Take time to fi nd your circle of life

TAKE TIME TO FIND YOUR circle of life

One country girl who has come home to escape the grind of the city has brought with her a 21st interpretation of a women’s tradition that has transcended cultures for millennia but still has a place in the digital era. CASSANDRA POWER reports on Gunbower’s women’s circle

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up on a farm in Gunbower, she remembers sitting by willow trees for hours, fascinated by the dragon fl ies buzzing around her, and was curiously interested in the water rats of the wetlands.

When she moved to Melbourne after high school to study biochemistry, she was struck by the loss of connection to the environment and her source of peace and went in search of a new connection in her new concrete jungle.

She found it at an inner-city house in Clifton Hill in 1999, when she attended her fi rst women’s circle.

Women’s circles are a practice older than time, prominent across many ancient cultures and traditionally linked to the lunar cycle.

Women who were shunned and isolated by their communities during menstruation would gather in circles to provide each other comfort, support and camaraderie.

The ritual has continued to evolve throughout the ages and exists in many forms today.

Although steeped in tradition, Hannah’s Melbourne version was a little more modern and she made the circles a major part of her life throughout her time in Melbourne.

On one occasion she even found herself at a gathering of more than 150 women.

Hannah said these large circles were deeply rooted in pagan mythology and the women who took part expressed themselves largely through dancing.

“It was slightly overwhelming, the women were running around, dancing and experiencing visibly intense emotional releases,” she said.

“But I still felt a connection to them and was supported by them as I worked through some bad experiences in my life.”

The 19 year-old had walked into a weird feminist world — and had found her home.

In the 20 years since Hannah found her fi rst women’s circle, they have grown in popularity across the world and can now be found in mainstream society.

The trend coincides with the ever-increasing demands of work and family on individuals in our fast-moving world.

A 2018 survey from women’s health not for profi t organisation Jean Hailes, found almost half of Australia’s women had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety and around a third of women reported not getting enough time to themselves on a weekly basis.

In a post #METOO society women are increasingly voicing their dissatisfaction with their role in society.

And the emergence of a booming self-care industry is an indication those women are looking for new and alternative ways to care for themselves and make changes in their lifestyles.

Having felt the pull of home, Hannah and her two boys have been back in Gunbower for six years now and like many adults who return to their hometown after a signifi cant period of time away, she is struggling with the social isolation that can come with country life.

“I have no interest in a drinking culture so I didn’t know what to do or how to make friends,” she said.

IT’S A STRESSFUL TIME, WE NEED TO STOP THINKING ‘I NEED TO DO THIS OR I SHOULD DO THAT’. WE NEED TO GET OFF OUR PHONES, WALK AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND COME AS YOU ARE. IT’S TWO HOURS TO FORGET ABOUT THE WORLD, BE PRESENT AND just be you

“I thought, what do women here do and how can I get involved?”

In an effort to ‘think globally and act locally’ Hannah launched a circle in Cohuna last month.

“I just thought about the problems in our world today; domestic violence, economic hardship, how the price of water is making everyone’s life really tough.

“I thought about the effect of those things on our mental health and I thought maybe there was a place for it.”

But Hannah’s intense Melbourne experiences are a thing of the past.

She has changed and so too have women’s circles.

She is not looking to replicate her city circles in the country, rather opting for a more downto-earth approach— far removed from the historic rituals.

“I don’t miss the spiritual side at all but I miss the connection,” she said.

Hannah has taken on the role of the leader of her circle— it’s a new role for her and one she finds challenging.

Traditionally the entire group takes ownership of the circle; but given the new environment and the lack of experience in the group, Hannah has stepped up.

“I had to overcome the imposter syndrome and learn to be vulnerable around others,” she said.

At the session Hannah takes time to welcome people, she opens up the space and allows people to get comfortable, then guides the group through around 20 minutes of meditation— which utilises objects and cards of affirmation and aspiration.

“For newcomers 20 minutes is a long time to meditate, so the objects help beginners to focus,” she said.

When the meditation is over, the group reflects on any thoughts or feelings they experienced, they chat to each other about it and set an intention for the next week.

“It might be; I want to be a better mother or I want to do more exercise. It can be anything really as long as it means something to you.”

As deeply personal as this sounds, the women end things lightly, they share a platter of food and drink something non-alcoholic.

Hannah said women should come along, just to take a moment for themselves and free themselves from their roles as mums or wives or workers— or all of the above.

“It’s a stressful time, we need to stop thinking ‘I need to do this or I should do that’.

“We need to get off our phones, walk away from social media and come as you are.

“It’s two hours to forget about the world, be present and just be you.”

Hannah said she was ‘really heartened’ with the last month’s circle and plans to continue holding the meetings once a month.

She hopes more people will join her and experience what this circle is like.

“It went pretty well, I definitely didn’t think it was a huge mistake, everyone was really positive and happy to be there.”

The next session will be on March 10 at Cohuna Co from 7pm–9pm.

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