Circles of Healing, the Complete Guide to Healing with Massag... by Gwen Wendy Hammarstrom

The hocokah consists of people who sit together in a talking circle, in prayer, in ceremony, and are committed to helping one another and to each other’s healing. Healing circles are often called hocokah in the Lakota language, which means a sacred circle and is also the word for altar. It also provides a means for people who are prohibited from speaking directly to each other because of various social taboos to speak and be heard. The talking circle prevents reactive communication and directly responsive communication, and it fosters deeper listening and reflection in conversation. The circle is complete when the stick passes around the circle one complete time without anyone speaking out of turn. Only the person holding the stick may speak. When that person is finished speaking, the talking stick is passed to the left (clockwise around the circle). A talking stick is held by the person who speaks (other sacred objects may also be used, including eagle feathers and fans). The circle starts with a prayer, usually by the person convening the circle, or by an elder, when an elder is involved. Healing circles take a variety of forms, 2, 3 but most basically, members sit in a circle to consider a problem or a question. 1 In North America, they are widely used among the First Nations people of Canada and among the many tribes of Native Americans in the US.

Talking circles, peacemaking circles, or healing circles, as they are variously called, are deeply rooted in the traditional practices of indigenous people.

Circles of Healing, the Complete Guide to Healing with Massag... by Gwen Wendy Hammarstrom