Women. Wellness. Circle.

At a recent women’s wellness circle that my business partner and I designed together in anticipation of the launch of When Women Get Sick, I was reminded of why it’s so important that women listen to one another. Listening is an act of radical compassion. Of empathy and love. And women do it all day long for their friends, family, colleagues and such. But we don’t always listen to ourselves and each other. Because so many of us lack the time and space.

So, we made some. We started with a meditation, some beautiful sounds and a poem. And then we got right into it – talking about women’s health journeys and their challenges. We heard from thrivers, survivors and caregivers. Women of authority and depth. I was astonished at how much was right out there on the surface. There was so much to say, and I was by no means doing all the talking. Because women’s health, storytelling and community are woven together.

We ended our time with some writing prompts that I’ve devised over years of working with women as they face illness. In all my years of teaching writing, I’ve never had the entire group of people show an interest in sharing.  But when talking about women’s wellness, responsibility, stress and joy, about balance or a lack thereof, the floodgates opened. And it was essential, elemental and beautiful. Each of us felt heard, held and seen.

Here are a few amazing quotes from the day:

“Thanks for leading such an insightful and informative conversation. Thanks to all of you for providing a loving circle where I felt safe to cry and be vulnerable because it made a huge difference to me. I really needed to be there and hear your stories and feel your love. “- M

“What a phenomenal evening the other night. Thank you for creating such a supportive and warm environment. Rebecca’s book is so timely. “ -D

“Thank you for such a special evening with so many incredible superwomen.” -G

“ I came expecting yoga and good conversation. What I did not expect was a truly open honest dynamic between women that touched my core - really magical.” -K

“The meditation was wonderful to settle our minds and the dialogue led us to a space that was very powerful indeed.” -K

“What an incredibly intimate and insightful evening.  I’ve ordered several books (for me and as gifts) I  can’t wait to read as it’s better to be prepared. “-A

I’m a guitar player and I love to sing. In my head, I was hearing the first verse of gone-to-soon wonder of the world, Harry Chapin singing “All My Life’s A Circle.”

All my life's a circle

Sunrise and sundown

The moon rolls through the nighttime'

Til the daybreak comes around

All my life's a circle

But I can't tell you why

The seasons spinning round again

The years keep rolling by

To be in a beautiful, powerful circle with new and old friends, women telling stories, felt like everything and filled me with purpose. I love this work. It's all about the circle.

Women. Wellness. Circle.