7 Cups Sharing Circles are now LIVE!

Last week, I introduced our new initiative to improve support within group rooms and bridge activities across the site. Yesterday, we began trialing the Sharing Circles meetups. Heres what its about:

What? These circles are an opportunity for us to share and support one another in a turn-based environment. Everyone who wants to participate can enter a queue to be called on when its their turn.

Where? Sharing Circle Room

Where did this idea come from?
We conduct sharing circles in the tradition of other support groups like Alcohol Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous. These groups have helped millions of people and we believe they can help people in our community as well. These groups refer to a Higher Power. We use the word Love as love is a neutral term.

The host will recite this mantra to get everyone situated in this safe space and aligned in our intentions to support each other and ourselves:

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Please imagine taking the hand of the person above or below you. At the end, if comfortable, please say Let it Be.

Love, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as many spiritual leaders did,
This difficult world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that love will make all things right,
If I surrender to love,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with love in the future.

Let it be.
-

What happens next?
The Rules!

Please send * to enter the sharing queue once the queue is open. Please do not enter * during a share. The queue to share will be opened after each share by the host while time permits. Queue is first come first serve. The host of the circle will say the queue after each share so you know when your turn will be.

Please do not ask questions to the sharer and keep supportive phrases short. You may use phrases like ‘That sounds hard, offers hugs, sending beams.

Only members can share. Listeners may support members, but if you want to participate, you must be logged in as a member. Please wait to be called upon to begin your share.

Please do not interrupt other shares to share your own story. Please wait your turn, so everyone can receive support.

Please break your share into short sentences so that we know you are sharing/present. Avoid typing paragraphs.

Please limit your share to under 5 minutes when there are less than 10 people in the queue and under 3 minutes when there are more than 10 people in the queue.

Type ‘Over or ‘Done as a separate message to show that you are done sharing.

Sharing Circles last one hour. We close the queue ten minutes before the end. If we are not able to get to you, you welcomed and encouraged to hop into the next one we have. These will happen twice a day for now, and if it becomes popular, we will host more.

Drop any questions in the replies, and we look forward to seeing you!