In Ignatian Spirituality, spiritual direction is not only a central component of the Spiritual Exercises, but also seen as a beneficial ongoing spiritual practice.
Spiritual direction is simply holding space for you to more deeply explore and engage in your spiritual journey in the presence of a compassionate other trained in the art of listening. The time is focused on you growing in awareness of the Holy in your life and in your ability to tell your sacred stories. There is a focus on direct spiritual experience, and so it is about noticing the patterns that shape your spiritual life, for good and bad. It is about paying attention to the invitations to grow into a fuller expression of your deepest self. And it is about growing in interior freedom, which then enables, and compels, you back out to live authentically in the world.
The direction that happens in a spiritual direction relationship does not come from the person in the role of spiritual director. Instead, it comes from the deepening of awareness of the Sacred in your life and a desire to live more fully in that awareness within the concrete circumstances of your life. The director’s role is to facilitate the conversation, and to encourage and confirm you in your journey.
*Adapted from Charis Ministries, charis.org. Used with permission.
