Time: 9am PT/ 12pm ET/ 5pm UK /6pm CET
Topic: Beata Hosts sample Empathy Circle to test the process
Attending Sunday (x) = Attending (no) = Not attending.
(x) Edwin Rutsch
(x) Ingrid Hirtz
(x) Beata Terefenko
(x ) Mahip Rathore
( ) Vikki Nolan
( ) Buthaina Osman
(no ) Teri McGovern-Nintzel
photo.. screenshot
Dear Beata,
Thank you for your care, love and presence at today's circle. For me it was an incredible testament to how connected we all are, sharing the same human experiences. It was beautiful to observe in our circle how we are woven together, and not only observe but actually feel that our boundaries are pretty leaky. I so enjoyed being able to surrender and trust this underlying reality of our oneness. I believe that your facilitation contributed greatly to me being able to so profoundly experience what was there to be experienced.
Thank you so very much for that!
Much love,
Ingrid
PROJECT: To Develop The Paid Mutual Support Empathy Circles
https://sites.google.com/view/peerempathycircles/home
Thanks everyone for your presence today, for Beata hosting a sample Empathy Circle to test the process
Was very nice to see you again KarO,
2026-07-19 - Sunday, July 19
Beata Hosts sample Empathy Circle to test the process
The topic for our exploration: Intimacy with Ourselves
Some thoughts for creating the paid facilitator circle.
1. 4 minutes seemed to go very quickly, but a 2 hour circle might be long for many people.
2. I feel an ease and connection that comes from knowing everyone in the circle for a longer time. So that is a benefit of a fixed group versus drop in.
3. taking a grounding self connection break at the beginning and between rounds felt good. Felt more connected in my body.
4. It feels connecting and growth promoting to hear other peoples struggles with life’s issues. gives me a sense of our shared humanity which is connecting and grounding.
5. Again the ease of not being responsible for the organization, facilitation and time keeping, of the circle creates a sense of ease and freedom.. My consciousness does not have to hold that responsibility. which gives more space for being sensitive to my other feelings. This supports the facilitator being compensated for holding the responsibility.
Some next Steps
Ingrid and I will set up a trial run of the paid facilitator Empathy Circle prototype and get 4 other participants for 4 weeks.
1. We will develop promotional material,
2. We will do marketing
3. We will not charge but ask the participants to give feedback and ideas on the experience.
Next Meeting. let us know if you can make this or not.
We are looking at this time slot for some ongoing meetings.
2026-07-23 – Thursday, July 23
- Time: 9am PT/ 12pm ET/ 5pm UK /6pm CET
Attending Sunday (x) = Attending (no) = Not attending.
(x ) Edwin Rutsch
(x) Ingrid Hirtz
( ) Beata Terefenko
( ) Mahip Rathore
( ) Vikki Nolan
( ) Buthaina Osman
(no ) Teri McGovern-Nintzel
warmly
Edwin
Hi everyone,
Just a warm reminder that we are meeting today for our tester session! (90 min)
Time: PT: 9:00 AM, ET: 12:00 PM, UK: 5:00 PM, CET: 6:00 PM
Mahip, since you have the little ones around, please know it is completely fine if you need to slip away early. We have 5 confirmed participants today: Edwin, Ingrid, Mahip, karO and myself. Best to not go beyond this number for today. karO from Poland will be joining us. She is a very experienced EC facilitator.
The topic for our exploration: Intimacy with Ourselves
I will provide an orientation once we meet. I want to invite us today to turn inward to our relationship with ourselves. In the future, if this structure works, we can explore our relationship to others, with the collective, and beyond. This could become a series of deepening our different types of relationships, but starting today with ourselves as the foundation.
I’m really looking forward to dropping into this deep space with you all today.
The link to join is below.
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/9896109339
With warmth,
Beata
The topic for our exploration: Intimacy with Ourselves
Gemini AI:
“Intimacy with Ourselves” is essentially the practice of turning our empathy inward. It means developing a deep, honest, and compassionate connection with your own internal landscape—your felt bodily sensations, emotions, underlying needs, and shifting thoughts—without judgment.
Instead of ignoring our inner world or letting a harsh inner critic run the show, self-intimacy is about becoming an exceptionally good listener to yourself.
Here is a breakdown of what that look like in practice:
It starts with basic, direct sensing. It’s the ability to pause and check in with your body: Is there tightness in my chest? Am I feeling energized or completely drained? It’s about accurately identifying your current state (e.g., distinguishing between surface-level frustration and deeper exhaustion) rather than numbing or overriding it to just keep pushing forward.
Intimacy requires safety, and internal intimacy means creating a safe space within your own mind to admit what you actually feel, even if it’s uncomfortable, unflattering, or socially inconvenient. It means dropping the performance or the masks you might wear for others and looking at your true fears, desires, and biases with clear eyes.
A major barrier to self-intimacy is the immediate impulse to fix, change, or criticize what we find inside. If you feel anger or jealousy, a self-intimate approach doesn't say, "I shouldn't feel this way." Instead, it offers a gentle curiosity: "I am feeling this right now. Let me sit with it and understand where it's coming from." You are holding space for yourself exactly as you are in the moment.
When we are intimate with ourselves, we recognize that our emotions are signals. Fear might point to a need for safety; anger might point to a crossed boundary or a need for respect. By listening deeply, you can track the lifecycle of your feelings and discover what core needs are calling for action.
In short: Just as intimacy with another person requires deep listening, vulnerability, and presence, intimacy with ourselves is about building a secure, empathetic partnership with your own being. It’s the foundation that allows us to show up authentically and offer genuine presence to the world around us.