The Circle

Enter the Circle ::::

This is a lovely process posted here for your enjoyment and self-nurturance.  It’s excerpted (and truncated in spots for space) from the book, The Trance of Scarcity by Victoria Castle.    ~ Whitehawk

Imagine you’re walking in open country. You come upon a vast Circle in an expansive, fertile field. Streams and springs are flowing into this sunny area, providing the optimal environment for life to flourish. This is not a Circle made by human hands; rather, it’s a zone where the energy of the universe flows without restriction. The Circle is not made or run by people, though everyone and everything is included in it. You have your own permanent place here.

This Circle is home to satisfying relationships, meaningful work, inspired learning, endless resources and opportunities, laughter and creativity, and a prevailing sense of ease. Remember a time when you felt carefree, safe, energized and happy–maybe playing with childhood friends, or dancing with your sweetheart. That’s the feeling: a pervasive sense of glad assurance. In the Circle, life is not a series of obstacles to overcome, it’s a steady flow of opportunities.

There is no fence around the Circle, no admission gate, no entrance fee. Regardless of your age, your weight, the color of your skin, your gender, your education, your nationality, your financial status, or others’ opinions of you–you already belong here. No person or condition has the power to keep you out. You alone can take yourself out of the Circle, but your place will always be reserved for you. Your place in the Circle never expires. If you leave, it’s simply vacant until you return.

So come on in. Or you may find that you don’t have to move at all; the Circle expands to include you. The Circle can be as expansive or cozy as you like. Set down all the baggage you’ve been carrying. Isn’t it nice to be rid of that burden? Your shoulders relax, you take a deep breath, and your back uncoils. It’s like getting into a hot tub at the end of a long trudge on a winter’s day. The nature of the Circle is flow, and you are part of that flow wherever you are and whatever you do within the Circle.

Here are some reports of how it feels to be inside the Circle:zen circle

“I’m smarter, funnier, and I’m sure I’m better looking!”

“Colors are brighter and I feel alive, like when I hiked Mount Rainier.”

“Problems really do become opportunities here.”

“The only restriction on what’s possible is how much good I can stand!”

For a moment now, purposely remove yourself from the Circle. Stand at a distance, looking at the Circle while no longer inside it. Notice how you feel when you take yourself out and separate yourself. You may feel lonely, left out, invisible, or disconnected. Being outside the Circle may also feel familiar, while being inside may feel like a wild, unlikely fantasy. If you’re used to struggle, ease can feel foreign and you may distrust it at first.

Now come back to the Circle and make yourself at home in the way that feels best for you. Honor your own pace; maybe step up to the edge, and just barely step inside. There’s no wrong way to consent to becoming part of the Circle. Simply discover what works for you, Just know that you already belong and that your space is always reserved for you, no matter what.

The nature of the Circle is flow, so whenever you step into the Circle, you step into the flow. When you separate from the Circle, you’re resisting the flow. Remember: there’s no way to earn your way into the Circle because you already belong.

Entering the Circle isn’t determined by your worthiness. It depends on your consent. Just check this out. What would it be like if you lived–all the time–as if you already belonged?

Notice this last bit. You’re not just a consumer in this Circle. You are a generator, far more ingenious, inspired, and outrageously collaborative than you’ve ever imagined. The Circle is enriched because you’re in it.

Let’s be clear: the Circle is not a place. It doesn’t have a time zone or a compass point. The Circle is a way of being–and we’re either being in the circle, or being out of the circle. Most of us have embodied a way of being outside the circle. We’ve accepted an implied atmosphere of competition or combat, of domination and intimidation. To dominate or intimidate, it’s necessary to create a sense of scarcity. Not enough thinking keeps us in survival mode, the reptilian brain on constant alert, scanning for threats, preparing to attack or defend. Not enough thinking preempts our higher brain functions, the ones that inspire us to innovate and cooperate. Whichever side we stand on in separation–victim or hero/martyr–we’re operating out of separation.

Choosing to belong in the Circle is an act of sovereignty. We belong because we choose to belong.

Here’s the practice:
Whenever you notice you’ve stepped out of the Circle, consent to come back in. Taking your place in the Circle means belonging to the flow of all life, drawing on its juice and vitality, and making your own contribution to it. Stepping into the Circle means hooking up your individual life force with a life force much bigger than yours–the life force that moves and fuels all things; the flow that constantly replenishes itself.

Repeat this practice several times, making it more vivid and visceral each time.

What if you always lived as if you already belonged?

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