An Inner Life Workshop
A dialogue circle is a microcosm of the larger circles of family, community and world. In circle, we each bring a piece to the woven living art of conversation. But is it the right piece? Is it true? How does my piece affect others?
The dialogue circle I belong to is small enough, and the women in it are committed enough to sharpening their listening and communication skills that I can more easily see, under the dialogue microscope, where my actions and words go wrong. I can feel when they hit the nail on the nerve of the present moment. I can sort out more easily when a feeling of distress is my own and when I am taking it on for someone else I feel empathy for, a positive trait that when overdone become the roots of dysfunctional co-dependency.
Our circle is like an inner life workshop. In the world of writing workshops, writers bring a piece of writing, pass around copies, read it out loud, and accept constructive feedback. We don’t give critique in circle, but we listen carefully and we explore. A spoken sentence resonates because it shines a light on something in our life. Sometimes it triggers discord.
In the laboratory of dialogue, we can experiment with radical honesty. We can inquire. We can share our reactions, right or wrong. Sometimes a woman in the circle, speaking of her own experience, can also, unknowingly, be saying something for another woman better than she can say it herself. A smile. A sigh of relief. A tension is a sign that something needs tending to.
Deep listening, to ourselves and others, is like good editing. It can strengthen our work in developing our voice and in interacting with others in all the circles of our life.
February 7th, 2011 3:51 pm
I’ve got something for you over at my blog, Colleen:
http://writerwoman61.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/its-not-my-style/
Enjoy!
Wendy
February 7th, 2011 5:30 pm
“Deep listening, to ourselves and others, is like good editing. It can strengthen our work in developing our voice and in interacting with others in all the circles of our life.” that’s a wonderful rich statement with a truthiness to it.
February 7th, 2011 6:11 pm
[…] our voice and in interacting with others in all the circles of our life.” ~ Colleen Redman onInner Life Workshop […]
February 7th, 2011 10:59 pm
I like the idea of this group. Makes me think of my Buddhist meditation group. The best people in the world.
February 8th, 2011 8:59 am
The type of group you speak of, bring about healings of many kinds.
February 8th, 2011 11:37 am
‘Circles’ can be such powerful..transformative things…especially as the trust deepens and grows.
February 8th, 2011 1:48 pm
I’d love to be part of a group like this, Colleen—you are very fortunate. How wonderful to be able to connect on a deeper level! Sometimes it seems we seldom do.
February 8th, 2011 1:53 pm
Here is a link to a past training co-conducted by Judy O’Brien, the woman who brought dialogue to us that explains it well: http://www.sclmcoach.com/dialog.html I think someone could attend a workshop or read up on the subject and start a circle for themselves and others. It can be liberating AND scary!
February 8th, 2011 11:01 pm
I love this “Sometimes a woman in the circle, speaking of her own experience, can also, unknowingly, be saying something for another woman better than she can say it herself” so very much!
February 11th, 2011 6:59 am
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February 11th, 2011 7:19 am
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January 17th, 2012 10:29 am
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April 8th, 2013 7:16 pm
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November 5th, 2014 8:11 pm
[…] back and we gained an hour of sleep. That fact is the only reason I was able to make it to my Women’s Dialogue the next […]