id: gratefulness-circle
title: Gratefulness Circle
description: >-
  A simple closing practice where each person in a group names one thing
  they are grateful for from the time together. Found in many community
  and spiritual traditions as a way of marking endings with attention.
source: Common community practice / Gratefulness.org
source_url: https://www.gratefulness.org/
tags: [gratitude, closing, reflection, community]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Frame the round
    description: >-
      The facilitator invites each person to name one thing they are
      grateful for from the gathering, however small.
  - headline: Go around
    description: >-
      Each person speaks in turn, briefly. Passing is always welcome;
      silence is a valid offering.
  - headline: Hold without comment
    description: >-
      The group receives each offering without response or comment. No
      gratitude is too small or too ordinary.
  - headline: Close
    description: >-
      The facilitator closes, often with a moment of silence, marking the
      end of the gathering.
outcome: >-
  The gathering closes with each person having named what they received,
  deepening attention and closing well.
practice: >-
  Resist commenting on others' gratitude. The practice is offering, not
  discussion. A round of three minutes can change how a meeting ends.