How to Be a WeSpace Guide
Thank you for taking on the role of being a WeSpace Guide! This role exists to help new groups with guidance and support throughout the beginning process of learning the practices and coming together as a community. Your presence, attention, and care are vital parts in helping these groups open up and cohere together.
You’ve been through the orientation process yourself, so you know how beginning a new WeSpace groups starts—but it has potentially evolved a little since you first experienced it. We’ll go over how things look now and then explain your responsibilities and role as a WeSpace Guide.
WeSpace Initiation
The first commitment period for groups is comprised of 3 parts:
1. Initial 3 Sessions
Paul and Luke will be present during these sessions, progressively modeling and building a scaffolding into the full core practice of WeSpace, Whole-Body Mystical Awakening, and Integral Prayer. We will inform the group of your role as a WS Guide in the first meeting.
Your role during these sessions is primarily to participate as a normal group member, along with the following intentions:
- To model healthy practices in meditation and integral prayer—and in community, with a vulnerable and open presence
- To hold space and transmit for the other group members throughout (a general orientation and focus toward the others in the group, more so than your own process)
- Depending on even/odd group numbers, participate in the one-on-ones in the off weeks to connect and build community. If you are not being paired off, it is recommended that you reach out and set up your own conversations with some of the group members throughout the process.2. Middle 4 Sessions
As Paul and Luke step back, you will facilitate the 4th and 5th sessions, modeling leading the group time with both a recorded guided meditation and a self-led meditation, drawing upon the prompts in the Facilitator’s Guide in your own voice and manner. Feel free to bring your own words and energy into it, but staying to the core practice of WBMA & Integral Prayer, as that is what we are primarily modeling for this first four months.
When you use a recorded guided meditation, use the core WeSpace WBMA practice (the first one on the guided meditations page). As you do, model how to play them by using screen sharing in Zoom with the ICN website and showing where meditations are.
As you facilitate, you are also explaining and showing how they can do it when their opportunity comes, as the facilitation then rotates to group members for the 6th and 7th meetings. We want them to feel empowered to take ownership and step into shared responsibility, as they are willing. Many guides offer to meet with the person who volunteers to help go over it with them beforehand. Make sure you share the Facilitator’s Guide with them.
If you have a guide mentor, they are available to meet with you after each of the middle 4 sessions to support you and answer questions you might have.
3. Eighth Session
Before the eighth session, Luke will send the Next Steps Guide to group members. This document describes the process and considerations for group members to continue in WeSpace groups.
Paul and Luke come back for this session and Luke facilitates. This can be a good time for you to raise any questions for consideration that you think might be good for the group to hear from either Paul or Luke.
WeSpace Guides Meetings & Mentoring
We hold monthly meetings to support all WeSpace guides, especially during the first 8 meetings of a new group. You will be invited to these and are encouraged to attend.
During these meetings we discuss WeSpace guidelines, recommendations and suggestions for guides, and address current questions. If a group has particular issues that need to be addressed, we share them in the guide meetings so all guides can benefit from the discussion and guidance that will be given. It is also a good opportunity to hear how other groups are developing and to feel part of the overall movement of ICN.
You’ll also be set up with a personal mentor who can be a resource and support for you throughout the process. This mentor will be available for meeting with as needed, answering any questions you have that come up, and any other form of support you may need.
Guiding and Leading
The dynamic of the relationship between guiding a group and leading a group is somewhat fluid. Of course, we generally want to stay more toward the former, but at times a bit more leadership may be required. This is not an authoritative leadership, but in service and always an offering of love and care for the ultimate good of the group and the individuals.
Here are some of the values we want to consider as we navigate this dynamic, which are in many ways similar to the overall WeSpace values:
1. Love
Everything we do should be from the heart of holistic love, seeking to serve and bless the others in an honoring and empowering way. We seek to avoid “overbearing parental” type love ! .
- Trust
Trust is foundational in WeSpace groups, and it is given until there is a reason for it to be lost. We seek to assume the good and believe in the best intentions of the actions of all. In this way, we trust the members of the group also with what might need to be done. - Empowerment
Every member of the group is given the opportunity and support to share their gifts and contributions in forms that serve the group—not as a burden, but a free opportunity for whoever would like to step into bringing in more of their own accord. - Consent
We seek to convey no sense of guilt or coercion at any time or in any subtle way. Participation and involvement are always the free choice of each individual, with respect and honor to the group as a whole.
And it’s always important to be aware of the dynamics of The Drama Triangle, and seek to keep the group off of it when possible.
Ongoing WeSpace – Stage Two
Most groups decide to continue after the initial commitment, though some will not. In that case, those who wish to continue will either merge or join into another ongoing group. At this point, the Guide usually sends them on their way with blessings. For continuing groups, many Guides choose to continue forward with them as they have bonded relationally. Other guides choose to step back and send the group forward with a current member taking on a guiding role.
As the group continues, either you or other current members will need to take on these two functions:
- Liaison
Each group has a liaison who is responsible for the logistics of the group, such as group/facilitation scheduling, reminder emails, and reaching out to absent members. The liaison is also the contact person for checking in on the groups or relating any needs the group might have, such as new members or any support/resources that might be helpful. - Advocate
You’ll continue to serve as an advocate for the group and ICN. This is taking on a responsibility for how thegroup can continue to evolve and grow in community and practice together. This would include attending the monthly meetings and drawing upon the other resources offered by ICN. If there are problems or difficulties arising, you can be the voice for facing and working through them. In struggle, the guide is there to support and pursue resolution, while also seeing it as a growth opportunity for the group.It is also vital that you advocate and communicate for the broader community of ICN. This includes encouraging group members to use the ICN Community Site, especially for messages and shared content to the
group in between meetings. Also, please let group members know about opportunities and offerings from the broader community, including the wide range of readings on the website, the podcasts, and discussion on the ICN Community Site. Encourage contribution and investment in this evolving work—financially and/or through the sharing of gifts and passions. In other words, help facilitate the growth of this network through empowerment, co-creative endeavors, and other types of engagement according to the giftings and passions of those in the group.
3. And More
If you continue, your role will remain as a guide, but also could morph and shift in what that looks like. Be open to these changing dynamics, while remaining mindful of how you can continue to nurture the group in continuing development and evolution together. For example, if members leave or new members join, guides should take an active role in helping with these transitions.
If you choose not to continue with the group, you will need to help the transition process of having someone in the group take on the Group Advocate role, perhaps as an apprentice guide. This person can also serve as the liaison, or another in the group can assume these duties. You might need to meet with the group a few more times to help facilitate the transition into the next stage of the group.
Group Coherence & Stages
As the group evolves after the initial commitment, a greater sense of cocreation and shared ownership should be encouraged and nurtured. While we want people to bring forth their gifts and have a shared container for growth and exploration in many various forms, we also want to keep a magnetic core that regularly draws us back to the primary values and intentions of the group in spiritual practice.
Toward this, guiding a group also includes, as the guide discerns such movements are needed, reminding the group of the purpose of WeSpace groups, why we practice the way we do, and the practices and guidelines.
These goals are listed in the WeSpace Guide—the first document the group members receive. But further, the values are that what the group does together in mystical practice remain embodied, relational, and cocreative. So we’re not taking mystical trips to convene with aliens, falling too much into mental discussions and abstract ideas, seeing one personality take on too much influence, or other diversions from these values and the initial gathering principles of the group.
As groups are continuing for longer periods of time within ICN—some over 3 years now—we are seeing various stages and process of group development and growth. Some groups run their course and reach the completion of their process. This is normal and doesn’t need to be resisted, as if perpetuity was the ultimate goal. Sometimes the time is complete, in which case a closing WeSpace time with a ritual of blessing is recommended.
Groups that keep developing together evolve along unique paths, but with some similarities. We’ll be continuing to learn from and explore more of these movements in our monthly meetings and otherwise, to further help support the other groups as they encounter various stages along the way.