The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises: A Guided Retreat

~ Retreat begins September 2024 ~

32-to-34-week Commitment

One Hour per day of Prayer and Journaling according to Ignatian Exercises

Dates and Times to be Arranged with Leigh Individually

Sessions Conducted on Zoom or In-person

 Last year, I completed a practicum to learn to direct the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It was a wonderful and sometimes challenging process, as in this practicum we were called to increase our understanding of the Exercises in wildly expansive ways. I gained a deeper appreciation for how St. Ignatius created the Exercises as a response to his own experience with God and in service to support others to grow in union with the divine, thus igniting their own, uniquely personal transformation.

In the Exercises, St. Ignatius invites the participant, or retreatant, to many forms of prayer and encourages them to experience the fruit of deepening, disciplined daily spiritual practice over the course of approximately 34 weeks. To make the Exercises (we describe the process of moving through the Exercises as “making the Exercises”) requires dedication to this work, and during it, St. Ignatius invites us to experience for ourselves how God, Jesus and the Spirit are moving within us and the world around us. Over the course of these many weeks, our spiritual muscles are stretched and exercised until we truly begin to experience our own, direct understanding of God, the unseen world that supports us, and the divine power that lies within our very own souls.

A daily commitment of an hour of prayer and journaling is required for the full 34 weeks. We consider the 34 weeks to be a deep retreat even though we may be meeting on Zoom or once a week in person.  Thus, anyone who decides to make the Exercises will find themselves in the deep container of daily retreat over an extended period of time. Knowing this may help one organize their life so that they have space to do this work.

If you are considering making the Exercises and are currently in the discernment process, I am happy to discuss the process and answer any questions that may be arising. 

If you have decided to make the Exercises and would like me to direct you through them, please email me and we can have a phone/zoom call to discuss all the possibilities and how much the investment is. The next retreat begins September 2024.

Please send all inquiries and questions to leigh@leighamurray.com.

What Retreatants are saying after Making the Exercises with Leigh

“Having just completed the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, I highly recommend you travel the Ignatian journey with Leigh as your guide. She is a natural at asking the questions that draw you deeper, help you discover more, and open new pathways of prayer. The Spiritual Exercises are a commitment in which you met weekly with Leigh, for almost 34 weeks, as she provides a listening ear and sacred space for this transformational experience.”

- a fellow pilgrim