Shona Sundhari

When we listen deeply, we can hear and feel the energy of the Council which guides us, and we find prompts to hear what is alive and present in our circle. This is a place where healing happens.

Way of Council provides a special container to come together, where everyone has the opportunity to be witnessed, and to be a witness of others, opening us up to feel the shared humanity and interconnectedness between us all.

Way of Council is one of many forms of a listening circle rooted in ancient practice. It has a particular set of guidelines that weaves a safe container for us to speak the stories of our lives into and to practice deep compassionate listening. When we listen deeply, we can hear and feel the energy of the Council which guides us, and we find prompts to hear what is alive and present in our circle.

This a non-hierarchical place of listening, where we drop down from our busy minds, our analytical problem solving heads and come into our hearts and bodies. We become more still and present. It’s a ceremony, a place of intention and attention. We open and widen our hearts by listening deeply to others and hearing some of ourselves in their story and come to realise that we are interconnected and part of something much larger than our own individual lives and stories. This is a place where healing happens.

When we sit in this space, we connect to something ancient in us, and find a way of speaking aloud the stories of our lives that have touched us and shaped us. Here we are seen, heard and acknowledged for who we are… maybe for the first time.

I have been practicing Way of Council in my community for 8 years and am mentored by Pippa Bondy of Ancient Healing Ways. I honour her humble, beautiful and grounded work in Way of Council and Rites of Passage, and am eternally grateful for her guidance, wisdom and friendship. Please check out Pippa’s work here. She is based in Wales and offers Councils across the UK.

“After each Council I leave with a fuller heart and a renewed hope in life, knowing I am part of something much bigger.”

Opportunities coming up…

Way of Council in Community

This will be an opportunity to practice different forms of Council and is open to both newcomers and those with Circle experience.

 Please be in touch with me if you have any questions or would like to connect.