Still.Point.Circles - Mission Statement
- a way of harmony, balance & sacred sound -
“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
- T.S. Eliot
. . .
These global heart centered collaborative gatherings are intimate virtual circles for us to share space, to communicate through deep listening and understanding, to uncover what our heart is really trying to tell us in a facilitated container, designed to establish an infrastructure of safety and freedom.
Indeed these gatherings are all about finding that still point within - finding that place within where we feel balanced, anchored, at peace - a soft circle rather than a hard square. These are spaces for us to settle into balance with our masculine and feminine sides, to pause, explore and reflect on those spaces in-between, so that we come to know and appreciate that whatever chaos is around us we have the power not to be drawn into that - we have the still point within.
These offerings are being created by two women entrepreneurs, living on sister islands (Malta & Gozo) in the middle of the Mediterranean, with a vision to create international communities that explore the balanced valuing of feminine emotion. We believe in the power of coming together, sharing thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intuitions and personal truths. We believe in the power of silence and stillness - and how the unsaid is as important as the said. We know that there is so much potential for healing, creation and expansion when we reclaim and re-connect to our divine feminine - and this is what we will share in.
We’ll be offering a series of “The Heart Speaks” courses, informed by NUSHU Group style engagement and integration, combined with meditation in action. Each series is a journey, whereby an emotional theme and inspiration forms a path for the collective container - some series may be informed by a literary text / extract, but unlike a book club the intention is not to necessarily discuss the content of the pages but rather to integrate the information and the lessons into one’s own consciousness and then weave the wisdom into the fabric of the collective consciousness. In each there will be ample space for reflection and contemplation in silence and stillness.
This is an invitation to strengthen the rest and digest aspects of the feminine within. To find that still point for ourselves, as well as in community.
We hope you’ll join us on these journeys,
Michelle & Ruth xo
Michelle Bartolo - Gozo, Europe
Ruth Bezzina - Malta, Europe
. . .
Offerings (2023)
The Heart Speaks - series structure
The guidelines and infrastructure of the gatherings are always the same to establish a safe and grounded foundation. The facilitators will provide content and guidance via email prior to each gathering including a ZOOM link.
This is what you should expect during our virtual gatherings. . .For the first part of the session we will start with a check-in round, followed by a collective reading of the gathering guidelines, an attunement practice (which may be an extract or poetry reading), and then we will offer a series of prompts for your exploration. You will have time to journal on each set of prompts and then share your thoughts and insights, if you choose. We will establish a sharing order. You may pass or ask to return to you at the end of the sharing order. There is no pressure and no judgment. Let the prompts sit at the surface or go deep. There is no wrong way, wrong answer, or wrong approach.
Speaking your truth to be witnessed in this container of safety and non-judgement allows for energetic movement, for the possibility of release, for the opportunity to transcend subconscious stories, limiting beliefs, blocked or repeat circumstances that no longer serve you. Sharing may simply provide a bit of freedom for you to express yourself. It’s all welcome, even silence.
Witnessing others in the process of revealing their truth may open a window to shed light on an aspect of your life, so that you are able to see things that may have been hidden or buried. Be curious. Your powerful presence elevates the communal field for support and growth, so there is no need to interrupt or correct the process of others. Whatever comes up is acceptable. It is received with grace and understanding. Whatever does not feel ready to move, will reveal itself at another time. There is no hurry and no obligation to participate in a predetermined way.
In the next half of the session Michelle will lead us in meditation in action, along with the use of sacred sound to allow us to feel into those spaces explored in the first half in a more personal and silent way. Here we will explore the balance between the movement of the mind with that of the body and breath - giving value to both and actualizing whole self wellbeing. This is a time to be in community whilst being with yourself - to feel both belonging and individuality at the same time, to be in motion and to be still, to dance and to pivot, to sing and to be silent. . .where everything and nothing co-exist.
It feels best for the collective if you find a space that is private for the designated hour and a half session. You may choose to light a candle, have a cup of tea nearby, light incense, bring in a plant, stone, or be able to view the outdoors from a window. Please have a journal /piece of paper and a pen or pencil at hand. It is also helpful if you use the bathroom before we begin. We will ask you to have your camera on during our shared time together, with the exception of during the attunement practice. If you need to turn your camera off, briefly, for whatever reason, of course that is understood. Also, please leave yourself muted until you are invited to unmute yourself for sharing.
We will conclude our gathering with an off-ramp to transition out of our container and back into your personal space. It has been our experience that participants are eager to return each week. You may find that being in these Heart Centered Gatherings will become an integral part of your whole self wellbeing journey.
The Heart Speaks: uncovering grief - Fri October 27 to fri December 1 (6 weeks)
This course is about the remembrance that the balanced valuing of emotions – all emotions – is an act of self-respect. Grief, rage, anger and discernment (good judgment) all have their place and should have a space to be expressed in, in our lives – for they are all great teachers from within. Yet, we rarely allow ourselves this. Why? Perhaps we feel there’s a little macro- and micro-judgement involved, perhaps we feel uncomfortable experiencing these emotions, perhaps we’re not allowed, perhaps we’re afraid where these emotions will lead us. . .these are all elements we’ll explore together. We will also see how often these darker emotions may lead us to forgiveness.
. . .
We will sit with the said emotion and feel aspects of it - what does it feel like to just sit and feel it without getting entangled in it? Are we able to hold space for our hearts to feel what it needs to feel? Imagine your heart as an orchestra where every instrument needs to be heard. These are the 10 keys which the heart needs, to be in a good state as taught by Safi Nidiayes.
Keys to the Heart Method:
To be seen and heard
To be acknowledged
To apply understanding to the emotion
To give the emotion permission
To be compassionate towards the emotion
To have mercy
To respect the emotion
To give the emotion space
To FEEL the emotion
To recognise it is a feeling as opposed to a fact
We practice sending love to whatever we feel, no matter whether we label it as a good or not so good emotion, we send love to it all as its love that heals all. Generating the energy of love to all emotions creates an inner environment that is supportive. As we practice sending love to all we find hard to love are you able to sense the energy of love within you increase?
Details
Meeting virtually once a week for 6-weeks, from Friday October 27th - December 1st; 5-6:30p.m. CET. Each session will be 1.5 hours.
Included:
6 live sessions - presentation, discussion, meditation in action
direct 1:1 feedback and correspondence via email
a workbook for each session with prompts to record your reflections and work
wholesome community and connections
certificate of completion for those who commit and finish the course
Pricing
The price for this 6-week course is €600 / $670
Early-bird (till Oct 20th) - €500 / $560
refer a friend and receive a €25 / $30 discount!
Please get in touch with us at:
info@michellebartoloyoga.com
ruthless@commonrouts.com
or
@still.point.circles on Instagram
We hope you join us!