This is your body, your greatest gift, pregnant with wisdom you do not hear, grief you thought was forgotten, and joy you have never known.
Marion Woodman
There is so much wisdom in our bodies, but we often forget to listen to what they have to say to us. Focusing (or BioSpiritual Focusing) is a beautifully simple practice that invites us to tune into the knowledge our bodies have to offer us as we seek to grow, to heal, to discern, and to transform. As a practice, Focusing is beneficial to have in the Spiritual Director’s toolbox as one more way to listen and hold space for those we companion.
In this recording of an online workshop/retreat day, Heather Monkmeyer and John Koon will invite you into contemplative space to consider your own relationship with your body and how that might enter into spiritual practice and direction. You will learn about Focusing, its roots and some of the ways it is practiced, including how it can flow into Active Imagination.
After you have watched this video, Heather and John are offering a BioSpiritual Focusing practice session with them, for an additional fee. When you contact them, let them know you have watched the recorded training session and would like the opportunity to practice this approach. Those who complete a practice session can receive a certificate of completion for this training by contacting Joanna Quintrell (joanna@journeycenter.org ).
(This video is for personal viewing only, not for groups or sharing/forwarding. Purchasing will give you access to watch, but not download. Please see our policies for more information.)
Facilitator bios:
Heather Monkmeyer has been a spiritual director since 2002. She is a retreat leader, circle holder, artist, writer, teacher, and friend of the Journey Center. She holds a B.S. and an M.A. in Education, a DASD from SFTS, and is an ordained minister. Heather co-leads weekly writing circles for women, offers spiritual direction, supervision, and teaches in the Wellstreams Spiritual Direction program. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, Jim. They have two amazing daughters with wonderful lives, and a devoted German Shepherd, named Rilke.
John Koon: After receiving a Bachelor of Music in cello performance in 2005 and a Master of Education in organizational leadership in 2006 from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN), John spent eight years in non-profit work in Romania and Moldova where he encountered and was transformed by the presence of love among children living on the margins of society. In 2018 he was honored to be included in the New Contemplatives Initiative of Spiritual Directors International. John then received a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and the Art of Spiritual Direction from the Wellstreams Program of The Spirituality Network (Columbus, OH) in May 2019. Outside of work, John enjoys playing cello, practicing Ashtanga yoga, cooking plant-based meals, and spending time with his spouse, Rachel, and children, Oscar and Genevieve.
