The Heart circle guide
This is a guide on how to lead a Heart Circle. It’s meant to support and inspire you. Use it as a compass and make it your own. Some elements are important to keep as they protect both you as the circle leader and everyone who participates. Tip: Read through the guide beforehand and rewrite it in your own words in a notebook. Bring it with you to your first circle.
Summary
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Opening: Set the mood, create a warm and welcoming space.
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Introduction: A short and personal welcome.
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Explain the Heart Circle: Briefly explain how the circle works.
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Core guidelines: For safety, openness and authentic sharing.
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Before the circle: Start with a short meditation.
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Group division: If you are many, divide into smaller circles.
Opening
Preparations: Buy fruit and tea to serve participants, as well as tissues (many emotions are often involved). Send the receipt to Stine (95050298) for reimbursement.
Arrive early: about 40- 60 minutes before.
When you arrive:
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Place the sign (if available) outside, to make it easy to find the entrance.
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Light candles and create a warm atmosphere with soft lighting and slow music.
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Put out pillows and blankets and create a circle.
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Welcome the participants, especially newcomers and those sitting alone.
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Encourage participants to leave their phones outside so everyone can be fully present.
Setting up the circle:
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Think of the circle as a campfire circle, where the center becomes a natural gathering point. You may place a symbolic “fireplace” in the middle. Use a talking object, a small object held by the person sharing. This makes it clear who has the floor and helps everyone else listen.
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We all start in the main circle and break up into smaller groups when the sharing begins. Preferably no more than 8 per circle.
Stepping into the role of a circle leader
As a circle leader, you set the tone. You are not meant to act or perform a role but just be yourself. Heart Circle is built on values such as vulnerability, openness and authenticity. When you dare to be authentic, others feel safe to do the same.
Introduction
A brief introduction about yourself: Why are you here? What does Heart Circle mean to you? When you are personal you inspire the participants to do the same.
What do authenticity and vulnerability mean? These are the core values of the Heart Circle and mean taking of our masks and sharing what is real to us. Not all participants have a conscious relationship with these values, so please take a moment to explain these values.
Explain the steps of Heart Circle
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Heart Circle is a sharing circle where we share how we feel right now. We focus on expressing how we feel, rather than analyzing or explaining.
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The person sharing holds a talking object, so that it is clear who is sharing.
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We listen actively: We do not interrupt the sharing, but show through our body language that we are listening with attention, care and empathy.
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Physical support: If someone becomes overwhelmed, they are welcome to ask for support. This could be someone sitting closer or placing a hand on their back.
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After you have shared, try to sit in silence for a while.
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You are allowed to just listen if you do not feel like sharing.
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Each participant has around 10 minutes, ensuring that everyone has time to share.
Core guidelines (important to mention)
These boundaries protect both facilitators and participants and help create safe sharing. Heart circle is a new concept for many, so clarity is essential.
Remember to mention:
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Confidentiality – What is shared in the circle stays in the circle. This builds trust and safety.
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We do not interrupt or comment on others' sharing, but it’s fine to place a hand on your heart or nod if something resonates. If after the circle you are curious about something the others shared, you should first ask permission.
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Not a therapeutic space – Heart circle is not therapy. We share how we feel in the present moment, but we do not go into detailed stories about severe trauma, abuse, violence, or suicidal experiences. This protects both participants and facilitators, who do not have a professional background in handling serious mental challenges.
Before the circle begins
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Feel free to end with some warm words: For example: " Together, we create a loving and safe space for presence and sharing. Thank you for being here."
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Meditation: We begin the circle with a short meditation to create presence and focus. After the meditation is finished, we remain in silence until the sharing begins.
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Group division: If breaking into smaller circles, mention this before the meditation.
When the meditation ends, participants quietly move to their groups.
The facilitator in each group begins the sharing round by sharing first.
After the circle
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Remember to mention: Close the circle by mentioning that “If after the circle you are curious about something the others shared, you should first ask permission.”
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Socialization: Not everyone wants to socialise, but leave room for those who do.
Support each other
Feel free to have a little check-in with the other circle leaders before starting. Share how you are feeling and agree on how you can support each other along the way.
If at any point you feel unsure or need help, contact project coordinator Stine (95050298) or an experienced Heart Circle leader. You are never alone!
Thank you to you as a Hearth Circle leader
Holding a Heart Circle isn’t about doing everything “perfectly.” It’s about being present, listening, and creating a space where people can meet each other exactly as they are. Thank you for making this community possible.The Heart Circle lives through you.
