Spiritual Practices Certificate

A weekend designed to provide you with a variety of experiences to deepen your spiritual life, including mindfulness meditation, walking the labyrinth and the practice of inner listening. We will also explore spiritual practices stations, silence as a spiritual practice and offer time to meet with a spiritual director on Saturday if you choose. (Extra cost of $25 if you wish to meet with a spiritual director for a one hour session. Please register for this option separately below.)

Group facilitation and times of reflection with Robin McGauley, Program Director at Five Oaks, will offer opportunity for participants to integrate new experiences and learnings and come to a greater understanding of the role of spiritual practice in their lives.

The weekend will include the following Sessions:

Living Mindfully: Connecting to our Bodies, Minds & Spirits through Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation is an integral part of most religions. It is a deep-rooted part of our own tradition. It is also one that has been neglected by many of us, and one that has been poorly taught in the Protestant tradition. The Mindfulness Practice is deeply rooted in Buddhism but practiced now in many spiritualities. Simply put, it is a moment-to-moment awareness that, with cultivation, may bring a new kind of wisdom and connectedness to our lives. It is not a quick fix, but rather a practice that may move us in the direction of healing and peace as we learn to listen to ourselves and live in deeper connection with our lives and those around us. This workshop will offer a window into the practice of Mindfulness Meditation and what it means to ‘live mindfully’.
Leadership: Lorna MacQueen is the ‘Minister of Faith formation for Discipleship’ on the Hamilton Conference staff of the United Church of Canada. She has twenty-six years experience in Pastoral Ministry, training in Interim Ministry and in Spiritual Direction and spirituality. Drawing meditation into the Christian practice has been a meaningful journey she has shared in a number of contexts. 

A Sacred Path: Experiencing the Labyrinth
The labyrinth is a spiritual practice, a safe container, a meditative tool that has profoundly impacted the lives of many people as they journey through this world. During this workshop we will explore this sacred pattern and dive deeper into the experience through exploring additional spiritual practices. Questions such as “what is your inner longing?” and “what does your heart desire?” will guide our steps and give us cause for reflection.
Leadership: Robin McGauley is a Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator who trained with Lauren Artress to learn how to lead meaningful labyrinth experiences. After taking numerous courses in Expressive Arts at the Haliburton campus of Fleming College she received a post-graduate certificate in Expressive Arts in 2011 and was an instructor in the program in 2012. Robin is also an Ordained Minister with the United Church of Canada who serves as Program Director at Five Oaks. She leads with gentleness and playfulness to create a safe environment for participants to explore and learn from their own experiences.

Experiencing First Light
Where does dawn dwell in you? And how is that light being revealed in you? We will reflect on and experience the dawn through the practice of presence augmented by holy writings, song, and simple dance. Wear loose comfortable clothing and, if you like, a scarf or shawl in the colours of dawn.
Leadership: Catherine Maine is a spiritual director, adult educator and a Veriditas-certified labyrinth facilitator. She has been a Sacred Circle Dance teacher and choreographer since 1998, and she has offered workshops and series since 1996. Catherine is on staff with the Ontario Jubilee Program in Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction. She provides experiential learning to groups using embodied spiritual practices coupled with contemplative exercises. 

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