Wisdom Circles: A Guide to Self-Discovery and Community Building in Small Groups

Wisdom Circles shows readers how to form their own wisdom circles with friends and community members based on ten simple guidelines. A wisdom circle serves many purposes: It is a place to practice communication skills, to heal wounds, to find the courage to act upon that small voice within. It’s a place to share a vision or define a mission. The authors show readers how to open and close the circle, how to mutually agree upon a topic or intention, and how to create a safe place for truth telling. Wisdom Circles is a handbook for creating compassionate community for the twenty-first century. “In Wisdom Circles, the authors remind us that we are all healers and invite us to once again reclaim the healing power of a simple and genuine connection with one another. Showing us that listening is the most effective tool of healing, the authors offer a step-by-step manual for using the power of community to clarify our authentic values and recover our deepest sense of meaning.” —Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.,author of Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal. “We have used wisdom circles extensively at our annual conferences and in our community groups. Over and over again, participants find in these circles greater self-awareness and deeper communication with one another. Remarkably, this requires no particular magic other than the magic that arises out of respectful contact with each other and our own direct experience. This book will help you create a context of trust, belonging, and common purpose so you can experience that magic yourself.” —Thomas J. Hurley, Director of Education, Institute of Noetic Sciences.