The Centering Circle
“Here’s the deal. The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed - to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is.”
- Parker Palmer
A Community of Practice to Cultivate Soulful Centeredness through the Art of Conversation.
A Year of Deep Connection and Listening to our own Wisdom within a Cohort of Purposeful and Caring Fellow-Travelers.
Scheduled Launch: September 26, 2025
Participation is by Referral/Invitation and entails Completing an Enrollment Form, and having an Orientation Conversation.
The Cohort is limited to 18 members.
“May You Live in Interesting Times”
We live in challenging times that can feel like walking through fire, with the weight of the world on our shoulders and time getting away from us.
Life often feels too big, chaotic and moving too fast for us to fully process and navigate alone.
(Does this resonate with you?)
That said, pressure also makes diamonds!
It’s precisely in these times that we have the opportunity to reveal more of who we are, to get clear on what’s most important, and discover what we’re here to create.
(What becomes possible when we lean into this together?)
“Your great mistake is to act the drama as if you were alone.”
In his poem, “Everything is Waiting For You”, David Whyte reminds us …
We are always connected, nourished and held within the intimacy of our surroundings.
We regain our Centeredness by courageously entering into authentic relationship with ourselves and others.
As the poem encourages, we invite you to “put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into the conversation.”
The Details
A Monthly 3hr Session on Friday Mornings for a Year
The Centering Circle is a facilitated, dialogue-orientated conversation to be held 9:00am-12:00pm (PT) one Friday morning of a month, via Zoom.
Think of it as a monthly “Spa-Day” for your Soul!
Each session is Co-Facilitated by Ruben Rodriguez and Loraine Björendahl.
Each Cohort is limited to 18 participants.
Each participant will be thoughtfully invited, oriented and welcomed into the cohort to support a safe, caring and supportive space.
Any participant that violates the conduct guidelines of the Circle will be excused, for the sake of the entire cohort.
What this Is (and Isn’t)
This is an intentional community of practice for the sake of supporting exploration of your true human experience - a way to genuinely sit with and move through the challenges, embrace the growth opportunities and discover the gifts that are central to your life.
This is an opportunity to get quiet, to consciously explore your deepest questions, unpack sticky challenges, unlock new possibilities, gratitudes, explore your true sense of aliveness/energy, and learn to be in the mystery.
It’s a safe space to practice brave things:
To feel whatever fear, anger, sadness, happiness and hope that’s present to you,
To reconnect with and listen to your own inner wisdom, and
To be held in the compassionate acceptance of others who are on their own journey.
The Centering Conversation is a whole experience.
Whatever you discover, notice, embrace, and resolve within yourself, on that day and the days that follow, is the point. From this place of self awareness, of centeredness, and support we can meet life - whatever it brings - just as it is, with more, clarity, grace, and power than was possible before.
This Is Not
This is not a training, seminar, workshop or coaching program and there’s no pre-work or post-work required.
This isn’t about Teaching, Advising, Debating, Rescuing, Tips, Techniques, Solutions or Life-Hacks.
Co-Facilitated
This Centering Circle is being co-facilitated in order to offer the maximum opportunity to listen, serve and connect with the variety of participants we anticipate.
We come from different backgrounds, talents and personal motivations for offering this Circle and we believe this provides a unique value to the Cohort.
You can read about us in our brief bios below.
One-Year Commitment
In order to build a cohesive and supportive Circle culture, we are requiring that participants commit to the entire one-year Circle duration.
We will endeavor to provide as much insight into the Centering Circle approach as possible, but the truth is that the way forward is co-created and we don’t know how your experience will be.
It’s so often the case that challenges or struggles are invaluable pointers to exactly the places we can have breakthroughs in our lives.
We ask you to be very thoughtful in your decision to participate and give yourself the gift of staying with this powerful (and sometimes challenging) experience.
Additional Engagement
While the invitation is to participate in a year of Centering conversations, you may choose to engage in additional activities to personalize your exploration .
Personal Journaling
Three Topic Workshops
Buddy-Partnering
Private (Encrypted) Messaging App - to enable between session chat
Individual Coaching (additional fee)
Investment
$3,600.00
This fee amount reflects the true cost of offering this program and sustains us as facilitators.
It allows us to continue offering this work in the world.
If you wish to participate, but find this investment too difficult, please let us know and we can explore various approaches.
How might a Centering Circle Look and Feel?
Imagine…
Welcome
You settle into your comfortable space at home and take a moment to breathe deeply, letting the noise of the world quiet down.
We begin with somatic grounding to help everyone feel fully present.
You feel the energy that arises when people gather, attune to each other, and listen deeply. We intend to co-create a welcoming space of warmth, acceptance, and possibility.
Inspiration
Then, we sharing a thoughtful piece (e.g., poem, song, image, story) such as Mary Oliver’s poem “The Journey,” which invites us to be bold and take the necessary leap to serve ourselves.
We’ll take a moment to center ourselves and sense whatever was evoked in our mind, heart and body by the poem.
Conversation
Each person is now welcome—but never pressured—to share their initial responses to the source shared in a few uninterrupted minutes.
After a quiet pause, an open, flowing dialogue begins, where anyone can speak as they feel inspired - following the guidelines we’ve agreed will ensure a safe and supportive space.
Closing
We’ll close the circle by honoring the confidentiality of what’s been shared, and before we part, there’s an opportunity for final reflections, ensuring everyone leaves feeling truly heard and complete.
There’s no need to advise, fix, or save anyone or anything.
Being in the dialogue will be an entire experience of its own.
It’s a rare and healing thing to gather for soulful connection with yourself and authentic sharing with others.
Co-Facilitators
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Loraine Björendahl
Leadership and Human Development Coach (Austin, TX)
“As a mother, coach, and facilitator, I’m passionate about exploring what brings us alive and gives us meaning. I believe we’re already equipped with the innate wisdom and resources to navigate life, even in times of uncertainty. Often, we just need an intentional and consistent space to uncover what’s already there - to reconnect with the wisdom of our body, mind, and heart.
The truth is, we aren’t designed to grow or make sense of life alone. We thrive in connection, tapping into our shared wisdom.. In the Circle, we remember who we are and find the clarity and support needed to be with life as it is and move through it with greater resilience, creativity, and joy.
I’m thrilled to be co-facilitating with Ruben, whose presence brings an abundance of warmth, curiosity, humor, and genuine care. Together, we’re committed to creating an authentic, compassionate space for real connection and deeper exploration of the true human journey.”
-
Ruben Rodriguez
Personal Leadership Coach (Monterey, CA)
I’ve been guiding group conversations and personal reflection for years, and I’ve seen how powerful things can get when people feel safe enough to really show up. When we slow down together and connect, insights surface, possibilities open up and something truly beautiful happens.
It’s why I feel this way of connecting is so important - especially in these challenging times.
I’m very happy and honored to co-facilitate The Centering Circle with Loraine. She brings deep experience, clarity, wisdom and compassion to every conversation. It’s truly a gift to work alongside someone who creates such meaningful, and transformative spaces for others.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-rodriguez-9833921/