Spiralling - a year-long elemental journey

A year-long journey of monthly online sharing circles through the five elements, with a “choose your own adventure” option

A slow, relational passage through the elemental energies of human experience, as they show up in our bodies, our relationships, and our lives.

This year-long series of monthly online sharing circles invites you into a living relationship with the five elements of the Tibetan mandala (space, water, earth, fire and air). Rather than a linear programme of self-improvement, this is a spiral journey: one that meets emotional challenges with curiosity, honours what is already here, and gradually reveals the wisdom held within our most familiar patterns.

We move through the five elements of the mandala twice - first by meeting the encumbered energies of the elements, and then by returning to those same elemental gates to discover their innate wisdom qualities.

Nothing is bypassed, nothing is rejected; everything belongs.

What This Journey Is

• A monthly online sharing circle, held in a small, consistent group

• A blend of gentle teaching, guided reflection, embodied inquiry, simple ritual, journalling and shared listening

• Rooted in the five elements of the Tibetan mandala, offered in accessible, non-dogmatic language

• A space for integration rather than accumulation

• A practice of being seen and seeing others, without fixing or advice

• Choose Your Own Adventure: option to do just the monthly group circles, or add a one-to-one facilitated session to deepen your relationship with each of the five elements (10 sessions total). You don’t need to decide about the 1:1 work at the beginning.

You do not need prior knowledge of Buddhism or mandala practice. You only need a willingness to meet your experience with honesty and care.

The Spiral We Will Walk Together

Opening Circle — Entering the Mandala

We begin by orienting to the five elemental families of the mandala as a living map and establishing the relational field for the year. Together we set intentions, shared agreements, and a rhythm that supports depth without overwhelm.

First Spiral: Encumbered Energies

Months 2–6 (May-September)

We start where most spiritual work asks us to hurry past: the places of reactivity, contraction, and habit. Each month focuses on one element as it shows up when we are stressed, defended, or over-identified, not as pathology, but as intelligence shaped by experience. We will cultivate a turning towards these challenging emotional patterns as a way to unblocking them.

• Space — Confusion & Distraction
  Overwhelm, numbness, and the fear of groundlessness

• Water — Anger & Aversion
  Reactivity, emotional turbulence, and pushing away

• Earth — Pride & Inadequacy
  Inflation, worthlessness, comparison, and the weight of self

• Fire — Craving & Compulsion
  Grasping, urgency, and desire that burns too hot

• Air — Jealousy & Busyness
  Restlessness, envy, and constant motion

These circles invite tenderness, authenticity and curiosity.

Second Spiral: Wisdom Energies

Months 7–11 (October-February)

We return to the same elemental gates, this time attuning to their unconditioned qualities - the wisdom that becomes available when these energies are met with awareness rather than resistance.

• Space — All-Encompassing Spaciousness
  Open awareness and ease

• Water — Mirror-Like Clarity
  Emotions as clear reflection rather than reaction

• Earth — Equanimity
  Steady belonging beyond comparison or self-judgement

• Fire — Discernment
  Seeing things as they are without the pull of craving

• Air — All-Accomplishing Wisdom
  Effortless, responsive action in service of the whole, being able to rest in the wisdom that everything is already accomplished

This is not about pushing away our challenging patterns, but rather recognising the wisdom that lies beneath.

Closing Circle — Completing the Mandala

We close the year by honouring what has shifted, what continues, and what can now be released. The container dissolves, but the spiral of the five elements continues in daily life.

How the Circles Work

• Monthly live online gatherings (dates and times listed below)

• Each circle includes:

  • A short teaching or framing

  • A guided reflective or embodied practice

  • Perhaps a short ritual or journalling prompts

  • Spacious, facilitated sharing (no fixing, no advice)

• Confidential, respectful, and trauma-aware container

• You are always welcome to share from exactly where you are, or just remain present

Choose Your Own Adventure

There are two ways to participate in this year-long journey:

1. online monthly circles only

2. monthly circles plus 10 online one-to-one sessions with me to explore the elements deeper

For a more in-depth, bespoke journey throughout the year:

• you can add a monthly one-to-one facilitated Mandala Method session on the five elements (in months 2-11, 10 sessions total)

• we will agree on which practices we might want to explore together. For each of the five elements, we can choose from:

  • a Life Review - guided meditations that trace the story of our emotional patterns.

  • Sound and Light Practices - practical ways to unblock and free up encumbered energy in the moment.

  • Element Meditations - connecting with the elements in nature.

  • Creative Integration - bringing insights into form through a facilitated mandala art process.

Note that these one-to-one sessions are offered at a reduced rate exclusively for participants of this year-long journey.

You don’t need to decide about the 1:1 work at the beginning. You could decide after the first couple of group circles.

Who This Is For

This journey may be a good fit if you:

• Feel drawn to contemplative or embodied practice that honours the complexity and messiness of the human experience

• Are tired of “transcending” your patterns and want to understand them

• Value slowness, depth, and relational presence

• Long for a consistent practice space across the year

• Want community without pressure to perform or improve

• Are keen to explore your emotional blockages and patterns through in-depth one-to-one work.