Welcome

Atsarah Lifeworks

Atsarah (Ats-aw-Raw) is a Hebrew word that means sacred and festive gathering. The heart of my personal life mission is to bring a sense of what is sacred and festive to my life’s work. I hope to share my life’s work with others who are seeking deep meaning in their life’s work as well.

Circles

Why “Circles”:

Circles position everyone as equals. No one is at the head of the table or top of a chain of command. We speak from the heart, to the center of the circle. We learn to listen to what is shared and learn to hear our own inner teacher. The person responsible for calling the circle and keeping the circle is also IN the Circle. Circles can hold a lot when everyone equally helps with the keeping. As if everyone were holding a sheet tight like a drum.

Circles are not therapy groups, but they can be therapeutic. It is a practice of deep listening and storytelling based in ancient and modern methods.

Circles build trust, strengthen relationships, build community and solve problems. Circles are a part of restorative justice where we seek to reconcile versus punish. This process fosters trust, builds intimacy, creates goodwill, belonging, generosity, and reciprocity. Circles create a sacred space that lifts barriers between people, opening fresh possibilities for connection, collaboration, and understanding.

The circle slows things down and gives everyone a chance to listen and speak.

As If a Circle

As if everything between us was already a blessing, As if a circle traced around all that waited to be seen, As if needing only that word

that made it welcome known Released at last Into its astonished joy.

-Jan Richardson

Who are Circles for?

Circles are for any group of people who seek to be more connected and intentional about meeting together.

Circles help with:

General communication and sharing
Teambuilding and Leadership
Business teams engaged in deep listening
Families making important decision based on deep values
Groups engaged in mutual learning
Spiritual or religious groups gathering to connect without the pressure and responsibility for the leadership and organization

Sample Circle Gatherings:

A Board of Directors gathering in retreat to reflect on their work, deepen connections, connect to mission.
A group facing a change of leadership.
A team coming together to prepare for change.
A family meeting for decision making, preparing for change, preparing for or honoring important milestones, sharing stories, celebrating, or ceremony.

Circle can deepen the time together. Help those who are “long talkers” summarize and deepen their sharing. Help those who don’t usually share much to feel more invited to share their thoughts.

Circle Themes

Circles can be organized around specific topics. Here are some topics to consider:

The experience of spiritual or religious harm.
Connecting more deeply to spirituality (any religious, non-religious, or mixed group).
Religious or philosophical study and connecting more deeply to the material and each other.
Fostering dignity, courage and reconciliation after embarrassment or mistakes.
Courageous Leadership: connecting to your own leadership skills, values and sense of courage.
Family leadership and family meetings.
Ceremonial moments of life change (death of a loved one, marriage, blending of families, family reunions).
Focus groups related to meeting the mission and values of an organization.
Leadership or supervisory teams seeking to connect to personal values, professional values and the company mission.
Leaving an end-of-life legacy.
Exploring scarcity mindset and a sense of enough-ness.
Being more playful and engaging with creativity and fun.
Overcoming a breach of trust, disagreement or embarrassment that could benefit from reconciliation.
Professional counselors, counseling students and social service/treatment providers deepening connection to values-based work, reducing burnout, exploring transference and counter transference.
The Gathering

You provide the venue, hospitality, and chairs. Groups are ideally limited to about 15 people. Chairs need to be placed in a circle with no table or immovable object in the middle.