Life as Spiritual Journey
Led By: Erika Murphy
Suggested Donation: $360
Tuesday, 16 July – Friday, 19 July 2019
Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls. – Joseph Campbell
The events and challenges of our lives often leave us with a sense of confusion or incoherence, leaving us wondering where the Spirit is in our spiritual journey. If we reframe our stories through an archetypal lens – through the context of ancient myth and legend – we emerge with a new outlook that celebrates each of us as the main character in our own spiritual quest.
Joseph Campbell famously outlined the mythic path of the human journey that begins with a call to adventure and culminates with a transformed return to the world, a pattern exemplified by the lives of great spiritual leaders such as Jesus and Buddha. We can also see this pattern in countless other stories from fairy tales to novels and modern movies. Over the course of this week, we will explore how our own stories vibrate with deeper meaning when we map our individual lives onto the archetypal mythic journey.
This four-day retreat will include an examination of the hero’s journey, reflective journaling, guided meditation, and group discussion that will help us consider the full range and depth of our journey’s purpose. We will also talk about tools we can use that will help keep us connected to our soul’s deepest desires in the midst of our everyday lives. Together, we will venture beyond the mundane as we open up to the abundant richness inherent in each of our life stories.
Erika Murphy, M.Div., Ph.D., teaches religious studies in Fairfield, CT, as well as offering classes, retreats, and workshops that focus on meditation and stress-reduction. Her work in theology and spirituality has led her to explore the rich world of the mind-body connection through mindfulness practices. In her academic work, Erika is often drawn to explore the theological resonances between vulnerability, transformation, and spirituality.