A sharing circle where unspoken words become voice, truthful vulnerability becomes connection and our deepest stories are witnessed.

Have you ever journalled to get your feelings out onto a page? Perhaps you've written words that you feel you wouldn't ever say out loud, explored something you were struggling with, or simply captured an important moment. Writing can give us a place to be completely honest with ourselves. But what happens when some of those words are ready to leave the page and be spoken?

Spoken Words Spoken Truths is a small, intimate poetry sharing circle where unspoken words become voice, your honest vulnerability deepens connections with others, and our deepest stories are witnessed. This is not a poetry open mic night or writing workshop, instead it is a quiet, non-judgemental space to bring poems you have written yourself and share words that may be personal, challenging, emotive or difficult to speak aloud. You might read a poem about shame, grief, fear or something unresolved, and then simply be witnessed. Equally you might read a poem about joy, nature, sunlight or beauty. There is no pressure to make poems polished, to explain or to analyse our words, and you are equally welcome to just listen. Sometimes the most powerful response to someone's words is silence.

What to bring:

Please bring a few poems you have written yourself: one that explores something challenging, vulnerable or unresolved, and another that takes you somewhere different such as towards hope, peace, acceptance, or nature.

You may feel more comfortable speaking the words of another writer, so you are welcome to bring a few of those too.

Finally, bring an open honest heart and explore the idea of letting emotion into your voice. We may speak these words, but the intent is to speak our underlying truths.

Themes:

The themes are invitations and suggestions only, and are to provide some inspiration. We welcome any topic with openness.

October - "Honesty with oneself"

November - "Vulnerability with others"

December - "I held my tongue"

What will happen?

Each gathering combines grounding using guided meditations, poetry sharing within the circle, guided writing opportunities and time for reflection and connection. The timing will be fluid depending on how the group feels. We will have a short mid-way break and then close the circle at the end before some social time.

Co-created Connection:

We will co-create the space through confidentiality, compassionate listening, speaking from our own experience and the freedom to simply listen.

This will be a non-judgemental space where all topics and all emotions are welcome.

About the facilitator:

Ed is a yoga teacher, engineer and lover of nature. He has been experimenting with writing poetry and journalling as part of CBT therapy and has found it a fascinating way to process emotions and life events. From writing about grief, to political greed and to the beauty within nature, he has found huge benefits from letting thoughts and feeling spill from the page into the spoken form. He challenged himself a few years ago to continually speak his poems while at retreats or integration groups and found that sharing circles open people to witness others with compassion. It was through another sharing event of 20 attendees and 11 speakers, that the idea for Spoken Words Spoken Truths began, and the importance of having places within society to share openly and bring out words that might otherwise remain unspoken.

Description supplied by the event organiser.