Self-Awareness & Flourishing

Welcome & Settling In

Invitation to Participants:

• Take a moment to breathe and center yourself
• Set your intentions for this session
• Gather what you need: water, notebook, pen
• Let's mindfully settle into this space together

Acknowledgment of Place

[Adapt this section to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land where you're meeting]

The Learning Journey

A cyclical process with four phases:

• Immerse - Topic Deep Dive
• Understand - Explore & Integrate
• Co-Learn - Share & Seek Different Perspectives
• Impact - Apply & Action

Reflection: Unraveling & Turning

The Great Unraveling

What in your life has been unraveling recently?

The Great Turning

What new possibilities are beginning to grow?

Creating Our Group Alliance

Before we dive deeper, let's co-create how we want to be together.

Reflection Prompts:

• What helps me feel safe in a group like this?
• What do I need to take risks, speak honestly, or stay present?
• What ways of being help me feel connected and included?
• What do I want to offer this space to help others feel safe too?

The Foundation: Self-Awareness

"Self-awareness is a catalyst for human flourishing"

Metacognition = Thinking about thinking

• The ability to reflect inward (introspection)
• The ability to understand others' perspectives (outrospection)
• Moving from "I am anxious" to "I notice I'm feeling anxious"

Four Dimensions of Self-Awareness

A holistic framework for understanding ourselves:

• Relational
• Philosophical
• Embodied/Somatic
• Civic/Community

Held together by compassionate witnessing

1. Relational Self-Awareness

"How do I show up in connection—with others, with life, with the world?"

Core Practices:

• Understanding how your patterns and presence impact others
• Noticing projections, boundaries, trust, and feedback
• Practicing empathy, co-regulation, and mutual respect
• Letting others be mirrors—not judges—for your growth

Relational Self-Awareness: Reflection

Reflection Prompts:

• What am I bringing into my relationships (intentionally or not)?
• Where am I protecting myself instead of connecting?
• How might I listen or respond differently if I felt safe enough?

2. Philosophical Self-Awareness

"What do I believe about myself, others, and the world—and how do those beliefs shape my actions?"

Core Practices:

• Examining internal narratives, core beliefs, values, and assumptions
• Identifying inherited, unconscious, or outdated ways of thinking
• Exploring meaning-making and worldview
• Building reflective thinking and epistemic humility

Philosophical Self-Awareness: Reflection

Reflection Prompts:

• What story am I living inside right now?
• What assumptions do I need to question or update?
• Is my worldview supporting my flourishing—or limiting it?

3. Embodied/Somatic Self-Awareness

"What is my body telling me about how I'm experiencing the world?"

Core Practices:

• Cultivating interoception—awareness of internal sensations
• Noticing somatic patterns of contraction, safety, stress, or flow
• Understanding how emotions live in the body
• Regulating your nervous system to create space for clarity

Embodied Self-Awareness: Reflection

Reflection Prompts:

• What physical signals am I ignoring or numbing right now?
• Where in my body do I feel tension, aliveness, or avoidance?
• What helps me come home to myself?

4. Civic/Community Self-Awareness

"How does my presence, voice, and participation impact the ecosystems I'm part of?"

Core Practices:

• Recognizing your role in the collective story
• Owning your influence—locally, socially, systemically
• Becoming aware of privilege, blindspots, and spheres of responsibility
• Shaping spaces that support justice, care, and contribution

Civic Self-Awareness: Reflection

Reflection Prompts:

• Who or what benefits—or suffers—from the way I live and lead?
• Where am I being invited to participate more courageously?
• What systems am I upholding unconsciously?

At the Heart: Compassionate Witnessing

The central practice holding all dimensions together:

The capacity to observe your inner and outer world with:

• Honesty
• Gentleness
• Intention to grow

Not just to know more, but to be more fully and courageously yourself—in service of something greater.

Integration Reflection

Choose one to explore:

• Which dimension of self-awareness feels most alive for you right now—and why?
• Which dimension do you feel less connected to, or curious to explore more deeply?

Questions & Curiosities

[Open discussion time]

Closing Circle

What are you carrying with you from today?

[Each person shares briefly]

Adapting This Framework

This framework is:

• Not complete or static
• Not something to master
• Something to unpack, live into, and evolve together

Feel free to:

• Adapt language to your context
• Add your own examples and stories
• Modify reflection prompts
• Extend or condense sections

Facilitation Tips

• Allow silence and spaciousness
• Honor different communication styles
• Balance structure with flexibility
• Model vulnerability and honesty
• Hold space for complexity
• Connect to participants' lived experience
• Return to the body and breath regularly