Spiritual director Wendy Janzen offers five simple, embodied spiritual “pocket practices” to use anytime to feel more grounded, connected and spiritually supported.
Wendy Janzen lives in the Grand River Watershed of southwestern Ontario, Canada, where she serves as a pastor in two faith communities: Burning Bush Forest Church and Erb Street Mennonite Church, both located in Kitchener-Waterloo. Wendy is also a spiritual director, partner and parent to two teenagers.
This blog is part of a series by the Mennonite Spiritual Directors Network, a collaborative learning community from the Anabaptist Mennonite faith tradition committed to the contemplative ministry of spiritual direction.
What do summer camp, spiritual direction and young adults have in common? In the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to figure that out.
The executive director of Silver Lake Mennonite Camp in Sauble Beach, Ontario, invited me to spend a week at their staff orientation and to offer one-to-one spiritual direction to approximately 45 young adults. This was a first – an experiment in providing their young staff with some spiritual tools to help them stay grounded in what can, at times, be a hectic and intense job.
I decided to come up with a handful of “pocket practices” to offer them: spiritual practices that are simple to remember and engage in and can be done almost any time and anywhere at camp. Using the premise that anything can be a spiritual practice when we approach it with that intention, and reminding them that God is always present, I offered practices that create space to pause and regroup regardless of where they were on their spiritual journey.
I offer you these five embodied practices to use for yourself or to share with youth and young adults in your ministry setting.
Breathe — Pause to notice your breath. Slow it down, taking in full inhales through the nose and emptying your lungs out through the mouth. Remember that your breath connects you to the sky, the trees and the living world around you. Breathe in peace and calm; breathe out anything you need to release.
Bare feet — Take off your shoes and allow your bare feet to connect to the holy ground on which you are standing. Stand still. Close your eyes. Wiggle your toes. Feel the earth, and note its temperature, texture, etc. Imagine roots extending from your feet into the ground, connecting, rooting, grounding you, supporting you and anchoring you.
Support tree — Find a particular tree that can be your support tree or companion. Trees are living beings, always there, good listeners and confidants, and strong enough to hold burdens. Spend a few moments with your tree every day if you can — sit under it or give it a hug. You can talk to it if you want or ask it symbolically to hold emotional weight for you, so you don’t have to carry it with you all the time.
Calming rock — Find a small rock to carry with you in your pocket. If you find yourself feeling stressed, worried or overwhelmed, hold the rock and rub your fingers across its smooth surface. Feel its weight, timelessness, stillness and steadiness, and let it calm you.
Held by the Earth — Find a safe place to lie down, then do a quick scan of your emotions: what are you feeling right now? Next, do a quick body scan: where do you feel that emotion, or where are you holding tension? Be curious and compassionate with what you are feeling. Relax, release and allow the Earth to hold you and all you are holding.
Each of these are forms of wordless prayer, ways of reaching out to the Incarnational Christ for connection and comfort. End each practice with an “amen” or a word or gesture of gratitude.