 A meditation to start to help us to connect with ourselves and one another 

 Everyone shares something that they have appreciated during the last week/two weeks/month (whatever time is appropriate). The group listens reflectively to each sharing, and acknowledges it without "quizing" the speaker or "topping" their story. 

 Everyone shares a quality they appreciate about themselves and why. Again this is acknowledged by the group. 

 A time for silent reflection on what has been shared 

We also (if there is time) include one other sharing or activity. This has included: 

 sharing some words that are important for some reason (e.g. a poem, words from a song, or a book),  

 looking at a flower (or a pebble, a shell, or a stone) for 2 minutes and describing it to another person,  

 talking about an object that is important for some reason,  

 blowing bubbles in the garden,  

 and singing a song. 

We usually take 2 hours and limit the group to eight so that everyone has time to be heard, and there is time for an activity or sharing, and we sometimes sing a song to close. In a small group you could probably manage to follow the simple format in an hour.