Ignatian Examen
St. Ignatius offers us a practice in awareness and prayer-filled mindfulness through what is known as the Examen. The Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the day in order to find the presence of the Sacred within the context of our everyday life. And then, grounded in our experience, environment, and encounter with others, we can become increasingly aware of the movement of the Spirit within us and our lives, and of the invitations present for us to respond to. Traditionally, the Examen is done daily, but you can use the Examen for any period of time: part of the day, at the end of the day, after a key experience, at the end of a week or semester or year.
HOW TO DO THE EXAMEN
Recall that you are in the presence of God – Center yourself, still your body, still your mind, and become aware of the presence of the Divine. Ask for light, clarity and understanding.
Give Thanks – Review the day with gratitude. Note its joys and delights. Look at the work you did, the people you interacted with. What did you receive from these people? What did you give them? God is in the details!
Review your day – As you walk through your day, pay particular attention to your emotions. Our feelings, positive and negative, are clear signals of where the action was during the day. What is being communicated to you through these feelings?
Speak to God about your day – Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Allow the prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart—praise, petition, contrition, cry for help or healing, whatever it may be.
Reconcile and Resolve – Look toward tomorrow. Ask for the grace that you need as you face tomorrowʼs invitations or challenges. Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what is coming up. Whatever it is, turn it into prayer – for help, for healing.
