Williams Lake Tribune/Weekend Advisor, GaeilFarrar photo

submitted by Tenzin Chogkyi

One of the most recent organizations to sign on as a partner on the Charter for Compassion is the Women’s Spirituality Circle, based in Williams Lake, British Columbia. The Women’s Spirituality Circle is a program of the Canadian Mental Health Association Multiculturalism Program in partnership with Women’s Contact Society, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, and Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre. The circle is comprised of women throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin region of interior British Columbia who hail from many different religious and spiritual traditions – Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, First Nations (Native American), Messianic Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Yogic – as well as many women whose spiritual lives and beliefs are less defined.

Our purpose is to bring women from many different faiths and backgrounds together to learn about the different spiritual traditions and practices that sustain women and families in this community. We offer women a chance to explore their differences while discovering how they are connected.

WSC organizer Margaret-Anne Enders comments, “I’ve noticed that while there is a lot of diversity in our community, people often form friendships with those who are similar in culture and religion to themselves. The Women’s Spirituality Circle offers a way to meet and develop relationships with the neighbours that we don’t know yet, with people we might not otherwise cross paths or spend time with. We are creating an open and inviting atmosphere for misperceptions or assumptions to be respectfully corrected and for people to gain knowledge, awareness, and ultimately a sense of connection to those of other spiritual traditions. It is a safe, welcoming opportunity to share stories and time with other women who are also on spiritual journeys.”

The first large gathering was held in March of 2014, with more than 130 women attending. The Friday night program featured a multi-faith panel with representatives from all the faith traditions mentioned above, as well as music and dance. Saturday was devoted to individual workshops, in which participants had the opportunity to learn about Christianity, Tibetan Buddhism, Islam, Baha’i, Sikhism, Messianic Judaism, Yasodhara Yoga, First Nations spirituality, eclectic spirituality, and more. The workshops were all led by local women. and offered personal ways of exploring spirituality through movement and dance, singing and sharing sacred songs, meditation, musical meditation, colouring or drawing mandalas, and meditation done while walking a labyrinth. There were workshops on dreams as spiritual insight, the First Nations smudging tradition, and sharing sacred space as well as stories and songs. Participants had the opportunity to try various forms of movement such as yoga, dance, and tai chi, and to create together a felted mural filled with figures expressing each woman’s personal belief. 

In the year since our first event, the WSC has met regularly to plan inter-faith bridging events and to increase opportunities for women of diverse spiritual traditions to meet and grow in relationship.

Each month, we attend at least one ceremony or spiritual event celebrated by one of the faith groups or spiritual leaders in the area. We’ve gone to Sikh celebrations, experienced connection with horses and in nature, walked the labyrinth at the United Church, paraded with lanterns on Winter Solstice, and joined with the Buddhist community for the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebration.

On April 17 and 18 of this year, the WSC hosted our second annual gathering in Williams Lake. The theme was Making Peace. Women have a long and strong tradition as peace-makers. In historical conflicts, in nurturing and raising families, in the women’s and environmental movements, women have stood up to injustice and invoked their strong spirits in an effort to bring peace to our world and to their own lives. 

As we did last year, we began with a multi-faith panel forum on Friday evening gathering with representation from Buddhism, Christian, Islam, Sikh, First Nations, Messianic Judaism, Yasodhara and Yoga, followed by entertainment.

During the Saturday workshops, we shared stories and experiences regarding spiritual practices that promote peace, women’s roles in peace-making efforts, forgiveness, compassion, peace during dark times, and peace and environmental sustainability. We also shared music, singing, dancing, tears, and laughter. Women added origami peace cranes to a 1,000 Cranes for Peace project, and added haiku leaves to a banner painted with a Mother Tree figure.

In the current climate of fear and uncertainty, we aim to support and inspire women with rich conversations, nourishing food, a good dose of laughter, and strong connections.

"The gathering is open to all women – those who have a strong faith in an organized religion, those that would call themselves 'spiritual, but not religious,' those who are seeking, and those who have no spiritual path at all," conference organizer Marilyn Livingston said.