Friendship Circles
Within the sangha, Friendship Circles are a simple way for people to meet in smaller groups and connect in shared presence.
These are not teaching spaces, and they are not facilitated groups. They are gatherings of equals—an opportunity to sit together in openness, honesty, and simplicity, allowing the natural depth of being to be recognized in community.
The spirit of these circles is not to “do” anything or to work toward a particular outcome, but to rest together in what is already here.
What these spaces are NOT
To support clarity within the sangha field, Friendship Circles are not for:
Teaching, guiding, or leading spiritual practice
Facilitating therapy-style or process-based group work
Offering modalities such as yoga, breathwork, or other structured practices
Taking a “lead” role in holding or directing the group
While all human experience is welcome, these circles are not oriented around working through personal stories or psychological processing. The emphasis is on recognizing the awareness in which all experience appears.
What happens in a Friendship Circle
These gatherings are intentionally simple. They may include:
Sitting together in shared silence or presence
Open sharing from direct lived experience
Deep listening without fixing, advising, or interpreting
Allowing insights from the teaching to arise naturally and organically
There is no structure that needs to be followed beyond the sincerity of presence.
A note on expression and shared attunement
Within Friendship Circles, we invite expression to remain simple, open, and unstructured, rather than moving into teaching, facilitation, or the sharing of modalities and frameworks. If there is a wish to offer teachings or practices, these are best expressed outside the sangha container.
These circles are self-organizing, and their tone is shaped moment to moment by everyone who participates. If the group begins to move toward teaching, facilitation, or sustained personal processing, members are gently invited—through their own sensitivity and care—to return to simple presence, listening, and open sharing.
The integrity of these spaces is not maintained through rules, but through shared attunement.
How to join a Friendship Circle
Friendship Circles form organically within the sangha. Some are open to new members, while others may be more steady or closed once formed.
To support connection and coordination, there is a shared WhatsApp group where circles are often announced or coordinated, along with a simple sign-up sheet where members can express interest or join existing groups.
At the same time, some circles also form more informally between individuals who already know one another. These may not always appear on the signup sheet, and that is part of the natural flexibility of the sangha field.
We encourage simplicity in participation—ideally committing to one primary circle where possible, so that connection can deepen and the field remains coherent.
If you are unsure where to begin, you are welcome to join the WhatsApp group, connect through the signup sheet, or reach out to Andrea for guidance.