You've made the decision. You've set aside time for spiritual guidance. But you might be wondering, “What am I going to talk about today?” If you have a burning question, situation, or spiritual experience to explore with your spiritual leader, that's okay — start there. But what if you don't?
Whether you’re experiencing serious problems or not, here are some ways to get the most out of your spiritual direction session.
Take some time before your session to think about what you want to discuss.
This seems obvious, but sometimes our busy lives can get packed with one appointment to the next with little time to spare. If possible, take a few minutes the day or a few hours before your monthly session to quiet your mind and think about what areas of your life you want or need to explore. Recall, in your mind or from your notes, any experiences you would like to share with your spiritual director. We love to hear about all aspects of your life – all things spiritual. In particular, we would like to hear about:
Experiences in prayer or times when you felt the Holy Spirit was significantly manifested. Challenges you faced during the month. Joys, gifts, and highlights of the month. Whether your relationships are going well. How you are engaging with your spiritual community. What you learned and how you grew last month. Questions you need to discern in your life. Memories you need to take time to face.
Regularly practice spiritual practices and record your progress.
When you engage in regular spiritual practice, whether that be prayer, meditation, bodywork, or play, you are communicating with God. Even if you're not the type to keep a diary, take some notes throughout the month about how your practice feels and how you experience God. It's a good idea to review your notes before your spiritual direction session, because you know your spiritual director will ask you how your spiritual practice is going (that's our job!).
If you keep a journal, please bring it with you to the session.
I love it when my guidance recipients bring in their journals – journals of their daily experiences, questions, prayers, etc. If you're not sure where to start during a session, a journal is a great place to dig in. Some people forget a really amazing experience with God that happened a few weeks ago. A journal can be a place to write an essay or poem about your life. These are all great content for deep and engaging spiritual direction conversations.
Bring your own art
If you are an artist or writer, you are likely experiencing God in your creative process, and if you would like to bring in your creation or share your writing with the director, by all means, do so.
Yes, you may bring a list of topics you would like to discuss.
I always bring a list to meetings with my spiritual director, and many of my clients do. Some apologize for bringing a list, and I understand. I have a lot to discuss with my director, and the list helps me to cover the key points before the hour begins. If the session is moving in a productive direction even before we bring up the list, there is no need to do anything with it. The act of making a list itself helps us organize our thoughts and makes the most of the 50 minutes to an hour with our spiritual director.
Your spiritual direction session is entirely yours and the director is trained to follow your lead when it comes to what to talk about. If you have done all of the above and are still not sure what to talk about, share the story of your faith journey. There is always something more noteworthy embedded in your life story.
Want to learn more about spiritual direction? There's a book by Apocryphile Press called “Spiritual Direction 101: The Basics of Spiritual Guidance” that covers many aspects of this practice. It's available on Amazon.
Are you thinking about becoming a Spiritual Director? Check out my one-on-one online training program called the Spiritual Director Apprenticeship Training Program. If this interests you, please contact me at teresa@teresablythe.net or through my website at www.phoenixspiritualdirection.com.
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