🌿 Welcome

Rise Circles: Root & Rise Collective 

A gentle guide to holding Emotional Intelligence & Healing Circles 

For adults, educators, carers, and community members 

Welcome 

Dear You 

This guide is for you. 

For all who wish to create spaces of care, reflection, and resilience. 
For those who feel called to hold healing circles for adults, for carers, for educators, for communities. 

Rise Circles are gentle spaces where people can: 
🌿 Pause and breathe 
🌿 Reflect on their feelings and experiences 
🌿 Share stories (if they wish) 
🌿 Build emotional intelligence 
🌿 Connect through empathy and compassion 
🌿 Rise together; even through difficult times 

You do not need to be a therapist or expert. 
You do not need to have all the answers. 
You simply need a heart willing to listen; and space where people feel safe to be. 

So many people carry stories quietly. 
So many are healing from unseen wounds. 

Rise Circles remind us:  

You are Rooting. You are Rising. You are Growing. You are Transforming. 

Together, in circle, we can root ourselves and rise again. 

​

🦋 What is a Rise Circle? 

✅ A space of emotional safety 
✅ A space where all voices are welcome or silence is welcome 
✅ A space of choice; no pressure to speak 
✅ A space of respect and care 
✅ A space to breathe, reflect, and grow 

Rise Circles are not therapy; they are spaces of human connection. 
You can hold a Rise Circle in many places: 
✅ Community groups 
✅ Carer groups 
✅ School or staff wellbeing 
✅ Grief groups 
✅ Faith groups 
✅ Families 
✅ Healing spaces 

🌿 Who this guide is for 

✨ Educators 
✨ Carers 
✨ Community leaders 
✨ Family supporters 
✨ Wellbeing facilitators 
✨ Anyone called to hold space with care 

 

🌸 How to use this guide 

✅ Read through and take what speaks to you 
✅ Use the practices and prompts in your own way 
✅ Adapt for your space and your people 
✅ Use the printable pages to support your circles 
✅ Allow circles to grow gently; they do not have to be perfect 

Most of all; trust your heart. 
You are becoming a holder of healing spaces. 
That is enough. 

Section 1: The Heart of a Rise Circle 

At the centre of every Rise Circle is care. 

Not perfection. 
Not performance. 
Not pressure.  

Simply care for self, for others, for the shared space. 

A Rise Circle is not a therapy session. 
It is not a classroom. 
It is not a place of judgement. It is a place of being with whatever we carry. 

🦋 Principles of Rise Circles 

✨ Emotional safety first 
✨ All feelings welcome 
✨ No pressure to share 
✨ Confidentiality and respect 
✨ Consent choice to participate in your own way 
✨ Compassion for self and others 
✨ Inclusion of all identities and experiences 
✨ The circle belongs to everyone not just the facilitator 

🌿 Emotional safety & boundaries 

Before holding a circle, remember: 
✅ People may carry unseen wounds 
✅ Not all stories are ready to be told 
✅ Some participants may need extra space, or silence 

Your role is to: 
✅ Hold space; not fix 
✅ Honour boundaries; including your own 
✅ Invite; not require participation 
✅ Encourage care after difficult emotions arise 

🌸 Consent & choice. No pressure to share 

In every circle, say clearly: 
✨ “You are welcome to share; but you do not have to.” 
✨ “Silence is welcome too.” 
✨ “You may pass at any time.” 

Consent matters; for speaking, listening, and all activities. 

 

🦋 Circles of care; not therapy 

Rise Circles are not therapy groups and facilitators are not acting as therapists (unless qualified). 

✨ These circles are about community care and not clinical intervention. 
✨ If someone needs more support than the circle can give, signpost them gently to professional help. 
✨ Always know your own limits and honour them. 

🌿 Inclusivity & cultural respect 

✨ Honour cultural ways of expressing emotions. 
✨ Respect neurodiverse communication and participation. 
✨ Be mindful of trauma; some people may carry stories they cannot yet voice. 
✨ Create space for many ways of “being” in circle; talking, writing, drawing, silence, movement. 

🌸 Holding space with compassion 

Holding a circle does not mean controlling it. 

✨ Be present. 
✨ Listen deeply. 
✨ Honour what arises. 
✨ Breathe when things feel heavy. 
✨ Allow joy and lightness too. 

You are enough; simply by creating the space. 

Section 2: How to Hold a Rise Circle 

There is no one “right” way to hold a Rise Circle. 

✨ What matters most is how you hold the space: 
✅ With kindness 
✅ With emotional safety 
✅ With respect for all present 
✅ With honouring of all stories; spoken or unspoken 

This section offers gentle guidance take what speaks to you and shape the circle to suit your group. 

🌸 Planning a Rise Circle 

Before your first circle: 

✅ Find a safe space that is comfortable, quiet, private if possible 
✅ Set a simple intention (e.g. “A space to reflect and be”) 
✅ Prepare any materials (breath cards, prompts, our journal and reflection guides if needing guidance) 
✅ Invite participants gently. Be clear about what the circle is / is not 
✅ Keep the group small especially at first (4–8 people) 

🌿 Opening & closing rituals 

✨ Circles benefit from simple rhythms: 

Opening: 
✅ Light a candle 
✅ Short breath practice 
✅ A poem or quote 
✅ “Check-in” round (if people wish): one word or feeling today 

Closing: 
✅ Breath practice 
✅ “One thing I will take from this circle...” 
✅ Gratitude for self, for others, for the space 
✅ Blow out candle, or other closing symbol 

🦋 Breath & grounding for circles 

Before the circle - ground yourself: 
✅ 3 slow butterfly breaths 
✅ Feet on the floor 
✅ Hand on heart and remind yourself: “I am enough to hold this space.” 

During the circle invite breath moments as needed: 
✅ Between stories 
✅ If emotions rise 
✅ At natural pauses 

🌸 Circle flow, timing & energy 

✨ Keep circles gentle, not too long: 
✅ 60 to 90 mins is a good rhythm 

✨ Leave space between speaking; don’t rush silence. 

✨ Energy will ebb and flow; follow what arises, with care. 

✨ It is okay if some circles feel light, others heavy; trust the process. 

🌿 Inviting reflection, prompts & practices 

You can offer: 
✅ Reflection questions 
✅ Breath practices 
✅ Journaling prompts 
✅ Art or movement 
✅ You can Use guides in our journals and reflection guides 

✨ Use what feels right for your group. 
✨ Not everyone will want to “talk”, other ways of reflecting are welcome. 

🦋 Managing difficult emotions 

If strong emotions arise: 

✅ Pause. Invite breath 
✅ Thank the person for sharing 
✅ Gently ask if they would like time or space 
✅ Remind the group; it is okay to feel 
✅ Do not “fix”, hold with care 

✨ After the circle - check in with anyone who may need more support. 

🌸 Self-care after holding space 

Holding a Rise Circle can stir deep emotions for participants and for you. 

Afterwards: 
✅ Ground yourself 
✅ Rest 
✅ Reflect 
✅ Do something nurturing (walk, tea, music) 
✅ Debrief with a peer if needed 

You are allowed to care for yourself too. 

Section 3: Circle Prompts & Activities 

 

Not every circle will look the same. 
Some may be mostly reflection. 
Some may be storytelling. 
Some may be movement or breath. 

✨ Trust what your group needs. 
✨ Allow circles to unfold gently. 
✨ Offer invitations; not requirements. 

Here are some prompts and activities you can use choose what feels right. 

🦋 Reflection prompts 

• One feeling I am carrying today is... 

• One thing I have learned about myself this week... 

• A moment of resilience I had was... 

• One small joy I noticed... 

• A challenge I am holding... 

• One thing I am becoming... 

🌸 Gentle discussion themes 

• How do we notice and name our feelings? 

• What helps us stay grounded? 

• How do we hold boundaries with kindness? 

• How do we support others, and ourselves? 

• How do we rest and restore? 

• What does “rising” look like in our own lives? 

🌿 Breath & body practices 

✨ 3 slow butterfly breaths 
✨ Resting wings (hands on heart) 
✨ Grounding feet to earth 
✨ “Shake out” movement to release tension 
✨ Swaying gentle body rhythm for nervous system calming 

🦋 Art & creative options 

✨ Colouring butterfly wings “How I feel today” 
✨ Drawing or scribbling “What helps me rise” 
✨ Collage, images or words that speak to your journey 
✨ Simple clay work, shaping feelings 
✨ Movement “How does hope move through the body?” 

🌸 Journaling in circles 

Some participants may prefer quiet writing time: 

✨ 5 mins silent writing “What is on my heart today?” 
✨ “One way I am becoming...” 
✨ “One thing I give myself permission for...” 

🦋 Luma’s stories in circles (optional) 

You can read a short Luma story for children and adults (e.g. Root & Rise Luma’s Feelings Garden with Xanthe and Olivia) then invite reflection: 

✨ “What part of Luma’s story speaks to you?” 
✨ “How do you relate to that feeling?” 
✨ “What helps you when you feel like Luma?” 

✨ Always remind participants: 
✅ You can share or not. 
✅ Listening is a gift too. 
✅ All ways of being in circle are welcome. 

Section 4: Reflection Pages 

These pages are here to support reflection for you, as a Circle holder, and for anyone taking part in a Rise Circle. 

✨ You can use them in many ways: 
✅ After a circle 
✅ Between circles 
✅ In personal journals 
✅ Shared with a friend or mentor 
✅ Kept private for your own becoming 

🦋 Circle holder reflection 

• How did the circle feel today? 

• What moments felt light? 

• What moments felt heavy? 

• How was the emotional safety of the space? 

• How did I feel as the holder? 

• What will I carry forward next time? 

• What self-care do I need after this circle? 

🌸 Participant reflection page 

• Today in the circle, I felt... 

• One thing that stayed with me is... 

• Something I needed to hear today was... 

• One small step I want to take is... 

• One thing I want to give myself permission for is... 

 

🌿 Group reflections 

✨ If the group wishes, you can invite a gentle closing reflection round, written or spoken: 

• “Today I will take with me...” 

• “A hope I have after this circle is...” 

• “A strength I noticed in myself, or others is...” 

Section 5: Quotes & Affirmations for Circles 

Words can help set the tone of a Circle. 

✨ They can open hearts 
✨ Help people feel safe 
✨ Honour the moment 
✨ Remind us; we are transforming. 

You can use these: 
✅ At the start of a Circle 
✅ To close a Circle 
✅ Sprinkled through reflection time 
✅ Printed or displayed 
✅ Read aloud by any participant 

🦋 Words to open a Circle 

"You are welcome here. 
Your feelings are welcome here. 
Your silence is welcome here. 
You are enough; exactly as you are." 

✨Vim✨ 

"Together, we hold this space. 
Together, we breathe, we feel, we heal. 
Together, we root, we rise, we grow, we transform. " 

 

🌸 Gentle affirmations for healing spaces 

✨ I am allowed to rest. 
✨ All of my feelings are welcome. 
✨ My story matters. 
✨ I can set boundaries with care. 
✨ I am growing in my own time. 
✨ I do not have to carry this alone. 
✨ Small steps are still steps. 
✨ It is brave to be here. 
✨ I am becoming. 

🌿 Words to close a Circle 

"We honour what has been shared. 
We honour what remains unspoken. 
We release what no longer serves us. 
We carry forward care for ourselves, and for each other." 

✨"You are enough. 
You are loved. 
You are becoming." 

Appendices & Resources 

Creating Rise Circles is an ongoing journey. 

Here are further resources to inspire and support your work: 

🦋 Suggested reading 

• Root & Rise: Becoming the Butterfly by Vimbai Gutu 

• Root & Rise: Luma’s Feelings Garden with Xanthe & Olivia by Vimbai Gutu 

• Root & Rise: Leading with Emotional Intelligence – A guide & Reflective Journal by Vimbai Gutu 

• Root & Rise: A journey Through Emotional Intelligence by Vimbai Gutu 

• Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown 

• The Art of Holding Space by Heather Plett 

• Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff 

• Radical Compassion by Tara Brach