Spiritual Formation Program

Spiritual Formation Retreats

An integral part of LEYM’s Spiritual Formation Program is for each participant to take on the regular practice of a spiritual discipline for the year. Here are some suggestions, grouped by the kind of practice. Friends have long found that a discipline need not be elaborate: what matters is returning to it, and being open to where it leads. Many of these can be done alone; the last group are practiced with others.

• Prayer and silence
• Reading and study
• Body and mindfulness
• Reflection and creation
• Practices with others
• Choosing a practice
• More resources

Prayer and Silence

Centering prayer – Choose a meaningful word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly, and silently introduce the word. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever so gently to the word. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

Practicing awareness of the Presence – Turn your attention away from daily activities. Empty your mind of daily cares. Take a deep breath and relax. Sit quietly and allow the emptying of your mind and its replacement with the awareness of God’s presence. More extensive instructions can be found on the web.

Experiment with Light – A prompted Quaker meditation, based on early Friends’ discoveries of how the Light may be accessed, used for decisions, problems, self-clarity, spiritual growth, and support. It is effective when done alone. See experiment-with-light.org.uk for the guided meditation and other materials.

Praying – Set aside a regular time to pray in your own words, whether spoken, written, or silent, including prayers of thanks, petition, and holding others in the Light.

Morning prayer – Start the day by greeting God and giving thanks, using a set phrase such as “Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” or spontaneous words.

Silent or spoken grace before meals – Pause to give thanks before eating. During silent grace, you may hold hands with the others at the table if you wish.

Examen – A short daily prayer of looking back over the day to notice where you sensed God’s presence and where you turned away, from the Jesuit tradition. See The Daily Examen. A related practice, the Ignatian examination of conscience, is described in Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, and Matthew Linn.

Worship at home – Set up a regular time and place for your own worship in silence. FGC’s Centering & Worship pages offer ideas for settling into silence and for worshiping at home.

Reading and Study

Lectio divina – A slow, prayerful way of reading scripture or other writings, listening for what speaks to you. See Lectio Divina.

Reading and/or studying the Bible or another text – Read regularly, alone or with others. The Friendly Bible Study Method (PDF) is an eight-step way to read a passage in a group without debate.

Reading spiritual journals, biography, autobiography, and memoirs – Suggestions: The Journal of John Woolman; With Head and Heart by Howard Thurman; The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen; Something Beautiful for God: Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Malcolm Muggeridge; One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

Memorizing scripture, prayers, or poetry – Learn a short passage by heart and carry it with you, so that it is there when you need it.

Queries – Take one query, such as those in LEYM’s Queries & Advices, and hold it for a week, in worship, on a walk, or in your journal. See FGC’s Queries page.

Body and Mindfulness

Meditating – Sit quietly and rest your attention on your breath or a simple focus, returning to it whenever your mind wanders. Instructions are easy to find on the web; see also the recordings under Guided meditation.

Guided meditation – See UCLA’s free guided meditations, available in many languages.

Walking meditation – Turn a walk into a practice by paying attention to each step and breath. See directions.

Walking a labyrinth – Walk slowly in to the center and back out, as a prayer or a time of listening. Many churches, parks, and retreat centers have a labyrinth open to visitors.

Movement / Dance – Let your body pray: move freely, with or without music, and notice what arises.

Yoga / Tai Chi – Gentle, regular movement done with attention, alone or in a class.

Eating mindfully – Eat one meal or snack a day slowly, without distractions, savoring each bite. A good place to start is the Raisin Meditation.

Fasting – Going without food, or without another comfort such as a screen, for a set time as a way of prayer and attention. If you fast from food, check first with your health-care provider.

Listening to meditative music – Set aside time to listen to music without doing anything else, and let it open you to silence.

Reflection and Creation

Journaling – Write regularly about your inner life, your questions, and what you are noticing, without worrying about how it reads. Some Friends write in response to a query.

Gratitude – Each day, name (silently or in writing) a few things you are thankful for, however small.

Solitude – Take regular time alone with no agenda, away from phone and screens, and see what comes.

Spending time in nature – Visit the same outdoor place regularly and simply be there, noticing the seasons and your own response.

Practices with Others

Spiritual friendship – An ongoing relationship for mutual spiritual support. See Spiritual Friendships and FGC’s Spiritual Friendships.

Spiritual direction / guidance – Meeting regularly with a trained companion who helps you listen for the movement of the Spirit in your life. LEYM’s Spiritual Companioning page explains how Friends can find or offer this kind of support.

Light group – A group that practices Experiment with Light together, meeting in person near you or online. You can also form one of your own. See experiment-with-light.org.uk.

Worship sharing – A small group gathers around a question and shares from experience, with silence between speakers and no discussion or advice. See Worship Sharing.

Clearness committee – A few trusted Friends help you discern a leading or a decision by listening and asking honest, open questions, without giving advice. See Clearness Committees.

Covenant group – A small group that agrees to meet regularly over time to support one another’s spiritual growth. See Covenant Groups.

Choosing a Practice

You need not try everything here. Pick one practice that attracts you, and one you can realistically keep up, even if it is only ten minutes a few times a week. Notice how it feels after a few weeks, and adjust. Friends have found that a practice held lightly and kept faithfully does more than an ambitious one that lapses. If you would like company, a spiritual friend or companion can help; see Spiritual Companioning. FGC’s Developing a Regular Spiritual Practice offers further guidance, including William Taber’s “Four Doors to Meeting for Worship.”

More Resources

• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s list of spiritual disciplines
• FGC Spiritual Practices – worship, queries, small groups, clearness, and support for ministry
• Quaker organizations and other resources: see Links to Other Quaker Resources

Last reviewed September 2026. · Return to top