Deep listening is key in circling, allowing individuals to truly hear and understand each other.
Circling offers a path to satisfy the increasing hunger for genuine human connection caused by technology and social media.
Dialectic in Dialogos combines circling, mindfulness, contemplation, and spiritual philosophy to facilitate transformative and awe-inspiring conversations.
Deep dives
The Origins of Circling
Guy Sangstock shares the unexpected origin story of the circling method, which emerged from a deep conversation at Burning Man. The conversation quickly transcended conflict and delved into the depths of each person's soul, transforming the participants. This profound experience led to the birth of circling, a practice focused on deep listening and the exploration of the I-thou connection.
The Importance of Deep Listening
Deep listening is key in circling, allowing individuals to truly hear and understand each other. By using language that discloses personal experience, participants create a space where vulnerability and precise communication thrive. This form of communication, focused on noticing, imagining, feeling, and wanting, encourages a deep sense of connection and transforms relationships.
Circling and the Need for Authentic Contact
Circling has gained popularity in response to the increasing lack of authentic contact caused by technology and social media. As asynchronous forms of communication prevail, the hunger for genuine human connection intensifies. Circling offers a path to satisfy this need by cultivating deep listening skills, creating spaces for vulnerability, and fostering transformative conversations.
The Power of Conversations and Listening
Conversations have the potential to be profoundly impactful, both for those actively engaged and for those observing. Listening deeply and letting others' thoughts weave in us can reveal insights beyond our current understanding. Circling aims to unlock this potential by creating spaces for authentic conversations and developing the ability to listen in a way that transcends words.
Dialectic in Dialogos: Advancing Wisdom through Deep Conversations
Dialectic in Dialogos is an advanced practice that combines circling, mindfulness, contemplation, and spiritual philosophy. It focuses on facilitating transformative and awe-inspiring conversations where participants explore ideas beyond their usual understanding. By cultivating deep listening and engaging in profound dialogues, this practice offers the potential for profound intellectual and spiritual growth.
Host Michael Taft speaks with artist, bodyworker, and philosopher Guy Sengstock about the origin and creation of Circling practice, how the asynchronous qualities of new technologies have created a deeper hunger for basic human contact, the crucial importance of embodiment in communication, mindfulness of presence, as well as the new practice he’s creating with Jon Vervaeke, known as Dia-Logos.
Guy Sengstock is the founder and creator of the Circling Method. He has been facilitating transformation for individuals, groups and corporations internationally for more than 20 years. He has a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and is the co-founder of The Arête Center for Excellence and the Bay Area Men’s Circle, which is still thriving today. He is an artist, philosopher, poet, body-worker, and visionary.
