Written Response

The benefits of the empathy circle can be many, complex and have the potential for building on top of each other.

An empathy circle nourishes many of our human common needs. To name a few:

Connection, presence, compassion, seeing the humanity of others and self, contribution, belonging, acceptance, community, inclusion, support, clarity, meaning…..

Well, it definitively brings the beauty of being heard, wrapped in the concept of mattering.Somehow, the empathy circle gives us the permission to express when we could have shyed away, to hear oneself from a different perspective, or from another voice. This is a gift in itself.

Rita

The empathy circles I find bring you to this level of understanding of yourself in a way that nourishes a lot your needs. So many needs, if you try to compile them, they build one on each other. The need for belonging, for community, also for love and understanding, and compassion.

The need that I think is the most important is this being heard, in that being heard, there is that feeling of "Oh my, I matter." and that is really precious, often we are shy to speak and we think "Oh, it's not important" but then when you hear it back from someone else's voice it becomes more beautiful and that's like cycle that is very fulfilling. I think to wrap the circle I wonder if the most important feeling it brings, is a feeling of relief.

Mrinal Reflection

What I hear you say, is that you feel that when we are part of empathy circles, the biggest thing that comes forward to you is the needs. The need of being loved, of being felt compassionately, of feelings others and more importantly feeling your own self. And that need sometimes unfolds so beautifully in these circles that you yourself, feel amazed at what you perhaps where needing. That make you feel wonderful about the entire experience?