An online course led by Bridget Belgrave
for people who pray and those who don’t
and people of any religion or none.
2024: Oct 1, 8, 15, 22 - 10:00 to 13:00 London time (9-12 UTC)
Book here
Come and explore what prayer means to you, and hear what it means to others.
• Is praying something you are attracted to, have withdrawn from, or never focused on?
• Consider how your NVC practice could give meaning to praying, and how prayer could deepen your NVC practice
• Reflect on the maps and ideas Bridget brings to the course that link NVC and prayer
• Grow through sharing spiritual and religious experiences (uncomfortable, uplifting, blank) in a non-judgmental setting. Learn from others’ experiences.
• Explore new ways of praying together with meaning and language that works for everyone
• Make new connections and discoveries, and bring compassion to your triggers.
Two videos about the course.
3.5 mins. Made in 2021.
There is more input and structure in the course than is expressed in this video.
1.5 mins. Made in 2022
A windy mood!
Details
This online course will help you explore what prayer means to you, and refresh your personal practice of prayer - or become more aware of why you don’t want to pray.
Together we’ll focus on questions such as these:
- Is simply practising NVC already a prayer?
- When I pray, who or what am I communicating with?
- Is it wise to ask for specific things in prayer?
Bridget will share ideas and maps that she has developed over many years:
- insights into how prayer and NVC interlink
- how presence lifts us into interconnectedness
- types of prayer
Share experiences with other participants:
- How do you pray (if at all)?
- Has your way of praying (or not praying) changed over time?
- Is something different when praying alone to when praying alongside others?
Pray together while respecting differences, for those who want to try this:
- We’ll try out a format of praying together that fully respects each person’s beliefs
- We’ll explore silence, improvised prayer, and using texts/songs/poems/prayers that speak to us.
- We’ll also attune to the current world situation in group prayer.
Note: The course is not focused on praying together - the focus is exploring and sharing. During the course some fresh and inclusive ways to pray, that can be either non-religious or religious, will be offered.
Follow-up group: An ongoing follow-up group might emerge for sharing more and/or for praying together in ways that this course inspires.
Dates and times:
Four Tuesday mornings (UK time) in October 2024, for 3 hours each week
Oct 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd at these times:
2am-5am - San Francisco (sorry!)
5am-8am - New York (really early)
10am-1pm - London
11:00-14:00 - Berlin
12:00-15:00 - Kyiv/Moscow
12:00-15:00 - Gaza/Tel Aviv
14:30-17:30 - Delhi
18:00-21:00 - Tokyo
19:00-22:00 - Sydney (20:00-23:00 after Oct 6)
i.e. 09:00-12:00 UTC (Universal Coordinate Time)
There will be a 15 minute break.
Format
- The course will be on Zoom
- Maximum of 18 participants.
- There will be whole and small group sessions, and inner explorations.
- Assistants will support the course.
- Parts will be recorded so that participants can re-view during the following 3 months.
- Privacy guaranteed: Recordings will not include participants unless agreed.
Pre-requisite
At least 2 days of NVC workshops, or equivalent.
Please contact me if you aren’t sure.
Financial contribution
I am requesting a contribution of between £70 and £150. Or, if you pay in Euros, between €80 and €175.
Or choose £180/€210 - a 'gift price’ - which supports me to offer bursaries.
You choose your fee according to your financial situation and your free will.
For this course I am offering 3 bursary places for £35/€40 - please apply by email.
And, there are 3 places for people from Asia or Africa, at rate £5 - £15 (€5 to €15). Please apply by email.
Cancellation policy
If you cancel more than 2 weeks before the course begins I will return your fee less £25/€30 retained for admin. If you cancel less than 2 weeks before the course begins, no refund (unless exceptional circumstances, or I easily find someone to take your place, in which case I’ll refund you the amount you paid minus £25/€30 for admin).
Refund after Session 1
If after completing the first session of the workshop you find you are not comfortable enough in the course to continue, I will refund you 50% of your financial contribution. This is to acknowledge that the topic is sensitive, and the course may not suit everyone. NB: This option is not intended to replace your full intention and commitment to participate! Please only join the course if you have a full intention to participate in all four sessions.
Any questions?
Please email me, or use the contact form on this website.
Participants from the previous course wrote:
"I long knew NVC was connected to spirituality; I long ignored what prayer was about. With Bridget’s course I’m beginning to understand how NVC and prayer form a whole; my life can go on with simple, renewed consistency." Sylvie A.
"I loved the open and exploratory nature of this course. I came away realising how much of my life is actually already a form of prayer and the content and sharing offered me confidence to both trust and honour the way I pray with my 'doing’." Selby T.
"Before I participated I thought I would be the only one having a lot of questions, doubts and resistance and I hoped I would get some inspiration and answers. I actually got a lot of inspirations and ideas. And most important for me was that during the course I discovered that there were quite some other people with similar doubts and resistances... it was so sweet for me to feel this company!! And I loved to explore and look for answers with other seekers. I am so grateful to Bridget for creating this safe place where we could share and exchange about very intimate topics.” Elisa G.
"The things I love about the fluid group that has developed through this course - there is a sense of community, it is diverse yet safe, it feels exploratory and sometimes surprising and exciting! It feels totally OK to be where you are and who you are." Lyn W.
"I loved the opportunity to deepen my prayer life in such a grounded, caring environment.” Ginny S.
"The NVC and Prayer course was a wonderful and amazing journey to travel to inner destinations. It supported me to nourish and nurture the divinity within, adding calmness and opening inner elixir. The course has evoked various dimensions of divinity within. In today's time of uncertainty we all have longing to connect to inner sanctuary, a place of restfulness. Connecting to this inner sanctuary was so healing and soothing for me. This course helped to experience a shift in giraffe consciousness so immediately, and it deepened my understanding of NVC as a technique as well as consciousness. At the moment I am bathing in the flowing stream of gratitude.” Chitra R.
About Bridget
Bridget is not a member of any religion, although she has benefitted from many, and regularly prays and meditates. She has more than 25 years experience of teaching NVC internationally. She is known for co-creating the NVC Dance Floors, which are now published in 18 languages. Before encountering NVC she worked for twenty years with the Alexander Technique, Energy Healing, Learning Methods, Psychosynthesis, Focusing, and Effective Intelligence. These methods all involve growing in awareness and choice, and offer practical applications of spiritual principles. She has written a novel for children (and adults) called ‘Zak’, drawing on her work and life experiences. This course is based on Bridget's experience, learning and reflection, and has evolved out of previous courses she has created and led around this topic during the last 20 years.
A personal video : Some ways I pray (made in 2022)
2:14 mins