Spirituality

Morning Body Prayer:

Stand facing East. Become aware of fire from Sun, Earth beneath, air moving around, water surrounding us.

We open ourselves to All that is (Move arm in a large circle from front to back)

We open ourselves to All that is (Move other arm in large similar circle)

We reach down to touch Earth (Reach down)

We gather the energies of Earth and bring them up through our bodies… (Moving from Earth, bringing hands right up the front to reach up high)

… to connect with Heavens. Here we get the energies of Heavens and bring them right back through our bodies reconnecting back to Earth. (Bring the hands back down from sky to earth)

Returning to our hearts (Both hands touch heart) 

We take a step back (reach behind) 

Reaching for the wisdom of all that has been, the wisdom the ancestors found, the wisdom we discovered yesterday.

Returning to our hearts… (Both hands touch heart)

…we take a step forward… (both arms reach forward, gathering energy that is brought back to the heart)

…to embrace whatever it is that will come out way this day.

As we come back to our hearts we turn to face the North…

(The prayer is repeated in each of the four directions.)

Having moved through all four directions, return to face East.

We stand here, strongly grounded. We know we are blessed. We know we are loved. We know we belong.

Morning Body Prayer - Cath Connelly

Evening Body Prayer

As Earth turns again from Sun, we gather the energies of Earth and bring them back to our hearts and we are still.

(Reach down, touch Earth and bring arms / hands back to heart.)

As Earth turns again from Sun, we gather the energies of the Heavens and bring them back to our hearts and we are still.

(Reach up, touch Sky and bring arms / hands back to heart.)

As Earth turns again from Sun, we gather the energies of all that the day has been about and we bring this back to our hearts and we are still.

(Reach forward, gathering energy back and bring arms / hands back to heart.)

As Earth turns again from Sun, we gather the giftedness of each one of us and bring this back to our hearts and we are still and we know we are blessed and we know we are loved.

(Arms open to each person, turn to the group with welcoming gesture and bring arms / hands back to heart.)

We stand here, strongly grounded. We know we are blessed. We know we are loved. We know we belong.

Evening Body Prayer - Cath Connelly

Spirituality is about seeking a meaningful relationship with something bigger than ourselves. At the same time, spirituality recognises that we need to be increasingly aware of our own self so that we come to know ever more fully who we are as a reflection of the Divine. Spirituality means knowing that our lives have significance beyond a mundane, everyday existence. It is about being caught up in an appreciation of the ultimate mystery that is life. 

I love facilitating retreats, workshops and seminars on spirituality! During these retreats there is input, time for quiet reflection, creative ways to explore the topic, harp music, hopefully comfortable beds and always good food. I am usually invited to come to a place set in a natural environment, the beauty of which enters our retreat time and space. Yes, I always bring the Celtic harp… 

Combining my love of both Celtic music and spirituality, some of the topics I have been invited to lead retreats on include:   

Hope Beyond a Disintegrating World 
Being Good Ancestors of the Future 
Celtic Spirituality 
Being Present to Presence 
The Divine Feminine 
Brigid, Goddess and Saint 
Hildegard of Bingen 
Life as Pilgrimage 
Labyrinths 
Thin Places – Reaching for the Divine 

Retreats and workshops are always tailored to suit the needs and interests of the group that invites me into your space. Let me know about your specific community… 

For more details, contact me here.

Spiritual direction

Spiritual direction is a time-honoured discipline for all those who seek companionship as a means of enriching their life’s journey. It is where rich conversation is had about an individual’s human thirst, longing, meaning and direction in life. As a qualified spiritual director, I have had the honour of being part of this ministry for many years. 

Let me tell you about the Living Well Centre for Christian Spirituality, of which I am the co-director. 

Our main activities are: 

To offer Spiritual Direction for individuals 
To provide a four-year formation program for those aspiring to, or currently involved in the ministry of spiritual direction 
To offer ongoing formation for those involved in spiritual direction 
To provide supervision groups for those engaged in spiritual direction practice 
To offer retreats, workshops and quiet days. 

More information about our program can be found here

Living Well Centre  www.livingwellcentre.org.au