The Examen
A short spiritual 'warm up' for your day
We call YWLG a ‘gym for your soul’. Just like at the actual gym, we recommend 'warming up’ before starting the deeper Exercises and Practices.
The ‘warm up’ we include with every Practice is called The Examen, and it was developed by St. Ignatius in the 16th century, as part of his Spiritual Exercises.
We include the Examen as the starting ritual of every Practice, but you can also use it on its own - as a way to start or end your day, or to take some time to center yourself.
As a warm up, we suggest just 10 minutes for the Examen. But you can take as long as you like with it. Use your journal, or just let the thoughts and feelings come into your mind and let them go.
Find a quiet space, take a deep breath, and let’s begin:
Become aware of God’s presence.
Review the day with gratitude.
Pay attention to your emotions.
Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
Look toward tomorrow.
The five steps are always the same. Take a few moments of silence between each one.
We recommend ending the Examen with the Lord’s Prayer, or just a few words of thanks and ‘amen’.
Now you’ve opened your attention to your soul and your relationship with God, and have a deepened sense of gratitude and joy.
’Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’
(Psalm 103:2)