Connections, Reflections, and Allyship

This workshop takes pieces from three different practices/schools of thought, and combines them together into what I've found to be a powerful synergy. The three main pieces of this workshop will be:

Silent Eye-Gazing - As a group, everyone will walk around slowly, stopping to eye-gaze for a short while with a variety of different people. I picked up this particular version of the practice of eye-gazing from my time with Solsara.

Reflective Listening - Once we've dropped in together with some silent eye-gazing, we will continue pairing off for short periods, but now 1 person in each pair will share something that is present for them, and the other will reflect back what they heard (focusing on the feelings, needs, and values explicitly or implicitly presented). Practices like this are used in NVC, Restorative Justice, and many other movements.

Ally Circle - Finally, we will all circle up together, and someone will step into the center of the circle and state something they want to release (something they fear, are ashamed of, etc.), and everyone who shares a similar experience will step into the center as well. Those in the center take a moment to breathe together and look around at those who share the experience, then turn back with their backs to each other, facing the larger circle, and take a moment to take in all of those humans who don't share the experience, but are still there holding & acknowledging them. This practice comes from the Radical Faeries.

We'll start the whole workshop with some breathing and a simple meditation, and in between each activity we'll do some sharing about what the experience was like for everyone.