Speaking Circles are small groups of 6~10 people who gather to discover or deepen their sense of ease, confidence, and pleasure when speaking in front of groups.

At a Speaking Circle, participants listen from the heart and focus on the person in front, not on the content of what someone might be saying. This kind of non-judgmental listening creates a space where it is safe to be yourself.

As your natural self is gradually liberated from the yoke of performance anxiety, you can begin to move away from feeling self-conscious about being the center of attention and start taking pleasure in connecting with your audience.

This is where the Relational Presence magic begins!

The more at ease you become, the more your True Voice expresses itself. And voilá—your natural presence emerges to captivate, inspire, and impress your audience.

A Speaking Circle is like a gym for your Relational Presence muscle. Repetition builds strength. So you will have a set number of turns in front of the room alternated with time spent listening to others. Because connection with one person at a time in the audience is prioritized over content, you will focus on being with people rather than on delivering prepared content.

Both courses immerse you in the practice of Relational Presence. The Speaking Circles Basic Course follows the same format every time and emphasizes getting comfortable in front of a group through being present with one person at a time in the audience. The Speaking Circles Message Course is customized to the participants of each particular course and focuses on integrating Relational Presence with the delivery of structured content.  

A Speaking Circle is highly experienctial. You will spend about 90% of the time practicing some aspect of Relational Presence.

This is too individual to generalize. But the less comfortable you are with being the center of attention, the more practice you will need. It takes, perhaps, 5~10 Speaking Circles for someone to learn to consciously embody Relational Presence. After that, the practice centers on growing into Relational Presence as second nature.

By bringing Relational Presence into your public speaking, you can achieve a deeper connection with your audience and deliver a more impactful message. Once you learn how to use your presence to let your audience feel seen by you and to allow the listening from the audience to animate what you say, you will have opened the door to your sweet spot as a confident communicator. 

Positive feedback known as Essence Appreciation is given. I will coach you on the aspects of Relational Presence. And the video you receive of your turns in front of the room is perfect for self-feedback. For private feedback on conventional presentation skills, creating a talk, or presenting with slides, please contact me.

Yes and no.

Yes in the sense that Relational Presence will help you access your natural eloquence and be comfortable enough in front of others to step into authentic self-expression. The Speaking Circles Message Course offers the outcome of applying your natural eloquence to structured content.

No in the sense that a Speaking Circle does not offer specific tips on the topic, organization, or structure of a talk.

For private feedback on conventional presentation skills, creating a talk, or presenting with slides, please contact me.

Participants are asked to:

• Refrain from comparison with previous turns or commenting on content when giving Essence Appreciation feedback

• Refrain from bringing up someone's content during breaks or after the Circle.

• Safeguard and not share the link to the recording posted on the private YouTube channel after each Circle. Participants have the option of not appearing on the recording.

English or Japanese are the languages I speak when I facilitate. In your turns, you are welcome to speak any language you wish.

Payment by credit card is preferred. That said, if you have special payment needs, please reach out to me.