Introduction Meeting Script

This script is an example and a template that can and should be adapted to the personal approach, while covering the essential points.

Text (original)	Why (meta)	Cue cards (prep)
Hello my Name is Simon	Establishes presence and connection. Begins informally, human scale.	Introduction. Smile. Friendly.
I'm the facilitator of today's Introduction session to The Practice Circle.	Defines role and context early. Sets boundary of function.	Role. Clear tone. Calm posture.
Now the normal way to continue would be to tell you about me. Architect, Project Manager, Entrepreneur and long time practitioner of Tai chi blablaba...	Demonstrates awareness of convention and breaks it with humor.	Warm. Light joke. Short pause.
You know building up credibility, showing lineage, proving to you that you are not wasting your time listening to me.	Acknowledges social expectation of authority; sets up contrast.	Keep eye contact. Soft smile.
But at the practice circle we do things differently:	Turns from self to shared principle. Marks transition.	Transition. Slow down. Ground voice.
The authority I have is not based on my past achievements but on my role. And my role is the role of an facilitator, with the goal:	Clarifies role-based authority. Models humility.	Authority. Neutral tone.
- To introduce the practice circle to you. - To introduce standing meditation to you. - Hopefully getting you started on a journey.	States practical goals clearly. Anchors focus.	Outline. Read slowly. Pause.
We do things like that to avoid guru worship and dogma, that plague so many other organizations. It's one guardrail. You will hear more about that later.	Establishes anti-dogma stance. Gives frame for structure.	Guardrail. Neutral voice. Small nod.
The first commitment of a circle member is: I practice.	Introduces first core principle. Bridges talk to embodiment.	Commitment 1. Emphasize “I practice.”
Because Standing Meditation Practice and other forms of practices root us in reality and this rootedness is the foundation for skillfully lifing.	Connects embodiment to integrity and clarity.	Root. Slow pace. Breathe.
So let's practice standing meditation together.	Moves from concept to action.	Practice. Invite gently.
But first a disclaimer. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable please stop, sit down maybe walk a bit. And when you feel better, you may continue.	Ensures safety and agency.	Disclaimer. Calm tone.
Please get up.	Transition to movement.	Stand. Wait for group.
Feet shoulderwide apart. Parallel or if you feel more comfortable a slight V-shape, the toes further apart.	Establishes grounded stance.	Feet. Demonstrate slowly.
Now stand, knees slightly bend. Feel the pressure if your body on the feed. Where is it? Front? Back?	Guides attention to body sensation.	Weight. Short pause. Observe.
Pause	Integration space.	Silence. Count slowly.
Let your arms hang. Relax. Listen to what's going on in your body.	Encourages release and listening.	Arms. Soften shoulders.
Pause	Settling awareness.	Breathe. Still.
Where do you feel the tension? Shoulder, Tights? Just gently feel it, you don't have to change anything, just listen.	Directs gentle attention, no fixing.	Tension. Feel. No correction.
Pause	Rest in sensation.	Observe. Quiet.
If possible, continue to stand and I will continue to tell you more about us or better how we see the world.	Keeps embodiment during explanation.	Continue. Speak slowly.
Currently many people feel disconnected from the world. We have a lot of data and information but very little wisdom. We know alot but feel an emptiness, a lack of purpose. Me included.	Establishes shared human condition.	Disconnection. Honest tone.
Struggling with depression, health issues, burnout,... I think you get the picture.	Shows vulnerability and realism.	Vulnerability. Short pause.
The other side is that we don't want to show this. We are high performer, always on. Coffee is our fuel. Running marathons, the next triathlon trainng is just around the corner. But often this busyness just mask our emptiness. And our world is build around business.	Contrasts outer performance with inner depletion.	Performance. Steady tone.
And that's not healthy. In the past we had spiritual organization to counterbalance. Going to church every Sunday, a daily prayer. As a Muslim the five daily prayers, a great way of connecting body mind and (god) if you are a believer. But all these organizations are not fit for our modern life. Often they petrified, are corrupted of worldly powerplays...	Gives context of old structures, avoids judgment.	Context. Respectful voice.
That leaves us all vulnerable. We search for meaning and as there is so much information available, we jump from trend to trend. A 12 week program here, yoga class there, and when the next thing.	Names modern restlessness.	Meaning. Gentle tone.
We created the Practice Circles to balance this. Not by destroying the old order, but by decentering ourself, by creating a shared practice and a shared community without all the package of religion.	States founding intention.	Purpose. Calm, inclusive.
If you beliefe in God, that's great. Continue that's your believe and it does not interfere with Circle Work. We are here to practice awarness together and to learn, to get better with the practice.	Affirms inclusivity and secular stance.	Belief. Neutral, friendly.
And that brings me to the second commitment: We document. We mediciouslu write down what we practiced. What was the effect. It's like a lab book:	Introduces second principle, connects to reflection.	Commitment 2. Clarity.
Today I felt tension in my shoulders. I concentrated on lengthening my arms and that helped to release it downwards.	Gives concrete example of documentation.	Example. Read slowly.
All this documentation is the foundation for further learning.	Reinforces methodical approach.	Learning. Short pause.
So we practice individually. We practice together. We document the practice. And today's Introduction session is a form of practice as well. I will document it and this will be the foundation to further refine what we are doing.	Meta-awareness of session itself as practice.	Meta. Present tone.
In general everything we know, we learn is publicly available, documented and open for revision. So you can find many different documents on our webpage: How to stand. A progression plan Research on standing mediation, the manifesto. And all these documents are open for change.	Emphasizes transparency and openness.	Transparency. Mention docs.
So you might know more about a topic, you might find a mistake, you have a idea. Please share it go on the webpage and share your input. In this sense we are more organized like a open source software project than a traditional organization.	Invites contribution, comparison to open-source model.	Open Source. Smile.
And this brings me to the third commitment. I balance personal responsibility with process. My power comes from the shared process, my role and not from my charisma. That's why I'm here today as a facilitator. But next time it can be you. I hope it will be you. You get all the tools to do so. Free openly available and adaptable to new learnings.	Explains rotation and non-hierarchy.	Commitment 3. Encourage future facilitation.
How are you doing with your standing. Check in with your body, how is your breathing? How do you feel? Listen to your body.	Reconnects embodiment mid-session.	Check. Soft tone. Silence.
Now when so many people work together, there is friction. That's human and that's where commitment 4 comes into play: I engage in honest dialog.	Introduces relational ethics.	Commitment 4. Steady pace.
We learned here from the quaker. They have a model, they use succesfull for 300 years or so. They listen more and they reach concseus through a shared feeling of understanding and not of majority votes. Read about it in detail and it's something best expirenced not preached about.	Connects to consensus lineage.	Consensus. Mention Quakers.
And the last commitment is to learning, to evolution. This is key, to avoid petrification of an organization, of an practice. Everything we do is a hypothesis, that needs to be tested against reality. And based on the tests we can adapt again.	Closes circle of commitments with adaptability.	Commitment 5. Evolution.
So let's bring our practice to an end. Focus a little more in your body. How do you feel. Listen. Maybe close your eyes, carefully. Listen what's happening with your balance.	Transition to closure through sensing.	Close. Lower voice. Pause.
Pause	Integration time.	Silence.
And now we slowly come back. Sand I invite you to document the practice. Either write it down in a personal diary, or you can use our shared Prototyp app to do so.	Links practice to documentation again.	Document. Show app.
And in 5 minutes we will start the q&a and discussion.	Announces transition.	Transition. Timer visible.
Who has the first question? Who wants to participate in this shared experiment? I would like to invite you to share a circle, meet regularly and grow together.	Opens dialogue and invitation.	Invitation. Open tone. Smile.
Thank you!	Closure with gratitude.	End. Small bow. Silence.