Class slides (click to download)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Homeplay

The questions for each week will be posted here. There will also be a link to an online form where you can submit answers once you've gone through them.

We suggest you copy the questions from this page and journal your answers somewhere. When you're ready, please go to the submission form link and paste in all your answers.

You'll get a copy of your answers by email.

Homeplay from week 1

Click here  to submit your answers for week 1

1.Think about the room you spend most time in. Notice your body, your feelings, your mental state when you enter it and be honest with yourself…

Does this space support calm? Concentration? Equanimity/balance?
Does it help you feel engaged, energized or joyful?
It’s likely some features of the space will make you say ‘yes’, while others will leave you unsure.
Journal your reflections below

2. Recall the 7 qualities of a good state:
Passive: Calm, concentration, equanimity
Balancing: Mindfulness
Active: Investigation, Energy, Joy
Which of these qualities (calm, joy, etc) tend to be missing and would be good to strengthen? How might you change your space to support that?

3. Recall the six qualities of a supportive space:

Cleanliness & order

Beauty, balance & inspiration

Spaciousness

Everything in its place – attention to detail

Dedicated spaces

Quiet spaces

Which are present in your space? Which are missing?

4. What is one space you would like to change? It may be your meditation space, or your office space - whichever you choose. List below three changes you could make which would help you honor your space more fully. Then try them out over the next week, noticing if/how the changes supports you and what difference you notice mentally/physically/emotionally

5. Remember, it's just as important to be aware of the space 'in between' and the space your body holds. Catch yourself in the middle of object focus. What is your posture like? How does this reflect your mental/physical/emotional state?

6. What insights or take-aways do you have from this week's class and questions 1-4?

7. What challenges or questions came up for you this week? (To maximise group learning, we may post this question and our answer anonymously on the Q&A page, as others are likely having similar challenges)

8. What successes, insights, or breakthroughs have you had this week

9. If you're participating in buddying, did you meet with your buddy? What was your experience of the buddy session this week?

10. What is your experience of the course so far?

Homeplay from week 2

Click here to submit your answers for week 2

1. What are some good structures and routines you already have in your life?
   How do these structures and routines help you?
2. Reflect on a routine or habit you have. Can you identify the trigger, routine and reward/result? Even a habit you hate has a reward - try to name what it is.What could be a different routine and reward you could substitute?
3. Reflect on the overall structure of your week. What do you notice? How can you change it to better support your vision and values?

4. What insights or takeaways do you have from this week's class and/or the above questions?

5. Are there challenges or questions you'd like to ask that came up for you this week?
(To maximise group learning, just for this answer, we may post it anonymously with our answer on the Q&A page, as others are likely having similar challenges).

6. What successes, insights, or breakthroughs have you had this week?

7. If you're participating in partnering, did you meet with your partner?
What was your experience of the partnering session this week?

8. What is your experience of the class so far? Please share any experiences that were positive for you, or anything that would make the classes more useful and relevant to you.

Homeplay from Week 3

Click here to submit your Homeplay.

1. Think back over the conversations you have had this week. Which ones felt good and generative? Which felt like they drained your energy? What do you think was the difference?
2.  Did you use the "THINK" reminder this week when you were talking? (T=True, H=Helpful, I=Inspiring, N=Necessary, K=Kind). What did you notice / learn?
3.  Recall the "5 languages of love" approach. What would be the top two ways you notice you feel valued and loved when you receive them: (1) words of appreciation, (2) acts of service, (3) gifts, (4) touch, (5) quality time?Thinking of your partner, or close friend or family member, what are their languages of love? And do you tend to show your love for them using their language of love, or your own?
4.  Recall the 4 ways of listening and talking - downloading, debating, dialoguing, and presencing. Did you notice where you spend the most time? What did you notice/learn about the way you listen and talk?
5.  Think of a conversation you had where you felt you were not really saying what you thought or felt. Take a blank piece of paper and divide it into two columns. On the right side, write what they said and you actually said. On the left side, write what you were thinking and feeling but didn't say. What do you notice? Considering what you have in the left hand column, how could you have handled this conversation differently to make it more generative or satisfying?
6.   Are there challenges you'd like to share or questions that came up for you this week?
   (To maximise group learning, just for this answer, we may post it anonymously with our answer on the Q&A page, as others are likely having similar challenges).
7.  What successes, insights, or breakthroughs have you had this week?
8.  If you're participating in partnering, did you meet with your partner?
   What was your experience of the partnering session this week?
9.  What is your experience of the class so far? Please share any experiences that were positive for you, or anything that would make the classes more useful and relevant to you.

Homeplay from Week 4

Click here to submit your Homeplay.

1. What are areas or long-standing patterns in your life that you feel are taking up lots of energy in a negative way? (e.g. anxiety, money issues, difficult relationships, etc)
2. Using the Immunity to Change chart, name a specific new behaviour / goal / commitment that you would like to starting doing. You can download a copy of the worksheet PDF here.
3. Continuing onto column 2 of the Immunity to Change chart, what do you actually do instead of your desired behavior? For example, if your goal is better prioritization, do you actually tend not to plan, take too much on, etc? Try to list as specifically as you can what you actually do / don't do.
4. Continuing with the Immunity to Change chart on column 3, what are some worries that come up when you think about successfully making the changes you want? Can you name hidden competing commitments you may have? Remember these are not necessarily bad - there are reasons behind these competing commitments, and part of us feels they are necessary for our safety and happiness.
5. Lastly on step 4 of Immunity to Change, can you uncover or name any mental models and assumptions you have that lie behind the hidden competing commitments? What do you believe that locks things in place? Play with these assumptions - are they true? What would be a more liberating assumption?
6. What successes, insights, or breakthroughs have you had this week?
7. Are there challenges or questions you'd like to ask that came up for you this week?
   (To maximize group learning, just for this answer, we may post it anonymously with our answer on the Q&A section, as others are likely having similar challenges).
8. If you're participating in partnering / buddy system did you meet with your partner? 
   What was your experience of the partnering session this week?
9. What is your experience of the class so far? Please share any experiences that were positive for you, or anything that would make the classes more useful and relevant to you.

Homeplay from week 5

Click here to submit your Homeplay.

1. Reflecting on the Wasteland to Pureland book quote - "Protecting against the hurt IS the hurt" - where do you notice that the ways you've learned to protect against hurt are causing you and others more struggle and energy drain than the thing you are defending against?
2. Going deeper on the breakout room questions from the class, what issues and blocks do you get into around time management?
3. Continuing on the breakout room questions from the class, what would happen if you had great time management skills? Would it bring up a worry / hidden competing commitment?
4. Remembering death (with a smile too!) where would you most like your precious time to be focused on?
5. What tips or tools, or changes to your structure and routine, would help you clean up blocks around time management? (see https://www.mindtools.com/ if you wish for ideas)
6. What successes, insights, or breakthroughs have you had this week?
7. Are there challenges or questions you'd like to ask that came up for you this week?
   (To maximise group learning, just for this answer, we may post it anonymously with our answer on the Q&A page, as others are likely having similar challenges).
8. If you're participating in partnering / buddy system did you meet with your partner?
   What was your experience of the partnering session this week?
9. What is your experience of the class so far? Please share any experiences that were positive for you, or anything that would make the classes more useful and relevant to you.

Homeplay from week 6

Click here to submit your Homeplay.

The Power of Community

Thank you for joining us on week six, the final week of Ignite Your Spiritual Life. The following questions are designed to help you to reflect on how you can use and integrate the power of community in your spiritual life.

Remember, there are many ways that having a supportive community can help you such as:

Mutual encouragement
Learning about ourselves
Support during major shifts
Keeping us honest
Deeper/more consistent meditation practice
New perspectives and wisdom

1. Can you think of an occasion where a good friend spoke really honestly to you, and said things to you that you really needed to hear, even though it was not easy for them to say? Did you appreciate their honesty at the time, or only later once you’d been able to process the learning?
2. If you trusted someone enough as your spiritual friend to tell them how to support you in your unfoldment most effectively, what tips would you give them?
3. What are tips you could give to friends in your life for helping you when you are in confusion?
4. If your closest family and friends were interviewed, what would they say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
5. Are there challenges or questions you'd like to ask that came up for you this week?
   (To maximise group learning, just for this answer, we may post it anonymously with our answer on the Q&A page, as others are likely having similar challenges).
6. What successes, insights, or breakthroughs have you had this week?
7. If you're participating in partnering, did you meet with your partner?
   What was your experience of the partnering session this week?
8. What is your experience of the final class? Please share any experiences that were positive for you, or anything that would have made the class more useful and relevant to you.