Building community and connection with a women’s circle in Whistler

When I started the women’s circle in Whistler in January this year, my aim was to tackle our society’s pervasive loneliness crisis. I wanted the women’s circle to offer a place for women to feel connected to other women in Whistler.

My goal was to create a safe, nonjudgmental space for women to share and support each other through some of their current challenges. I expected that this circle would be a place where we could check in with each other. I found that many women from my practice and within this group long for a deeper connection with people in their community. For some women, the circle encouraged them to step outside their comfort zone, meet new people, and make new friends.

The circle was something for us to look forward to every week. Consistency of the group allowed women to feel heard and supported every week in a 4-week series. This was an opportunity to engage with each other and an invitation to connect with themselves on a deeper level.

We did weekly visualization exercises, and I provided journal prompts as homework for the women to explore themselves during our sessions, hoping to build self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-understanding. Human connection is a basic need. We need to feel connected to ourselves and each other as much as we need air in our lungs and water to survive. When we feel safe and supported, our nervous systems are regulated, and we are more open, mindful, curious, and empathic to others.

The women’s circle is an inclusive sisterhood that allows for women to bond, feel heard, share stories, and draw out solutions to life’s challenges together. Our women’s circle was a space where we knew we had others to lean on and feel empowered by that support. A supported community is a healthy community. Our problems and challenges in life can leave us feeling isolated. Those challenges are more manageable when we are backed up by social support. Relating to others’ stories, we feel a connection and, therefore, less isolated.

I appreciate the time it takes to feel comfortable enough to share intimate information about oneself to a group. It was a beautiful process to watch as the weeks went on and the group’s comfortability with each other started to show up in how much of themselves was released to each other. The sisters’ vulnerabilities were shared and met with compassion and validation.

Trust developed over the four weeks we spent together and was extended to a group chat with members interacting with each other outside of the circle. Some of the women even participated in cold plunges together, furthering their exploration outside their comfort zones. I’m proud and humbled to have facilitated my first women’s circle, and I’m thinking of ways to offer more groups to the community. I believe human beings are stronger when they are connected.

Humans are more resilient when we are working with each other to support each other. When we experience those bonds with each other, changes happen in our brains. Oxytocin is released, regulating our nervous systems, and increasing our ability to relate and connect with each other. We are grounded by connection. When we neglect our need to connect, we can put our health at risk.

The Canadian Mental Health Association recognizes this inherent need. You can increase your connection in your community by joining a new group, volunteering for a cause, getting in touch with an old friend, having meals in a communal space, and reaching out for support when needed. You are not alone, and we are all ultimately in this together. Embrace the opportunity for deep and meaningful connections.

Jenilee Losie is a certified counsellor working at Whistler’s Creekside Health Integrated Clinic.