Prologue · The Call To Action
(We Are Not) The Wall
Read the Lyrics
Singing Key
I was driving in the rain, wondering to myself again: Have I been good? We're out there on our own, crowds of people on their phones, is it real? I hear it beating like a drum, the things we should've said and done And now we're raging, you and I. Cos in their apathy, they're numb, it's like they've nowhere left to run. And so we're raging, through the days It's like we're one brick in a wall - it's up to us... The warning signs were clear when we're listening, then we'll hear it Can we undo the silence of the years? When we were in love with the myth of who we are: Gods among the stars. But the wheels of change were turning And oh, we've come so far, But we are not the wall. We are not the wall. we're not the wall. We are not the wall. We are not the wall. And still we're raging, you and I. Against the fallacies and fictions and all the f*$%^g lies. we're not the wall. We are not the wall. We are not the wall. (Take your brick out and brick by brick it falls) And still we're raging, through the days Against the way the rich and powerful hold sway We're not the wall. We are not the wall. We are not the wall. Take your brick out and brick by brick it falls - we're not the wall.
Sit With This — reflect on any question that resonates with you
Themes: rage, responsibility, agency without illusion
- If you imagined the wall not as a system but as a habit, belief, or role you play, what brick might actually be yours to remove?
- If you ever find yourself asking "am I doing enough", can you name the cause, the situation, the trigger? Where or how do the feelings around it show up in your body?
- (We Are Not) The Wall speaks to being part of a system, culture or story that doesn't fit well with you, like you're a foot in a too-small shoe. Can you identify any aspects of your identity, behaviour or values that aren't yours to carry?
- Can you share any action you've taken, no matter how small, that made you feel alive with a sense of agency?
Making Our Agreements · a group practice ▾
A Relational practice · adapted from Seeds for Change, Group Agreements for Workshops and Meetings
If this song is a call to act together, the first act is deciding how we’ll be together. Not rules handed down — agreements the group makes for itself, and can hold each other to.
How it works
Hand out post-it notes and offer the prompt: what do you need from others in this space, in order to show up fully?
Each person writes what they need — trust, confidentiality, freedom to be raggedy, grace, patience. Anything. As they stick their note up somewhere everyone can see, they say it aloud, and anything they want to about why it matters to them.
When every note is up, gather round them together. Group what belongs together, clarify anything unclear, and name the agreements the group is making. These belong to everyone who made them — which means anyone can name it later when one isn’t being held.
Optional: The Four Intentions of Council
These can be spoken at the opening instead of, or alongside, the agreements — read by the host, or by four different voices around the circle, pausing after each so it lands:
- Speak from the heart.
- Listen from the heart.
- Be of lean expression.
- Spontaneity — do not rehearse.
Lean expression usually needs a line of framing: it isn’t brevity for its own sake, but leaving room for others and for silence. Spontaneity can be offered as: when it comes to you, let go of what you planned and speak to what’s alive now.
From the Way of Council tradition · Zimmerman & Coyle (1996)
Facilitation note: collect contributions generously and don’t edit in the moment. Come with the values you’d hope to see — you’re part of the group too. If someone raises a concern, hear it fully before moving on. Keep the list short, five to seven, or it won’t be remembered. Leave it visible, and refer back to it — more often to affirm than to correct. 15–25 minutes.
Becoming Present · breath, movement, sound, silence ▾
A somatic arrival practice · drawn from the Work That Reconnects · Macy & Brown, Coming Back to Life
A simple four-step grounding and presencing strategy you can deploy at any time — in a room full of people, or alone before a difficult phone call. The breath is the most reliable portal there is to presence and calm. It is always with you, and it always works.
1 · Breath
Three conscious breaths together. In through the nose, then extend the exhale out through the mouth with a sound — a sigh, or an aaaargh. Let the breath do the work; there’s no need to force it.
2 · Movement
A gentle round of full-body stretches or shakes. Pick a few: fingers interlaced with arms high overhead, a lean back, a turn through the spine. Then shake out the arms and legs as if you’re trying to get all the water off.
3 · Sound
A collective tone, hum or vowel sound, held for several seconds. This one isn’t just atmosphere — humming stimulates the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. You are physiologically telling your body it is safe to settle.
4 · Silence
A full minute of shared silence. Hold it past the moment of discomfort — the first thirty seconds are usually restless, the next thirty are where the settling happens.
Let the group arrive together at each stage before beginning the next.
Sit with this
- Do you notice any changes in your body afterwards?
Doing this in company matters: breathing and sounding in rhythm with others sends signals to the limbic system that you are among people, in a safe space. Guide each stage briefly without over-explaining, and model the sound yourself — groups follow far more easily than they respond to instruction. The move from silence into the first spoken word is its own threshold; take it slowly. 5–8 minutes.