Deep Listening Facilitation
Why?
"Deep listening is the kind of listening that can help relieve the suffering of another person." - Thich Nhat Hanh
according to the W.H.O. globally one in every 100 deaths is due to self-harm (2019)
close to two-thirds of worldwide incidents of death by self-harm are by men
in many countries self-harm done by men is close to four times that of women
there is a stigma around men seeking support
*this service offering is a minor gesture as an active response to these trends
"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention." - Rachel Naomi Remen
What's in it for You?
embodied presence & self-awareness- pattern recognition for UNlearning & RElearning
compassion for self & others
curiosity to learn from diverse perspectives
releasing distress
exercising & cultivating self-sovereignty/ agency
these skills have the ability to enhance physical, emotional & mental wellbeing
Become part of a conscious, diverse & accessible resilient community of men
*our main intention is to grow a mutually supportive, global, easily accessible, diverse and resilient community of all bodies who want to show up to:
be in & grow this community
to actively practice presence &
to actively practice being in relationship with others in an authentic way
We have experience facilitating mixed gendered deep listening circles.
We believe in the profound value of harvesting wisdom from the full spectrum of diversity. This is an essential part of our ethos. If you are part of a group or organisation, or as an individual, be welcome to reach out to us.
How, When & Where?
every session begins with a guided mindfulness & awareness practice
deep, active listening without judgment or advice giving
speaking & listening with the whole self
authentic relating in a conscious community
sharing happens 1 on 1 in breakout rooms on Zoom
*what we share in the group is completely confidential.
Through this process we get things off our chest which might be troubling us & thus liberate our natural intelligence with the ultimate goal of having a positively transformative impact on ourselves, each other and society.
In case you still think, deep listening is for little, timid ones, might we be humble enough to learn from our more than human friends we also share our Earthly home with...
The largest animal on Earth, Blue Whale, possesses remarkable hearing capabilities, essential for communication and navigation over vast oceanic distances. They can detect low-frequency sounds and communicate with other whales across hundreds of kilometers.
The largest land animal, African Elephant, is highly sensitive to ground vibrations, detected through their sensitive feet and specialized hearing mechanisms. When an elephant emits vocalizations or stomps the ground, it creates vibrations that according to researchers, can be picked up by other elephants up to 20 miles away.
Investment for being part of the ongoing Men’s Circle
We are inviting in exchange for participation, for you to invite us to a couple of coffees per month.
This will also contribute to the platform subscriptions we pay to allow for us to meet as a group online & for our time.
To make this group & work accessible, we offer a sliding scale:
Sustainer
R250 per month (or USD$25 for those outside of South Africa)
To become a member of the listening circle.
Supporter
R350 per month (or USD$35 for those outside of South Africa)
To become a member of the listening circle, for those who are in a position to support the participation of others who are financially challenged and/or people who are supporting many dependents.
We wish to make this group, work & community accessible, so please feel welcome to write to us stating why & how you need flexibility.
For those with financial constraints, be reminded that money is only one form of value.
We are open to exploring a value exchange, where that makes sense for both parties.
Group Benefits
2 calls per month, every other week on Monday, with a unique link on Zoom
active private messaging group for folks to contact each other for exchanges where that is useful, outside of the 2 sessions we have online
times are 19:00 - 20:00 South African Standard Time/SAST (please check your local time zone).
We wish to stick to an hour, maybe even slightly shorter. We decide this as a group.
We have experience of partaking & facilitating listening circles for over 7 years and we are looking to continue to apply an iterative design approach to developing the group, e.g. to grow participation & actively experiment with mixed genders calls, dyads, triads & other kinds of breakout sessions, inviting diversity by growing our cross border listening circle membership.
There are rich opportunities to harvest from a diversity of identities, perspectives, formats and cultures.
Still Curious?
If you have any questions about our offerings & projects, feel welcome to contact us.
