Living from the Heart offers a learning community that invites participants to deepen their experience of intimacy with God, self, and others.
Biblically speaking, the heart is the very core of life out of which intellect, emotions, and intentions flow.
Opening to God’s heart of love with our whole heart, especially in our most broken places, brings a healing integration within and provides the courage to offer our lives in loving compassion to the world around us.
Learning and Teaching Approaches
A variety of collaborative learning and teaching approaches are used including:
- mini-presentations
- short, structured written personal reflections on assigned reading;
- demonstrations
- small group discussion and activities.
Participants will be invited to engage their imaginations with the use of textures, colours, music, poetry, prayers—and plain old fun!
Between teaching times, we encourage mutual support among participants through community gatherings. The small team of facilitators will provide feedback on reflection papers and offer what they teach honestly and vulnerably, sharing experiences from their own lives.
The Way of the Heart
Opens us to encounter God personally, integrates body, soul, mind, and spirit, and helps us live out of who we truly are in Christ.
Spiritual Awareness and Receptivity
We explore ways to become more open to respond to God’s presence in all of life and identify what inhibits our receptivity.
Spiritual Transformation
We gain a deep sensitivity to the dimensions of spiritual transformation into Jesus’ image, coming to freedom in our deepest truth in God, dealing with the masks we hide behind, and cultivating spiritual practices that support our life in God.
Contemplative Prayer and Discernment
We come to understand that prayer is responsiveness to the active, living presence of the Holy Spirit; learn ancient contemplative practices; and discover how prayer is integrated into all of life and deepens our ability to discern God’s will.
Contemplative Living
As Jesus’ friends, we are called to love our neighbour, care for the earth, and seek justice. With joy, we discover that our response to the world becomes a natural outflow of contemplative prayer and practice.
Course Requirements
- Full participation in both weekends & all Saturdays
- Full participation in all Soul Care group meetings
- Reading and reflective book responses
- Receiving regular spiritual direction
- A 24-hour personal silent retreat
Completion of this course may be used for credit in some theological colleges in Canada and is also a prerequisite for SoulStream’s Art of Spiritual Direction course.
“Living from the Heart offered me a safe and spacious place to explore my doubts, fears, and lack of spiritual answers. I didn’t end up with more answers, but what I received was so much more valuable. LFTH led me into a more authentic way of living that encompasses my whole being, enlarged my view of God, and deepened my awareness of the Sacred in me and all around me. LFTH was so much more than a course; it was a place of transformation.”
—Anonymous
“I joined Living from the Heart hoping to take my fledgeling contemplative practice deeper. The cohesive and vulnerable team of facilitators presented well-planned content that included beautiful and meaningful music and poetry. They also shared deeply from their personal journeys, which set the tone for a spirit of openness within the cohort. Although the days were intense, we had time to reflect individually as well as to share with others. It was clear that each and every person was respected in terms of where they were and how able they were to be open with themselves, others and God. My connection with myself and with God has indeed grown deeper and I look forward to continuing the journey as it unfolds. I am excited by life with God!”
—Anonymous
“Living from the Heart has been a journey of healing and new beginnings. I am so thankful for the creative way that the Christian tradition was offered to me, with both intellectual and spiritual freedom, which has helped me to live into the truest part of who I am. Today, almost a year later, I find myself walking much more gently with myself, others and God. I find myself opening to my day-to-day life looking longer and listening deeper to the ‘teachers’ that come almost every day.”
—Anonymous
Online Format 2023-24
This class is now full. Feel free to contact the SoulStream office to request to be added to a wait list.
Location
This course is offered online through Zoom, including two weekend retreats and six full-day Saturday sessions.
Dates
September 29 – October 1, 2023
October 28, 2023
November 25, 2023
January 6, 2024
February 10, 2024
March 9, 2024
April 13, 2024
May 3 – 5, 2024
Weekend retreats: 6:30pm Friday to 4:30pm Sunday (PST)
Saturdays: 8:30am to 4:30pm (PST)
Cost
- Tuition: $1450.00
- Application fee: $75.00
- All books, and cost of personal spiritual direction (10 sessions) not included.
Fees and Cancellation Policy
Contact
Deadlines
Registration deadline date: September 22, 2023 or when the course is full.
Course Facilitators
This course will be team led with input from Facilitators trained for Living from the Heart – (team TBD).
This class is now full. Feel free to contact the SoulStream office to request to be added to a wait list.