Free November Session Idea: Gratitude Circle

Use this rhythmic experience with your clients to celebrate gratitude and thankfulness in a meaningful way. It is also easily adaptable for other topics to meet different needs or themes throughout the year.

Instructions

  1. The Gratitude Circle can be adapted for individuals, but typically is more effective with groups
  2. Invite Group members to sit in a circle.
    • Teach the members 3 ways to play the drum- tap on the edge, boom in the center, and buff for a sound like wind.
  3. Invite members to play either of the 3 rhythmic patterns with you.
    • Gradually invite them to “add their own beat” or “add their own silence” to create a cohesive groove.
    • Come to a pause in the groove
  4. Invite all members to stand up and count down: 4,3, 2, 1, STOP.
    • At the STOP gesture, invite members to cross out their arms as if it halts the music.
    • Repeat the countdown and STOP gesture until all clients feel comfortable performing the countdown.
  5. Once every group member is comfortable doing the countdown with STOP gesture, invite everyone to join in another groove.
    • Before starting the groove, instruct group members to meditate on one word of gratitudeThe word can be concrete, abstract, descriptive, a person… there’s no wrong gratitude word.
    • Here is an example of how the experience might flow:
      • “We are going to get into another groove, where there’s no wrongway to play. As you will notice, we will be synchronized AND playing our unique rhythms at the same time. The rhythm we create together in this moment is special and we can cherish it forever- This is a way we can honor our time together in the NOW, in the present moment”
      • “Once we warm up in the groove, and you feel so inspired, you can stand up at any time and do the countdown and STOP gesture. Then share your one word of gratitude with us.”
      • “After your share, I will count us back into the groove, and we can do it all over again with another member.”
  6. This experience typically turns out to be very uplifting, and serves as a great way to close a session.
  7. ADAPT FOR A 1:1 session
    • Give your client a STOP gesture- tapping an agogo bell, crossing arms, making eye contact, saying the word STOP. And going back and forth sharing words of gratitude alternating between you and your client.
  8. ADAPT TO A DIFFERENT THEME:
    • Change words of gratitude to words of celebration, emotion, naming people, naming progress milestones, etc.

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