Former Neighbours star wants to bring back ancient ritual of women’s circles
FORMER Neighbours star Imogen Bailey wants to bring back the long forgotten ritual of women’s circles, a form of communication she says is missing in modern society.
Lifestyle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FOOTY players do it when they’re huddling before a game and children do it when they’re eating their lunch in the playground. But actor Imogen Bailey believes the ancient art of women coming together to communicate in a circle has been lost.
And the former Neighbours star wants to bring women’s circles back. The ritual, that was practised in just about every culture through history, involves women coming together in a circle to support, celebrate and elevate each other through open communication.
“The circle aspect is important because in a circle everyone feels equal, whether you’re the CEO of a huge corporation or work in Coles at the register, when you sit in a circle you’re all the same and it’s a symbol of unity,” Bailey tells BW Magazine.
“And while it has been done for centuries, when industrialisation came in, everything reverted to lines and rows, kids sat in rows at school and we would line up for everything.
“But it’s really important in our modern world to bring this practice back. We are more connected than ever by the internet but, in our hyper-competitive and results-driven culture, we don’t get that quality interaction anymore.”
Bailey, who comes from a long line of teachers including her mother and grandmother who both taught, began passing on her passion for women’s circles 18 months ago, first in face-to-face workshops and courses and more recently online.
MORE FROM MERCEDES MAGUIRE
WHY BRACES ARE NOW THE LATEST MUST-HAVE ACCESSORY
CENTRAL WEST NSW IS A TREASURE TROVE OF COUNTRY HOSPITALITY
She is also piloting circle programs for men and teenagers, two groups in the community she thinks will vastly benefit from the practise. She says one of the biggest barriers to people coming together in this way is social media and technology.
“A lot of people are working remotely and alone these days,” she says.
“People are stressed and time poor and it’s just easier to have a surface relationship through social media than face-to-face. We’ve forgotten how to go deep.
“We’re living in a culture now where we’re as good as our last Instagram story and if you’re using your fuel on social media, you won’t have any time left to do it in person.”
Bailey says her version of the women’s circle is an ancient ritual with modern applications and adds that the experience can be tailored to individual needs and wants.
Her circles run for 90 minutes and include opportunities for relaxation and meditation as well as conversation focused on a particular topic, such as loneliness or patience.
She says it’s important that everyone feel safe and experiences no judgment in the circle, and so there is a rule that no advice is given.
Instead, it’s an opportunity to listen and uplift your fellow participants.
“People may think this is just a hippie thing with crystals and incense but I even do these in a corporate setting,” says Bailey, who even had a women’s circle at her wedding when she tied the knot with partner Robb in January.
“Anyone can benefit from them.”
Bailey says she would like to turn her attention to schools next as she believes children, adolescents and teens can greatly benefit from participating in circles. She recalls her own anxiety as a child and young adult and, despite being in the spotlight during her time on Neighbours and afterwards, avoided attention.
“I worry about teens growing up with their faces in devices and not experiencing enough face-to-face interaction,” Bailey says.
“I suffered from social anxiety when I was young and even in my adult world, but I hid it in my career. I avoided social situations and did the bare minimum appearances. People would comment ‘You’re so quiet’ and that would make it so much worse, to have that attention.
“And when I was based in LA for five or six years on and off I was terribly isolated, my career wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do and I would have women over to my home in LA, chanting and storytelling.
“I was obviously exploring women’s circles already for my own social reasons and I found it gave me as much wellbeing benefits as going to the gym or eating nutritious food.
“I really feel that we need this in schools and I am developing a program for that.”
Bailey, who says she hasn’t turned her back on acting and has a film in post production, is also a registered birth and end of life doula. She explains a doula’s job is as a non-medical support person who walks beside someone in life’s transitional moments. While the practise has long been popular in the UK, Europe and the US, it’s is only just starting to generate more interest in Australia.