Holy, holy, holy: The Experience Circle invites us to more
Image by Rev. Sherry Ward
Do you feel alive when you walk outside? Perhaps noticing the bright colors of blooms or a mother duck leading her ducklings across a street? Maybe the gentle breeze rustling a leaf catches your attention. Witnessing this breath of life evokes a certain peace and excitement all at once.
Perhaps this sense of being One with creation comes as a surprise.
What if these experiences are the Breath of Life, you being part of the collective, one with Holy Mystery.
The idea that God is up there (heaven) or in there (church), can be limiting, leaving us to feel disconnected from ourselves and the divine. This type of perspective many times leaves us feeling like we are coming up short.
Might we consider the invitation that God is always present regardless of our physical or emotional state? We might just need to shift our focus a bit.
The Experience Circle is a tool and way of thinking that encourages us to widen our perspective, looking for the ways we hear, feel, see, taste, touch and notice the Divine in all areas of our life.
For those who have been living in contemplative circles, this may already be a way of living. For others, it could be a new idea. Regardless of where you stand or sit on the path, you’re welcome to participate in the below reflection and mediation. You may use it in 1:1 spiritual direction or group spiritual direction or for your own time of prayer.
What?
The four dimensions of human experience are expressed by the four quadrants of the circle:
Intrapersonal - This focuses on experiences of the self and the interior life.
Interpersonal - This is referring to the individuals’ experiences with others and in groups.
Systems and Structures - This area is dealing with how the self relates to and with formal sets of rules, regulations and relationships.
Nature - The arena of nature invites our attention to the interdependence among all the creatures in the universe and the ways in which we the individual is connected to it all.
Meditation/Reflective offering:
Find a comfortable space. Consider sitting in your favorite chair, desk or perhaps you might choose to sit outside in the grass (remove your shoes if possible). Let your feet feel the Earth. If you’re inside, you can light a candle to remind you of the Spirit’s presence. Spend at least 15 minutes. Try not to put too many time constraints on yourself. Bring a notepad and something to write with. Draw a circle and divide into the four quadrants of the Experience Circle.
You’re invited to read the below poem Breath four times, each time focusing on a different quadrant of the Circle.
As you’re reading the first time, focus on the Intrapersonal arena of your life. Allow the words of the poem to speak to your relationship with self and God. Slowly consider the below questions. When you are going through these prompts, notice what wants your attention, pay attention to sensations that might emerge in your body as well as words and images that come to mind. Write down what you notice in the interpersonal quadrant of your blank piece of paper. Don’t worry about writing too much or too little. Try to go with the flow.
What are the unseen gifts that sustain me? What do I need to release? Has something released me? What sustains me? Is there something (or someone) I need to breathe out? What is it? Is there something (or someone) I need to breathe in? Where am I feeling most mortal? How can I honor this part of me, this being human? Where do sense I am being invited to a Holy YES? Have I said yes, am I saying no? If so, begin to wonder why. Is this a sacred no, or another resistance? Is there a wound there? If so, what tending does it need? Where do I clench and grasp? What would it feel like, what would happen if I let go? Where do I feel free? What gives me breath?
As you’re reading the poem second time, awaken to the Interpersonal arena of your life, allow the words to speak to your relationship with others and God. Consider the above questions and invitations as number 3.
As you’re reading the poem the third time, focus on the Systems and Structures arena of your life, allow the words to speak to your relationship with the areas of your life that involve formality, rules, processes and regulations. This might be work or church or tasks like paying bills or picking out health insurance. Consider the above questions and invitations as number 3 and 4.
The last time you read the poem, allow your focus to shift to the Nature arena. Open your awareness to your experience with the out-of-doors, water, air, sunshine, rain, fauna and flora. Consider the same questions and exercise you applied for the other arenas.
Read the below poem Breath to accompany this meditation as you consider the above questions.
“This
breathing
in is a miracle,
this breathing out, release,
this breathing in a welcome to
the unseen gifts which sustain me each
moment, this breathing out a sweet sigh,
a bow to my mortality, this breathing in
a holy yes to life, this breathing out
a sacred no to all that causes me to clench and gasp,
this breathing in is a revelation, this
breath out,
freedom.
”
In closing:
Take some time to review the words and images you wrote down. In your own time, consider drawing your own Experience Circle* including the gifts you discovered from this meditation. You might use some white computer paper and colored pencils or crayons. If you like to paint, feel free to use paint and brushes! Allow the words of each arena to inform the images you include in each quadrant. What does God want to show you today? Notice how these images give you freedom, peace and breath!
*Rev. Dr. Lil Smith provides an example of an image she drew during an Experience Circle exercise. Notice for four quadrants and images in each.
Lil will be offering a course on the Experience Circle this Spring/Summer. Stay tuned for more details! Interested or have questions? Send us a note.
This meditation was created by Emily Turner Watson. Discover more about the Experience Circle in Supervision of Spiritual Directors: Engaging in Holy Mystery, Chapter 8.