LET THE WORDS SPEAK TO YOU
Soulful reading is a contemplative practice that makes use of deep presence or mindfulness in going through a book, an article, or any reading material. It is a book retreat for individuals and small groups that can be done in person or online.
In soulful reading, the readers are invited to be deeply engaged in the material by paying attention to the words or phrases that call their attention, noticing how their body reacts to what they are reading, connecting with the thoughts and feelings that arise from the text, and reflecting on what all these could mean for them, in their specific and unique contexts. As a way of enriching this practice, readers may ask for individual spiritual accompaniment or come together as a group for a spiritual conversation.​
HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL REMINDERS:
-
Set aside time for reading daily. It will help to find a rhythm that blends in your day.
-
Have a journal where you can write your thoughts, insights, and feelings so that you have something to go back to.
-
Pay more attention to the quality rather than the quantity of your reading. We are not concerned about finishing the book right away. Pay more attention to the words that strike you and how they resonate with you.
-
Let the text speak to you. It's okay if you find yourself staying in one page because of some words you find meaningful.
-
Allow the text to reach a deep part of you and pay attention to your inner stirrings. These can include memories or feelings, which may be pleasant or not.
SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS AS YOU READ
-
What words or phrases strike me?
-
What thoughts, feelings, or insights did they stir in me?
-
How do these words and phrases resonate with me in this season of my life?
-
What invitations am I sensing, if any?
BELOW ARE SOME GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS
-
Please send a message to millennialtitomonk@gmail.com if you sense an invitation to do soulful reading. Below are our general arrangements for a group:
-
Ideally, a group has 3-4 members only to allow for a more focused and intimate sharing.
-
The reading material, usually a book, will be decided by the group through a consensus. The material should be accessible to all members.
-
Depending on the length of the material, the group may decide the total number of meetings. It is recommended to meet for a minimum of 3 times and a maximum of 6 times for a single material. Each meeting is only 45-60 minutes. The recommended frequency of the meetings is once every two weeks but this can change depending on the availability of the group members.
-
Each group meeting is led by a trained facilitator whose main roles are to ensure the safety of the group, facilitate the spiritual conversation, and watch the time.
-
The fee varies depending on the number of participants and meetings for a particular material.
-
Those who want to practice soulful reading individually may also avail of one-on-one spiritual direction instead of a group spiritual conversation.
"In this book, Christine Valters Painter shows us how, by becoming in tune with the rhythms of the natural world, we can live more intentionally and experience a conversion toward a more expansive way of being. Painter introduces us to the eight cycles of sacred time that exist in our everyday lives. These cycles that can ground us through our busy lives are breath, rhythms of the day, weekly rhythms and Sabbath rest, waxing and waning lunar cycles, seasons of the year, seasons of a lifetime, ancestral time, and cosmic time."
- Scribd.com
"This book is an invitation to join a wholehearted revolution. A small, quiet grassroots movement that starts with each of saying, “My story matters because I matter.” A movement where we can take to the streets with our messy, heartbreaking, grace-filled, and joyful lives. A movement fueled by freedom that comes when we stop pretending everything is OK when it isn’t. A call that rises up from our bellies when we find the courage to celebrate those intensely joyful moments even though we’ve convinced ourselves that savoring happiness is inviting disaster. Revolution might sound a little dramatic, but in this world, choosing authenticity and worthiness is an absolute act of resistance."
- BreneBrown.com
