Prayer Spa: Ancient Treatments For the Modern Soul by Jennifer Rich

JENNIFER ANNA RICH "In this lovely book, Jennifer Rich presents the timeless wisdom of the Christian East in a way that contemporary men and women will find attractive--and then find themselves being changed from consumers into worshipers, grateful and receptive, increasingly attuned to the immensity and mystery of their Creator." -- Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of The Jesus Prayer and Facing East While many Christians like the idea of prayer, the act of spending time alone with God keeps eluding them, as the pressing tasks of the day push ahead in line. Prayer Spa offers gentle instruction in honoring mind, body and soul for a few minutes each day. With a little bit of practice, it is possible to form new habits of expanding neural pathways, relaxing tight muscles, and nourishing the interior self through prayer. Enticing the five senses in one's own curated space-- seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, and touching the gifts of this created world gathered into a prayer corner, and wrapping beauty and holiness into each enjoyable session--the soul begins to crave this time of quiet connection with the One who loves best. The Prayer Spa is always open ... drop-ins welcome! Anyone who senses the shallowness of a life lived apart from God will find therapy here. Prayer Spa offers many hands-on approaches to contemplative prayer for the person who seeks intimacy with God, including the beauty in preparation, sources for poetic spoken prayers, prayers of stillness, prayers of the hours, and a radically simple way to pray without ceasing, all gifted to us by the early Christians. Paperback. 109 pages Jennifer Anna Rich finds pleasure in stillness, as an antidote to her many demands as a letterpress printer, book artist, business owner, farmer, wife and mom in Portland, Oregon. Co-founder of Oblation Papers & Press, she has spent nearly three decades offering handmade paper goods to help connect people with each other around the globe. With a master's degree in Christianity and the Arts from Evangelical Regent College, she loves the beauty and the holiness of the Orthodox Church, and making small steps to grow in her life of prayer.