I’ve been asked many questions about the Spiritual Exercises. I hope this post answers them and helps you decide if you want to take this exciting step. I will be having groups of 2-3 people plus me, and depending on the size, we will meet from 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours, two times a month from the first week of September to the end of April.
The deadline for letting me know if you want to journey with a group is August 1st!
For just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and running are bodily exercises, so we call Spiritual Exercises every way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God in the disposition of our life for the health of our soul. (SE 1)[1]
I lead group exercise classes. I love to help people out of physical pain by teaching them to breathe fully, move their bodies fluidly, stretch deliberately, and strengthen their muscles vigorously. There is something so fulfilling about my students finding freedom from pain by moving the way God intended for them, unhindered and leading active and healthy lives. As soon as I found these exercises, I wanted to share them with anyone who would listen. They have been life-changing for me. After years bound up in pain, I am free. Now, I am passionate about helping others. Movement heals.
I am also passionate about helping people exercise their spiritual muscles! The Spiritual Exercises have been so beneficial for me that I want to share them with anyone who desires a deeper relationship with God and wants to be free from anything that is holding them back from being all that God created them to be. I want others to live their best life. Spiritual movement heals.
The Spiritual Exercises are a series of meditations, prayers, and contemplations developed by Ignatius of Loyola that help people draw closer to God and find freedom from anything that is hindering them from living a life of love for God and service to others. There are different ways to receive the Exercises:
- 20th Annotation: One goes away to spend 30 days in silence and solitude seeing a spiritual director daily so that person may give their “whole attention to one single interest, that is, to the service of its Creator and its spiritual progress . . . the more the soul is in solitude and seclusion, the more fit it renders itself to approach and be united with its Creator and Lord; and the more closely it is united with Him, the more it disposes itself to receive graces and gifts from the infinite goodness of its God” (SE 20).
- 19th Annotation: This is often called the Spiritual Exercise in Everyday Life (SEEL). Ignatius wrote the Exercises while a layperson. He understood that it is not always practical (or affordable) for people to go away for 30 days. The Exercises are spread out over about eight months, with shorter daily prayer time. If following the liturgical year, the Exercises go from September to April or May, depending on the date of Easter.
- 18th Annotation: Ignatius believed a little is better than nothing at all and often said, “Let’s do the doable.” He understood that the full Exercises might not fit into a person’s schedule, and they could be adapted to fit the person receiving them. Some 18th Annotations go through certain portions and others go through the highlights of the full Exercises.
Who was Ignatius of Loyola?
Iňigo Lopez de Loyola was born in the Basque region of Spain in 1491. His life between 16 and 26 involved dueling, gambling, and romancing the ladies, and was consumed with worldly vanities while in the court of the king of Castile.
At 26, he became a soldier. At 30, he was shot through the leg with a cannonball. After having doctors break and reset his leg so that he could satisfy his vanity and still look good in the clothing of a courtier, he had a lot of time to recover and think. While in recovery, his only reading materials were a story of the life of Christ and tales of the saints. He noticed when he dreamed of being a knight for the king and winning over the ladies, he felt good at first but was left empty once the initial thrill came to pass. When he read about the life of Christ and the saints and imagined himself in service to God and others, he experienced deep and lasting JOY. This led him on a long journey with God that he thought could also help other people. This became a manual of prayer called the Spiritual Exercises.
Why Pray Through the Exercises?
Ignatius wrote that the Exercises: “have as their purpose the conquest of self and the regulation of one’s life in such a way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment” (SE 21).
Inordinate (unhealthy) attachments are also referred to as disordered affections/loves. These are any habits, relationships, or attitudes that keep us from pursuing God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mt 22:37). God is looking for an authentic relationship with the people he created in his image and for his glory, but many things get in the way of that primary relationship. The goal of the Exercises is to become indifferent to these attachments. Meaning that we do not necessarily give them up, but that we get to the point where it does not matter if we have them in our life or not. Ignatius strongly believed that when we become indifferent to those things we are attached to; we discover our deepest God-given desires. Seeking freedom and detachment from inordinate attachments is one of four pillars of the Exercises and Ignatian Spirituality.
I hope you can join in the fun! Contact me by email if you have it. If you don’t (I don’t post it on the web), contact me through the contact form on my website to sign up by August 1st, 2025
The Exercises are progressive with principles building on one another. Ignatius wrote this path for spiritual growth based on his own experience and helping numerous others through the Exercises. There are four “weeks”, but they are not literal weeks they are more like phases of growth.
Preparation Days
Anytime we go on a journey, we prepare by planning, purchasing footwear and clothing, and packing. Sometimes, we get in shape for an activity we will do on the trip. The days of preparation proceeding the Exercises include activities that stretch and strengthen your gratitude muscle:
- Prayer of Examen – This is the “footwear” of the Exercises that you put on every day of the journey. It takes about 15 minutes at the end of the day or beginning of the next day (reviewing the previous day).
- Blessed History – Before going forward, you look back at your story and consider God’s gift in creating you and evidence of his infinite love and grace in your life leading you to gratitude. Ignatius includes a life review later in the Exercises (SE 56), but the Blessed History is included at the beginning because it is a helpful starting point and functions like a Lifetime Examen. Appendix III of my manual contains a guide for creating an optional “Blessed History Timeline” before we start the Exercises (“Week 0”).
First “Week” – The Boundless Love of God
We prayerfully meditate on God’s gift in Creation, the Foundation of the Exercises, the rebellion of humankind, and our rebellion. I like to say that after understanding and appreciating God’s love throughout my life, I can look at my sinfulness encased in the “bubble wrap” of his love. We look at our sin patterns because God wants us to see our need for a Savior. Also, to have freedom and detachment from inordinate attachments, we need to be aware of what those inordinate attachments might be. He is committed to our interior freedom so that we can love him, ourselves, and others with abandon. It is a win-win and not a fearful experience to look at our sin patterns. I was so “in the bubble wrap” that when I was talking to my husband about what my sin patterns might be, he summed it up beautifully, and I was excited! Identifying these patterns has led to greater awareness and increased freedom, and I pray this will happen for you also.
Second “Week” – The Life of Christ
We journey with Christ through his life from the Incarnation up to the Last Supper. The grace sought is an interior knowledge of Jesus, who became human for us, so that we might “see him more clearly, love him more intensely, and follow him more closely” (SE 104). In addition, we pray through four contemplations/meditations: The Call of the King, Two Standards, Three Types of Persons, and Three Degrees of Humility.
Third “Week” – The Passion of Christ
We accompany Christ in his suffering from the Last Supper to the Cross.
Fourth “Week” – The Resurrection and Call of Christ
We pray through and rejoice in the Resurrection and do a final Contemplation to Attain the Love of God and realize Jesus is “with us” in the Kingdom work he is calling us to, releasing us into the world as contemplatives in action (which is another pillar of the Exercises and Ignatian spirituality).
Time Commitment
In addition to the 10-15 minutes for a morning or evening Examen, you will want to commit yourself to 30-45 minutes of prayer each day. This is what Kevin O’Brien, author of The Ignatian Adventure, wrote in an email to me:
Generally, Ignatius insisted on good, regular habits. So praying at an appointed time and place is part of that, like regular exercise. He was worried about cutting prayer short as a sign of spiritual laxity, instead recommending persistence even in dry forms of prayer and discerning the dryness. As for praying longer than the appointed time, he was worried about being overly zealous … he went through a stage in his conversion when he prayed too much and did too many penances which he discerned was a way of him “earning” God’s love, working too hard for grace to happen. So regularity was the middle path: neither too short or long. Ignatius speaks of an hour of prayer, so 30-45 min is a modern adaptation to reality.
[1] (1951). Puhl, Louis J. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Based on Studies in the Language of the Autograph. All quotes from the Exercises will be from this version unless otherwise noted. I have an “SE” followed by the number of the exercise after each quote.
More About Me
I have been leading people through the Exercises since 2020, and I love it. If you want to know more about me, look at the “about” section in this website.
Here is a video of me talking about…
The Spiritual Exercises: https://youtu.be/ZTaO4iirKzw?si=iABrpuyZYvpkfZeR
Spiritual Direction: https://youtu.be/R9jv_4m1x3M?si=QHwh7flKrL_pJECS
2025-2026 Schedule for the Exercises
Each week is Sunday (1) – Saturday (7). We meet twice a month. The time will depend on the size of the group. There will be a 15 minute opening exercise, 15-20 minutes dedicated to each person. This includes sharing (while the other members actively listen), silence, and gentle open-ended questions from other members of the group. Then, there is a short closing. (After leading people one-on-one through the Exercises, I led two groups in 2024-2025, and it was beautiful!)
PREPARATION DAYS GOD’S RECKLESS LOVE IN MY LIFE
09/07 Week 0 My Blessed History Timeline (Optional, but really helpful)
09/14 Week 1 Praying Through My Blessed History
09/21 Week 2 Praying Through My Blessed History: Deeper Still
FIRST WEEK GOD’S BOUNDLESS LOVE TO THE LOVED SINNER
09/28 Week 3 God’s Creation and Foundation: Part I
10/05 Week 4 True Freedom and Foundation: Part 2
10/12 Week 5 Creation Turns Away from God
10/19 Week 6 Forgiven, Loved Sinner
10/26 Week 7 Probing Patterns of Sinfulness
11/02 Week 8 Walking Around in God’s Merciful Love
11/09 Week 9 Gather Graces Weeks 1-8
11/16 Week 10 Jesus’ Invitation to Love and Freedom – Come to Me (Evaluate Continuing)
SECOND WEEK CHRIST OUR LORD’S LIFE THROUGH PALM SUNDAY
11/23 Week 11 The Call of the King
11/30 Week 12 Jesus’ Family History (Advent I)
12/07 Week 13 Jesus’ Family History (Advent II)
12/14 Week 14 Jesus’ Incarnation and Annunciation (Advent III)
12/21 Week 15 Jesus’ Birth (Advent IV) Gather Graces Weeks 9-15/Yearly Examen
12/28 Week 16 Growing Up Years
01/04 Week 17 Two Standards
01/11 Week 18 Three Kinds of People
01/18 Week 19 Baptism and Belovedness/Compose Your Beloved Charter
01/25 Week 20 Temptation and Gathering the Graces Weeks 16-20
02/01 Week 21 Calling of the Disciples and Three Phases of Humility
02/08 Week 22 Proclaiming His Message and Mission
02/15 Week 23 Preaching the Good News of the Kingdom (Ash Wednesday)
02/22 Week 24 Demonstrating Love and Power, Revealing Who He is. (Lent I)
03/01 Week 25 Teaching in Parables and Revealing Power (Lent II)
03/08 Week 26 Concluding Public Ministry & Arrival in Jerusalem/ Gathering the Graces Weeks 21-26 (Lent III)
THIRD WEEK CHRIST OUR LORD’S PASSION
03/15 Week 27 The Last Supper and Upper Room Discourse (Lent IV)
03/22 Week 28 Passion: Agony to Arrest and Trials (SE 200-208, Lent V)
03/29 Week 29 Crucifixion (Holy Week)
FOURTH WEEK CHRIST OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
04/05 Week 30 Resurrection and Appearances (Eastertide I)
04/12 Week 31 Commission and Contemplation to Attain the Love of God (Eastertide II)
04/19 Week 32 Prayerful Review and Becoming a Contemplative in Action (Eastertide III)
04/26 Celebration Meeting
We meet 16-17 times and the cost is $25 for each group spiritual direction session.
LET ME KNOW OF YOUR INTEREST BY AUGUST 1, 2025
