VAN GROEN, Miriam

(Netherlands)

Title of contribution:

Circling Awakened Mind

Introduction to Circling

Guided Psychedelic Journeys for Personal Growth

Where & when:

Ibiza I. (Circling)
Thursday, May 28th, 2020
16:45 – 18:00

Ibiza I. (Circling)
Thursday, May 28th, 2020
15:30 – 16:45

Toscana I.
Saturday, May 30th, 2020
11:30 – 13:30

Circling Awakened Mind

It can be really, really hard to stay awake and aware in our relationships. Long before we are selves, before we are egos, we are shaped by those around us, and in our cultures. They give us some of our most fundamental structures for what is real — and so some of the most difficult veils for our ever-present awareness. In this workshop we will take advantage of this by using a few practices inspired by the direct pointing-out instructions of Advaita Vedanta and Tibetan Buddhism adapted for use in connection, in relationship. Doing so takes us directly to these apparent obstacles to awareness and allows us to work with them in the moment, opening possibilities for a liberated, active love in our lives.

Introduction to Circling

Come learn the building blocks of Circling and try them out immediately! We’ll experience how simple, applicable practices can help us drop into much deeper connection with ourselves and others.

Circling is a highly effective relational practice that boosts the depth in your relationships, including the one with yourself. It is a combination of meditative presence, body awareness and non-violent communication, and builds curiosity and a readiness to show up vulnerably.

We practice simply being present with what arises in the moment, both in ourselves, and in connection with other people, stepping away from story and assumption, fixing or changing.

“The only place to get, is more here.”

Circling allows you to express yourself fully and to be seen as you are. The practice quickly builds relational capacity and increasing sensitivity to (and trust in) what is happening in and around you. It allows your relational blind spots to become visible, and gives you insight into your impact, your stories, how you are perceived and how you are perceiving. It is a beautiful and extremely efficient way to highlight (golden) shadows, by staying curious together.

Guided Psychedelic Journeys for Personal Growth

Guided Tripping was only officially started in 2018. At the time of writing, there are 5 guides employed there. We specialize in legal 1-day, 1-on-1 psychedelic experiences aimed at personal growth. Since all Guides have a background in Circling, it could be said we Circle people while they’re on mind- and heart-altering drugs. This modality has great potential, but also brings with it great responsibility. In this presentation you’ll hear what success factors can be deduced from the hundreds of experiences we have guided. We’ll also go into risks, which interestingly enough are not the feared ‘bad trips’, but usually more to do with an inability to value the experience for what it is (due to it not matching the hyped expectations/projections), and an inability to integrate the experience into daily life. We’re looking forward to sharing our two cents to help you navigate this expansive field.

About Miriam van Groen

After teaching for years, I burnt out. Since then my life has been very rich. The main things holding me back from being happy, feeling connected and expressing myself fully were lack of self-compassion and trust in life. I was able to shift that by integrating what I had learned through e.g. Circling. I continue to be touched by people’s courageous exploration of these practices. These days, I mainly guide people intending to use psychedelic experiences for their stage development.