Learning The Circle Way
Spring 2025 Cohort
The Space Beyond Polarity
An introductory course in hosting, The Circle Way
The world is shifting beneath our feet and somehow feels less steady. It’s easy to feel divided, disconnected, unsure of the path ahead.
Conversations, whether in our communities, workplaces, or families, are becoming harder, more polarised, more fragile.
It’s all feeling so damn hard, so serious! What if the antidote were something very old, very human, something we’ve always know…circle.
You're here because you're asking 'what can I do?'
How do I bring people together for conversations that help us make sense of this?
How do I help us find a way forward together, without giving up on what's important to me when we disagree?
How do I stay grounded and open-hearted, yet firm, in leading conversations that challenge me?
Curious? Then this course is for you.
Circle is not new.
It is ancient wisdom returning at a time when we urgently need it. We are not meant to figure this out alone. We were never meant to.
The wisdom is in the space between us.
That’s why Circle matters. Now more than ever.
The Circle Way is both ancient and timely—a practice for hosting conversations that foster trust, depth, and meaning in an uncertain world.
Whether you're leading a community, hosting a team discussion, thinking of running a women's or men's group, or simply longing to facilitate deeper dialogue with the people in your life—this course will give you the tools, principles, and most importantly, the embodied practice to start to step into this work with confidence.
What You’ll Experience
In this 5-week course, Melinda and Kev will guide you through the essentials of The Circle Way, helping you gain the confidence to invite, host, and hold space for transformative conversations.
You’ll learn how to:
Navigate both tension and harmony within groups.
Create a sense of belonging where all voices are heard.
Guide conversations toward deeper understanding, collective wisdom and better action.
Come explore circle practice together
Twenty years ago, authors and teachers Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea noticed that putting people in circle created a dynamic learning field, no matter what the topic.
They began to study the power of circle as a relational form, and to inquire how circle might be re-introduced into mainstream settings.
Circle arose in different cultures and languages and re-adapts to different cultures, languages, and environments. ‘The Circle Way’ is a new form for these times.
You are welcome whether you are new to circle or whether you have been practicing for many years. You are welcome whether you want to find a way to talk with your family and friends, or if you want to gather the employees of a large corporation to re-imagine the future of the organization.
The Components
The Components of The Circle Way gives you a toolbox to host meaningful conversations and circles within the complexity of our times.
Live Co-learning
Each session allows us to apply what we're learning in Circle Practice. In small groups you’ll try it out for yourself through hosting and participating in circle.
Expanded Listening
As we deepen into each weekly theme, there will be an opportunity for your own enquiry and growth by listening to where you and others stand.
Course Format & Details
Duration: 5 weeks (4 sessions, 1 week for reflection and integration)
Dates: Wednesday, 30th April - 28th May 2025
Sessions: 2 hours each
Time: 1pm EST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET
Location: online (on Zoom)
16 spaces available in this circle.
Price: Early-bird £345
(Full price: £390 from 20th March")
Supported: The Circle Way offer grants to make this teaching accessible to all. Find out about grants and apply
What’s included:
4 x live 2-hour learning sessions – interactive, experiential, and rooted in practice
Digital course materials & take-home worksheets – tools to deepen your on-going learning
A private online community – working together and in small groups for connection, sharing, and ongoing support
Weekly practice sessions – a space to embody what you’re learning in real time
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Melinda Varfi
WEAVER & CIRCLE PRACTITIONER
Melinda believes in the power of communities and is passionate about helping them grow to contribute towards a sustainable society. Having worked in different fields of work, she has found that the closest topic to her heart is sustainability – both on a personal, collective and cosmological level.
She enjoys engaging with people in meaningful conversations about their environment and enabling them to recognize their own true power to make steps towards a more sustainable world. In the last 10 years she has been facilitating and designing such dialogues and processes with participatory methods such as Art of Hosting and Theory U.
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Kev Self
WEAVER & CIRCLE PRACTITIONER
Kev is curious about how we come together to create space to be vulnerable with one another, allow our real humanity to show up and create conversations that count. He draws on his experience in facilitating experience design and innovation and deep into the understanding of what it is to be human.
He believes this is where the magic happens and how we can create a more sustainable future for ourselves, our communities and this lovely planet. He is a master facilitator and host in Design Thinking and co-creation and applies this to how we create and hold space for one another to show up as the gift we are.
Buy the book
Whether you'd like a head-start on the course, or get into this work at your own pace, get the book:
'The Circle Way, A Leader in Every Chair', by Christina and Ann
It will walk you through the framework and how to apply The Circle Way.
Are you holding any questions?
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To get the most from this course what works if you:
Attend the live 2-hour sessions (there will be replays and as circle is a very human thing and learnt in practice)
Put in time for around 30 mins pre-work for each session
(Optionally) attend a 1-hour Practice Circle each week - while optional we highly, highly recommend you get the practice in while you’re on the course and have access to your trainers
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Our weekly 2-hour sessions are at 1-3pm EST, 6-8pm GMT, 7-9pm CET.
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Each cohort runs with 8-15 participants.
You’ll get experience working as a full group and also in small intimate groups for practice.
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Absolutely, in fact it’s the best next step to host a circle with a community, at your work or even with friends.
You’ll be given the toolset and some chance to practice on the course so you have the foundations to go out and play.
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Then please get in touch with Melinda at melindavarfi@gmail.comWe'll get all your questions answered.
The Space Beyond Polarity
A course in The Circle Way
You can register now at Early-bird price until 20th March 2025
(full price £390)