Workshop 2: Personal Spiritual Practices

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

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Part of Spirit in Practice: Ten Workshops for Unitarian Universalist Adults

In This Section

Introduction
From Spirit in Practice

There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening, we shall hear the right word. Certainly there is a right for you that needs no choice on your part. Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into your life….
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Spirit in Practice

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 5 Activity 1: Sharing Names 5 Activity 2: The Story of Pablo Casals 10 Activity 3: Prayer and Meditation 35 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Experiencing Meditation 15 Alternate Activity 2: Experiencing Intercessory Prayer 30…
Spiritual Preparation
From Spirit in Practice

Leaders are encouraged to prepare for the workshop not only by gathering supplies and reviewing the workshop’s activities, but also by practicing centering, prayer, or meditation….
Welcoming and Entering
From Spirit in Practice

Materials for Activity Sign-in sheet (see Preparation) Pen or pencil Name tags Bold markers Copies of Spirit in Practice Series Schedule (see Preparation) Group guidelines listed on newsprint or a digital slide (see Preparation) Workshop agenda listed on newsprint or a digital slide (see…
Opening
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Altar or centering table Cloth for covering altar or centering table Chalice and candle Matches or lighter Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the UUA hymnbook (one per person) Optional: A piano, guitar, or other form of accompaniment Optional:…
Activity 1: Sharing Names
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Optional: Microphone (preferably cordless) Preparation for Activity Be sure that participants have made name tags. If they have not, you may pass around name tag materials while participants introduce themselves. Description of Activity Introduce…
Activity 2: The Story Of Pablo Casals
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Review the story in advance so that you can present it effectively. Description of Activity Read the story “Pablo Casals” aloud. Provide copies of the story to people who prefer to read along. After sharing the story, invite participants to take a…
Activity 3: Prayer And Meditation
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 35 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Handout 1: A Unitarian Universalist Prayer Bead Practice (one per person) Newsprint Markers Easel Optional: A second easel Optional: Microphone Preparation for Activity Find a space in the room or an easel arrangement that will enable you…
Closing
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Altar or centering table Cloth for covering altar or centering table Chalice and candle Chalice extinguisher Copies of the customized Taking It Home handout (see Preparation) Optional: Microphone Preparation for Activity Review the Taking It Home…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Spirit in Practice

After the workshop, co-leaders should make a time to get together to evaluate this workshop and plan future workshops. Use these questions to guide your shared reflection and planning: What were some of our favorite moments of the workshop? What were some of our most challenging moments?…
Alternate Activity 1: Experiencing Meditation
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Practice reading Leader Resource 1: Breathing Meditation so that you can deliver it calmly and clearly. Description of Activity Explain that meditation is one form of personal spiritual practice. It’s a spiritual “practice” not only because it’s…
Alternate Activity 2: Experiencing Intercessory Prayer
From Spirit in Practice

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Practice reading Leader Resource 2: Guided Intercessory Prayer so that you can deliver it calmly and clearly. Description of Activity Tell the group that they are going to experience a contemplative approach to intercessory prayer. For anyone…
Taking It Home: Personal Spiritual Practices
From Spirit in Practice

Read Handout 1: A Unitarian Universalist Prayer Bead Practice. Experiment with it. You may wish to create your own set of prayer beads as described in the handout. You can also use the handout to compose your own personally meaningful prayer, with or without beads….
Pablo Casals
From Spirit in Practice

Pablo Casals, born in Vendrell, Spain to a Puerto Rican mother, is thought by many to be the greatest cellist who ever lived. His recordings of the Bach Cello Suites, made between 1936 and 1939, are considered unsurpassed to this day.
Handout 1: A Unitarian Universalist Prayer Bead Practice
From Spirit in Practice

What follows is not intended to dictate how to pray, but rather is a suggested structure onto which you can hang your own developing prayer practice….
Leader Resource 1: Breathing Meditation

Kevin Durkin

From Spirit in Practice

Lie on your back in a comfortable position with arms and legs extended. If there is any pain in your back, place a pillow under your knees. Move your legs so that the distance between your feet is slightly greater than the width of your hips….
Leader Resource 2: Guided Intercessory Prayer
From Spirit in Practice

I invite you to close your eyes. Breathe in and breathe out, slowly and gently. Bring quiet to your mind—gently bring stillness to your thoughts, to that sometimes racing internal monologue. Prepare yourself to find a stillness—to hear “a still small voice” or “a voice of quiet…
Find Out More
From Spirit in Practice

Wikstrom, Erik Walker. Simply Pray: A Modern Spiritual Practice to Deepen Your Life. Skinner House Books, 2005. Nhat Hanh, Thich. http://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Simple-Program-Translating-Spiritual/d…: A Simple 8-Point Program for Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life. Nilgiri Press,…

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Workshop 2: Personal Spiritual Practices

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