Simplicity Living Circle — January Reflection
Mindfully Entering the New Year | January 3, 2026
There is something profoundly telling about a circle that gathers even when its usual rhythms shift.
On Saturday, January 3, thirteen people made their way into Lacey Woods Park, bundling against the cold, carrying an unspoken knowing that beginning a year together—outdoors, in winter—matters. It was the first Simplicity Living Circle of 2026, and also the first time the group gathered without its founders present. What unfolded was a living expression of exactly what this community has been growing toward all along: shared leadership, mutual trust, and the quiet confidence of a circle that knows how to tend itself.
People arrived slowly, one by one, as winter afternoons invite us to do. Together, participants collected sticks and kindling, building the fire collaboratively—an early and fitting symbol of the afternoon ahead. By 4:20 p.m., thirteen souls stood warmed by flame and presence, ready to step into the new year gently rather than forcefully.
Entering the Year Without Rushing
Ethan opened the circle with reflections on the nature of change—how we each move at our own pace, how transformation is rarely linear, and how the new year often carries more expectation than the season itself can reasonably hold.
While calendars reset and resolutions shout for attention, the natural world remains in winter’s deep stillness. Trees rest. Creatures conserve. The land reminds us that growth unfolds in its own time. This contrast framed the gathering beautifully: a reminder that becoming does not require urgency, and reflection does not require fixing.
The group was invited into a liminal space—between who we have been and who we are becoming—and encouraged simply to notice.
Acknowledging Our Past Selves
The heart of the afternoon centered on the practice of acknowledging our past selves.
Participants spent time in quiet individual reflection, journaling with prompts such as:
An experience from last year that stands out to me was…
One thing I learned about myself last year was…
Something unexpected I experienced last year was…
The invitation was simple and radical: witness without judgment. Nothing needed fixing. If you wondered whether you were doing it “right,” you were.
With spontaneous courage, Matthew offered a poem—his personal farewell to 2025—reminding the circle that meaning often emerges when we least plan for it.
Small groups then formed, creating intimate spaces where stories could be spoken and received without commentary or correction. When the full circle re-gathered, shared themes surfaced naturally:
Some had experienced a good year. Some had endured a hard one. All were welcome.
There was honest acknowledgment of brave choices made without guaranteed outcomes. Of following a calling that sometimes feels more like a roller coaster than a straight path. Learning that courage doesn’t always arrive with immediate rewards—but it still matters.
Listening While Walking
Ben led the group into a mindful walk through the darkening woods, offering a quiet inquiry to carry along the path: What is calling your attention right now? What do you need to see?
As boots crunched over frozen ground and breath clouded the air, the question lingered—not demanding answers, just presence.
Fire, Moon, and Community
The gathering closed with a fire ritual led by Shai, releasing what no longer needed to be carried forward. In the spirit of the Wolf Moon, the circle ended by howling together—voices rising into the winter dusk, playful and primal, a reminder that community is not always quiet or polite. Sometimes it is wild and laughing and alive.
Milena and Darko shared homemade fudge cookies, and no one rushed away. Conversation lingered another thirty minutes as darkness settled fully in. Flashlights guided the walk out, but connection lit the way.
What This Circle Is Becoming
This January gathering was more than a meeting—it was a milestone. A living example of a leader-full community rooted in trust, presence, and shared care. The Simplicity Living Circle did not pause in the founders’ absence; it stepped forward together.
And perhaps that is the most fitting way to begin a year devoted to simplicity:
Not by striving.
Not by reinventing ourselves overnight.
But by showing up, building the fire together, and listening for what is quietly calling us next.
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We look forward to gathering again on Saturday, February 7, when we will return to the woods to continue this shared practice of slowing down, listening deeply, and living with intention. Details for the February gathering will be shared soon, and all are warmly welcome.
About the Simplicity Living Circle
The Simplicity Living Circle of Northern Virginia is a free, outdoor, participant-led community devoted to exploring what it means to live a simpler, more intentional life—together. Rooted in mindfulness, seasonal rhythms, and shared wisdom, the Circle offers a welcoming space for reflection, connection, and gentle transformation.
Each gathering is shaped by those who attend. Leadership is shared. Voices are honored. There is no fixing, no performing, no pressure to arrive as anything other than who you are. Through reflection, conversation, ritual, and time in nature, we practice letting go of what no longer serves and making room for what truly matters.
Whether you are seeking clarity, community, grounding, or simply a place to breathe under the trees, there is room for you in the circle.
We meet monthly, outdoors, year-round—because simplicity is not a destination, but a practice we return to again and again.
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Come as you are. Bring a journal, warm layers, and your whole self. The fire will be waiting.
This blog was written in part by Christina Rendondo and with the assistance of ChatGPT.