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So we have arrived at the sixth and final month of your DIL programme. Wow.
I don’t know about you but it seems to have flown past. If you’re reading this then I’m guessing you have made it to the end of the programme, in some form or another. Well done you! No doubt many of you have missed some bits along the way (me too). Life and its hectic pace can sometimes have other plans for us.
Please remember that all the text materials are available to download and the videos to view until 31st March 2023, after which they will no longer be available.
This month’s topic is Spirit led living and is about pulling together all the threads of your work to consolidate and build upon your spiritual foundations. It’s also about taking note of what might remain outstanding for you (without any harsh self-judgements) and exploring your next steps as you continue to deepen into life.
As always, any questions about this month’s work that arise in you, please make a note, and bring them to the online Zoom session. SUNDAY 12th FEBRUARY at 10.00-12.00 (half an hour early as its our last full session together)
Date for your diary
WEDNESDAY 22nd FEBRUARY 18.00 – 19.30 ON ZOOM
I look forward to seeing you very soon.
In love and service,
Donna xxx
Personal Enquiry:
Personal enquiry is a personal and spiritual development tool to support people in enhancing their understanding of the human condition and shedding light on theirs and others psyche. In questioning our habitual thoughts, feelings, reactions, judgements, and behaviours, we can begin to move beyond our ego led living and drop into the deeper dimensions of Life. All the spiritual traditions include periods of quiet contemplation and reflection in some form. Specific time set aside in silence and solitude to meditate on the chosen subjects and related questions. For how can we possibly know and connect to a Higher Power, if we do not take the time to know and connect to ourselves? How can we begin to deepen, without questioning all that we ‘think’ we know?
These personal enquiry questions are starting points for you to deepen into Life. To spend time over the coming weeks and months contemplating each of the questions and how they relate to you and the wider world. I encourage you to add further questions of your own choosing to go deeper still. The suggestion is that you spend at least 2-3 hours per week contemplating and journaling on these questions. This might be broken down into 20-30 minutes each weekday or in one chunk of time at the weekend. Whatever is most manageable for you. Where possible return to the questions throughout the whole month to continue adding further insights and reflections as they arise. Take these questions with you on your walks, in the shower or bath, as you drink your coffee, cook, eat, clean or go about your day (keep your journal close by). Allow the questions to open, elevate and deepen you, and in turn impact how you choose to live your life.
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Review Questions:
- • When looking back over the last 5 months topics, what remains outstanding for you?
- • What practices have you resisted/not made time for and why might this be?
- • How has your relationship to the Divine/God shifted since embarking on this inner journey?
- • How has your shadow held you back? What do you need to do to recognise/own and integrate your shadow blocks?
- • What aspects of life are you still trying to control?
- • In what areas of your life do you remain disconnected and why? What action will you take to create more balance?
- • What have you gained from your participation in this programme?
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Moving forward Questions:
- • How will you use what you have learned on DIL going forward? How will you hold yourself accountable with the actions you know you need to take?
- • In what ways do you access and listen to your own intuition?
- • How do you make time and create space for your spiritual practices? What can you do less of in order to deepen your spiritual connection?
- • How embodied are you in your Spirituality? How grounded is your connection to the Divine? What else might you need to do to live from a place of grounded spirituality?
- • In what ways do you think, feel and act habitually in your life? How might you become more conscious and connected to your authentic self? What do you need to do more or less of?
- • What do you need to unlearn in your life in order to ‘be the change’?
- • How will you commit to love and serve more in the world?
- • What in your life is sacred?
Daily Prayer Practice:
The suggestion is for you to continue to pray twice a day, first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. Try to ensure you include the 3 core dimensions of prayer – gratitude, celebration/worship & requests. If you already have your own prayer practice, then feel free to continue with that. The main thing is that we all commit to pray consistently every day.
Ritual:
Begin to find out more about your lineage, your tribe. Ask questions, read books, learn, write, imagine your history back to life. Create an altar that recognises and honours your Ancestors. If you do not have photos, you can use images, colours, words and items that celebrate and honour your lineage. Write a simple prayer of deep gratitude to all those that came before you. Use this prayer to pray to your Ancestors, giving thanks to them for all they suffered and the sacrifices they made in order that you could live.
Word of the Week:
The suggestion is to have one word as your focus for each week of the month. As you encounter life moment by moment, allow this word to guide you in your thoughts, words, conversations, and choices. Take these words with you wherever you go. Write them on post it’s to remind yourself. Add them to your altar, pop them into your pocket or purse and carry them with you. Allow them to guide you as you deepen into life.
- • Commitment
- • Unlearning
- • Connection
- • Intuition
Book of the Month:
The book for this month: Loyalty to your Soul – Mary & Ron Hulnick
Alternative option for repeating DIL members is – Journey of the Soul – Dr Brenda Davies
Service & Acts of Kindness:
Each month identify a specific way to be in service in some way in the world. The suggestion is to identify a person or cause that is important to you and then find a way to offer meaningful support. A minimum of 1 hour per month (ideally this needs to be on top of anything you already do). In addition, consciously find/create opportunities to be kind that involves an element of sacrifice on your part. (so not just giving money away as an example). Ideally a minimum of 1 act of conscious kindness per week, large or small. If you can remain anonymous, even better.
A Weekly Date with Wonder:
“Imagine you are seeing everyone and everything for the very last time…”
Once a week, (or more if you can) for at least 30 minutes, head out by yourself with your eyes and heart wide open. Take a small notebook, pen and camera if you wish. (Turn phone on airplane mode if using the camera). Head to the woods, sea, park, a museum or simply sit and watch the world go by. Wherever calls to you. Slowly and mindfully take in all that you notice – look up, down and all around. Marvel and wonder at the minute details and miracle of it all. Notice the smells, sounds, colours, textures and sensations of the whole experience. Touch what you can. Reconnect with your Wonder & Awe. Give thanks. This too is a prayer.
Wishing you a wonderful month of discovery.
Donna Lancaster – Founder of Deepening into Life
Live Sessions & Document Downloads
Click the link here to watch the live session and download the session documents to assist you when working offline and during the live session.
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