Seattle Prep students often say that being Spiritually Alive is the hardest of the Grad at Grad elements to achieve. Spirituality 4 Dummies, a new Window class offering aims to target this issue.
Mr. Eberhardt, who leads the class, explains that “we too often either misunderstand spirituality or we don’t allow space in our lives for our own spirituality to emerge and bear fruit”.
The class does not derive its focus from any religion in particular. No belief in God is required. The class dives into philosophical perspectives by sharing personal experiences and studying Buddhism, Taoism and psychology. Student’s “life experiences, faith, family, friends, interests, and education are an important part of the curriculum”. The class also uses a variety of modern music to meditate and reflect on, helping students to realize this.
“Spirituality is partly about being aware of what is most meaningful in our life. Being more spiritually alive, therefore, can be as simple as looking, listening, and becoming more aware of the ways that the world around us speaks to us about that meaning” says Eberhardt.
By enrolling in the class, each student receives a small journal to reflect and write in throughout the curriculum. With these journals, Mr. Eberhardt leads students through “Onion” mediation which is “about peeling back the layers of our own identity to discover what lies deepest within us”. Students are able to “discover our innermost being: our soul, our deepest desires of our heart, our hopes and our dreams, our fears and our insecurities.”
Through these practices, the class becomes a true community. Students are able to share personal experiences and struggles in a safe and supportive environment that works to strengthen everyone’s spirituality.
If any Seattle Prep student is struggling to become Spiritually Alive, Mr. Eberhardt encourages all to join Spirituality 4 Dummies now.