As we engage these practices we become more awake and aware of the ordinary moments of our everyday life.
Listen to the recorded instruction for each of these practices HERE >>>
*****
1. Body Prayer Practice
These simple words are from St. Francis:
“Who are you O God?” AND “Who am I?”
Notice what happens in you as you do this exercise along with Pam and Marcella.
*****
2. Full Prostration
“Something that you can’t find in your mind—because it lives in your body!”
This practice is inspired by a story from Cynthia Bourgeault’s book, The Wisdom Way of Knowing:
There is a famous story attributed to Russian Orthodox archbishop Anthony Bloom, one of the contemporary world’s outstanding spiritual teachers.
A young man came to him for spiritual consultation, angry and distressed because he couldn’t make any sense out of his Christianity. The dogma and theology seemed like so much bunk, and the creeds frequently made him furious. He yearned for a life of faith, but it all seemed like a huge wall without handholds. What did Father Anthony suggest?
The archbishop listened intently and then made a rather surprising suggestion: that the young man simply go home and make one hundred full prostrations a day for a month.
Now in Orthodox practice, a full prostration is not a simple bob-and-curtsy, as genuflection tends to be in the West. One goes flat on the floor, face down, with arms outstretched; holds the position for at least a good long in-and-out breath, and then slowly rises to one’s feet. The young man, puzzled but intrigued, carried out Father Anthony’s program diligently. When he returned a month later, his eyes were glowing with faith, and the creeds no longer made him angry. The reason, as the archbishop knew full well, is that through the deep, rhythmic gestures of bowing and emptying himself, the man came to understand something that could not be found in the mind. It lived in his body. In connecting with his body, he reconnected with the wellspring of his faith.
*****
3. Listening To Your Life
“Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen to what it intends to do with you.”
~Parker Palmer, from Let Your Life Speak
Here we invite you to PAUSE in the middle of the day and listen to the sounds of your life.
Notice the sounds that might be common like traffic, birds, and your refrigerator running. Now listen for sounds that you may not have noticed like your dog breathing down by your feet. Now see if you can open up your expanse by noticing the energy around you and in the world. See what you can access listening in on your life.
Take a deep breath and then go about your day. The idea is to see if you can expand your awareness into your life.
Breathing involves your body. As I slow down and exhale, notice how a deeper breath follows.
*****
4. Contemplating Your Child or Loved One
“… it’s not about giving something up during this time but about “calling you back into awareness” and reminding you of your “deeper intention” which is to “deepen your relationship with God.”
~ Cynthia Bourgeault
This is a conscious work practice with Visio Divina. Visio is taking a picture or an image and being present with it, noticing what happens when you sit with it. Notice the wave of Love—a reminder of how deeply you are loved by God.
Marcella says, when you have a child you are gazing into the face of God—no matter what age they are.
*****
Marcella Kraybill-Greggo offers her time as a Seminary Director of Spirituality Programming, a local Wisdom Community facilitator, a Spiritual Director and a mom. Marcella served as Clinical Director of the Seminary Counseling program for 15 years, is a licensed Social Worker, is trained as an Ignatian Exercises Director, and is trained as an InterPlay (embodiment) Facilitator. She lives in the Lehigh Valley, PA with her husband, daughter, and their Westie, Kiwi. She has been an active participant in the Wisdom community since 2013, both as student and teacher, assists in facilitating multiple Wisdom schools, regularly offers 3 – 8 month ‘Embodied Training in the Practices of Wisdom’, facilitates Law of Three Embodied Trainings and midwife groups, and loves all things embodied. She joined the Wisdom Waypoints Council in 2017 and is our Council Chair.
Learn more about Pam Rotelle Robertson and access her blogs and podcast conversation on her Talking Joy website HERE.