Contemplative Spirituality
Our approach to spirituality at theeffect rests on two pillars: understanding Jesus’ message in a first century, Hebrew/Aramaic context and experiencing life from a contemplative point of view. Why contemplative? When you view Jesus in his own Hebraic world, you realize that he is contemplative both in his private prayer life and public interaction with everyone and everything around him. And what is contemplation? The ability to be fully present and aware in our moment to moment experience and relationships.
Contemplative practice is learning to be able to quiet our constant thoughtstream, to rise above emotional triggers, to step away from anything that would keep us from seeing the reality of our moments and limit the quality of our relationships. This does not come naturally to most of us and has to be learned and more importantly, practiced, just as any skill must be. Until we can be aware without thinking about it, we can’t really be present. But until we come to see value in this skill, we won’t spend the time and energy to practice it.
This video and ebook series will introduce you to what contemplation is, why it’s important, and how you can get started.
Awareness and Presence
Many of us engage with fight or flight instincts when it comes to stressful interpersonal, local, or global issues. We freeze up, lash out, and act reflexively, without conscious choice. Quick reactions are critical in times of true danger, but elsewhere mark a lack of awareness that stifles relationships and personal growth. Awareness is the key to being present in our moments, able to create the space to choose other than our pre-programmed responses, even when they have served us in the past. The videos and ebooks in this series introduce concepts and tools to recognize triggers, deepen awareness about your physical and spiritual self, and learn how to guide yourself toward a calmer, more connected life.
The 4 S-es
Silence goes beyond the absence of sound, just as solitude is not merely being alone. In this module, we look at the relationship between silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity — the 4 S-es–and the importance of cultivating them through awareness and meditative practice. The 4 S-es form the core of the most ancient practice of deep spiritual and self awareness but can be hard to achieve even for introverted people without the right tools. Ironically, what seems at first to be a practice of withdrawal, actually connects us more deeply to a power greater than ourselves, that of God and community. The videos and ebooks present a foundation for creating true silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity in our lives.
The 4 S-es
Silence goes beyond the absence of sound, just as solitude is not merely being alone. In this module, we look at the relationship between silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity — the 4 S-es–and the importance of cultivating them through awareness and meditative practice. The 4 S-es form the core of the most ancient practice of deep spiritual and self awareness but can be hard to achieve even for introverted people without the right tools. Ironically, what seems at first to be a practice of withdrawal, actually connects us more deeply to a power greater than ourselves, that of God and community. The videos and ebooks present a foundation for creating true silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity in our lives.
Meditative Practice
Meditation means many things to different people: anything from thinking deeply about something to thinking nothing at all, a tool to lower stress to the image of a person sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, palms up–something deeply religious. However, meditation in itself is physical, not spiritual, though it’s always been used to enhance spiritual practice. Knowing what it is and isn’t, how and why it can be used, what benefits it can bring, and that it doesn’t require religious belief or have to look the same for everyone is an essential beginning. Meditation hones our ability to create “choiceless awareness,” a state of stillness we can maintain even within a noisy environment or active mind. In the videos and ebooks we learn about meditation and how it gives us the tools to bring our presence with us wherever we go in daily life.
Meditative Techniques
How do I practice meditation? What are different techniques and which may be better for me? What if I’m too ADD to be able to sit quietly for any length of time, is there still a way for me to meditate? What about those meditation smart phone apps? Are they all I need? There are so many questions to ask about meditation, we’ll look at the most pressing, so if you’re ready to engage in a program of your own, you can experiment with different techniques until you find those that work best for you and your personal and spiritual goals and values. The goal of meditation is to instill the 4 S-es, the silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity that will allow you to remain mindfully present more seamlessly through your day, able to recover more quickly from emotional triggers and more focused on just the task at hand, the person sharing your moment. All of which are the building blocks of real connection that makes life feel alive.
Meditative Techniques
How do I practice meditation? What are different techniques and which may be better for me? What if I’m too ADD to be able to sit quietly for any length of time, is there still a way for me to meditate? What about those meditation smart phone apps? Are they all I need? There are so many questions to ask about meditation, we’ll look at the most pressing, so if you’re ready to engage in a program of your own, you can experiment with different techniques until you find those that work best for you and your personal and spiritual goals and values. The goal of meditation is to instill the 4 S-es, the silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity that will allow you to remain mindfully present more seamlessly through your day, able to recover more quickly from emotional triggers and more focused on just the task at hand, the person sharing your moment. All of which are the building blocks of real connection that makes life feel alive.
