each other and don't bring this energy of gossip or judgement into our sacred space together. The location of the circle is literally a Temple, and it is a sanctuary, a place to move into a deeper level of self-acceptance, drop the roles and the masks and feel safe to explore anything. Come as you are, in any mood. There is nothing to prove. At their essence, women's circles are a tool for helping you discover how to offer your unique gifts to the world. What is your contribution? Your voice? Your offering? The circle helps you find the river of your life and surrender to it's current.

Why spend time with a group of women?

For me, connecting deeply with other women in women's circles, tantra retreats, workshops and other ‘women only’ events has been a big source of love, trust, openness and nourishment for my soul. It was so healing to realise that so many women were going through the same issues as me and so relaxing and nurturing to not feel judged, only witnessed. I felt comfortable to share very intense things because the circle was a sacred place where depth was encouraged and invited.

It is so important to take time to remember our essence, to remember that we were born as women, and our real power lies in us embracing the powerful yet soft feminine energy that is within all of us. 

How does all this relate to Tantra?

Tantra, in western society, is often misinterpreted as being only about sexuality. However, Tantra is actually an ancient spiritual philosophy from the East, that is connected to integrating ALL aspects of life. It is about using anything and everything that can be used to help us transform and evolve into more alive, conscious, amazing beings. Traditional Tantra involves many elements, including yoga asanas, meditation, use of mantras, concentration exercises, bodily purification, moral and ethical observances, as well as learning control over the sexual energy, but the most important practice in Tantra is to be fully aware and fully present in every moment. Tantra makes change possible. It spurs spiritual evolution by awakening energies within you that would otherwise remain dormant. In Tantra, there are no mistakes, only lessons.

In the circle we will share together about many aspects of sexuality, relationships, femininity, our relationship to our Yonis and awakening the state of Shakti, looking at things from a Tantric perspective of integrating everything into our lives. Even the shadow must be acknowledged for it to be transformed into light. In the exercises, there will be a strong focus on embodiment: being IN your body, feeling your body, loving your body and trusting its wisdom.

Can I try it first without committing?
Of course. You are welcome to come and try the circle on October 9th, and see how you feel and if you are interested to continue. After that the group will be closed, to allow us to go deeper together, as the energy can get dispersed when new people arrive each time and the details need to be explained again and again. There will be 6 meetings, and you can only miss 2 of them to be allowed to stay in the group. There will be another circle starting in the new year 2013.

Also, you can email Bella with any questions at bellablissful@gmail.com, or call 71649138.