This is the second in a series of seven articles on starting a women’s circle. In the previous newsletter, I wrote about Step 1: Setting Your Sacred Intention. I shared reasons to start a circle and gave journaling questions for you to consider as you explore your greatest desires and motivations for starting a circle.
In this article, we will cover Step 2: Envisioning Parameters. Future issues will cover resources you will need, planning your circle, marketing and filling it, leading the first circle, and more.
Once you’ve set your sacred purpose and are allowing the Goddess to hold it with you, the next step is to get clear on the kind of circle you’d like to lead, and specify parameters that will build your circle’s integrity.
I always recommend starting with who you’d most like to invite, because often this will lead into other details such as times, cost, and the level of commitment you’re going to want from the circle.
Who You’d Most Like to Invite: You can probably think of several of your current students and other contacts who you know would LOVE to be in a women’s yoga circle (and whom you would love to include). Write down their names, and envision them saying “Yes!” to you when you invite them later. (We’re not quite at that step yet!)
While you are likely to invite many more than this small group, having an initial core in mind helps with every step of the planning process.
Size of Circle: What is the ideal number of women you would like to include in your circle? Most new circle leaders are happy starting with a group size under 20, or even under 13. Sharing our voices is a key element of the circle, so when the group is over 12 or so, it becomes necessary to vary activities to include both whole group and small group time. With a smaller group it’s possible to stay in one circle the entire time, which is a little easier on a new leader. Groups under 6 may not have the energy and diversity of group experiences to create a viable energy to sustain the circle.
Location: It’s so important to have an inspiring and sacred location. Privacy is important, as is having enough space for the number of women you’d like to invite. You’ll need enough room for yoga poses, circle dance, and free movement. Make sure the bathrooms are clean and convenient, and check with the owner about any food restrictions if you’d like to include food. I prefer a space with a low pile carpet to wood floor, as the carpet provides a calming influence. Make sure the lights can be dimmed. For me an ideal space has a womb-like feeling.
Meeting frequency, timing, and length of time: Many women’s circles meet monthly, and this comes from the ancient tradition of gathering on the Full Moon. Even today in India, many festival days are timed to coincide with the Full Moon. Timing a circle on the Full Moon is difficult in our culture, so I find that once a month on a fixed day of the week works well.
While some circles may meet weekly (equivalent to every quarter-moon in ancient times), I find that monthly is about right for most groups today. Meeting less frequently makes it hard to maintain the intimacy the group needs.
For me, 2 hours has proven to be a good length of time for a monthly circle, and I held my mine on Sunday evenings. I find that evening is an excellent time, as the Sun has set, and the stars and Moon become dominant, making this an excellent time for stories of the Goddess and communing with intuition and the powers of dreaming.
Content: What do you want to teach in your circle? Do you love art and is this something you’d like to include? Are you a storyteller who would love to weave in stories of the Goddess? Or are journaling and writing your favorite part, and you know you want to emphasize these?
I have found in my women’s yoga circles that participants always want yoga asana, so yoga movement accompanied by meditation, visualization, poetry, and chanting in many ways forms the mainstay of my circles. I add in sacred dance, journaling, and sharing, all of which help the experience to go deeper than a standard yoga class, giving participants that extra boost of soul nourishment they so long for. You may have different things you’d like to emphasize.
Pricing and Commitment: This is a sticky one for many teachers. Some I know would rather lead their circles by donation. I did this for several years, and what I found was that women told me how much they loved the circle, but weren’t committed! (And this showed in their attendance.) Later when I started a different circle, I required a 6-month commitment and charged based on this commitment. I found that the level of engagement and connection in the circle changed massively.
Once women knew that participation required a serious commitment, they took getting to know each other more seriously, and really began to form bonds of support among each other. My willingness to charge for the circle and require a commitment vastly improved the quality of the circle. My recommendation now is to have a drop-in price, but after one visit, to require women to commit for a minimum of 6 sessions. Whatever you choose, be clear in communicating your parameters to your participants.
Clarifying Your Vision
The parameters and structure you choose allow your circle to be strong and stable. Take a few moments to journal about your vision for your circle:
- In your mind’s eye, who do you see gathered in your circle? What is the ideal number to satisfy the intentions of your circle?
- Imagine the perfect space to hold your circle – what elements are present? Is it bright and airy with a panoramic view? Or comforting and quiet, like a cave? Do you need certain props? Let yourself get specific in your imagining!
- What time of day creates the mood you want to invoke? Or do your ideal participants require a certain timing?
- What content do you want to explore? What activities or elements are important to include? Is there a theme you want to weave through each meeting?
- What commitment level feels intuitively right for you? What income do you need to break even (consider room rental, supplies, food or drink, other expenses)? How much profit do you wish or need to make?
With clear parameters, your circle is empowered to take root and thrive. Deciding on these elements starts to create firm structure, which allows you to invite people with greater intention and power.
Keep your eyes out for the next article in this series, Step 3: Gather Juicy Resources
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