Authentic Belonging | Connection Games, Circling & a Taste of HeartIQ
An experiential evening of connection, embodiment and relational exploration
Most of us know how to be good company. We ask interesting questions, read the room, adjust. Yet sometimes we go home from an evening full of people and realise nobody really met us. Maybe we didn’t quite let them.
Rather than being just something we want, connection and belonging have a lot to do with capacity: how much closeness, attention and real feeling we can stay with before we start to pull back without noticing. It could be a joke at the right moment, a change of subject, an “I’m fine,” brushing off a compliment. We learned these moves for good reasons.
With practice, in a playful and safe enough space, we can learn to stay present in the tender space of connection a little longer.
✨ What we’ll explore
The evening moves through three territories, in whatever way the group and the moment call for.
Connection to yourself. Through the body, with movement, music and grounding, giving the nervous system space to unwind and letting a more genuine sense of yourself come forward.
The mystery of another. What happens when you meet someone with real curiosity, say what’s actually true for you, and let yourself be seen a little more than usual?
The field between us. Sensing what we create together as a group, something none of us could feel alone.
We’ll draw on Authentic Relating games, Circling and Heart iQ, a practice for widening how much feeling and connection we can stay open to, especially in the moments we’d usually close. Some of it playful, some of it slow and tender.
You’ll leave with a clearer sense of where you tend to close down, what it feels like when you don’t, and something you can take into your everyday relationships.
This might be for you if…
you connect easily with others but sometimes lose yourself in the process
you long for more closeness, and notice yourself pulling back when it’s actually on offer
being looked at for a while, or receiving a compliment, makes you squirm a little
you’re curious about Circling or Authentic Relating, or you’ve tried them and want to meet Heart iQ
you’d simply rather have one real conversation than ten polite ones
No experience needed. Everything is an invitation: you choose how far you go, and “no, thanks” is always a complete answer. Some practices may include consensual touch as an option, always with clear choice and no expectation to take part.
Your facilitator
I’m Manuela, a systemic and embodiment coach, Heart iQ certified facilitator and founder of Authentic Belonging. For many years I’ve been facilitating connection retreats, workshops and programs for international communities and social health NGOs.
Authentic Belonging weaves together Authentic Relating, Circling, Heart iQ and embodiment practices into one journey of homecoming: back to belonging with ourselves, with each other and with life. I believe the loss of belonging is the great silent wound of our times, and that real connection is a skill we can learn and joyfully practise.
More about me: authentic-belonging.com
Practical details
📅 Friday, 23 October 2026
🕡 18:30–21:15 · Doors open at 18:10
📍 Yoga Raum Schöneberg, Martin-Luther-Straße 46, Berlin
Language: Primarily English, with occasional German translation where helpful. In partner and small-group practices, you can use whichever language you and your partner(s) prefer.
What to bring: Socks, as we'll be working without shoes.
Tea and snacks will be provided during the break. You're welcome to stay a little longer afterwards to unwind and connect.
Contribution: €20 minimum, €25 recommended. If money is a concern, feel free to reach out to me. I'd like the space to be accessible, and we can find a solution.
🌿 A little invitation for women: I'd love to welcome more women into this space. If you'd like to join, send me a message on WhatsApp and I'll share a discount code with you. 💛
Places are limited to 16 participants to keep the group intimate and spacious.