What a Powerful Priestess & a Transformational Course Have In Common
A powerful priestess understands human complexity and that the most powerful experiences are the ones that engage the WHOLE person - body, mind, emotions, soul. That’s why the most potent rituals or experiences involve the body (movement, singing, playing an instrument), mind (questions, teachings, affirmations, mindset), emotions (evocative music, guided meditation, cultivating love, compassion, or gratitude), and soul (energy work, prayer, reciting mantras, altered states of consciousness).
A transformational course will also engage most, if not all parts, of the student: body, mind, emotion, soul. Traditional courses typically only interact with the mind. Students are talked at for extended periods of time and expected to memorize and regurgitate facts, or engage with theoretical concepts, mathematics, or laws - emotion, body, or soul are not integrated into the learning process.
In my life, the most memorable courses went beyond intellectual downloads and gave me the opportunity to more deeply engage with the information. I have experienced courses where I was taught the historical background and theory of something, related mythology or story around it, and I was then invited to create art on the subject, move my body through dance or exercise in relationship to the information I’m processing, meditate or record dreams around what I’m learning, or tune into what my intuition has to say on the subject.
The best classes engaged me intellectually, somatically, emotionally, and pushed me to apply what I’ve learned in my life. Moving from not just thinning about something but DOING something with it. This created transformation and a deeper understanding within me.
An effective priestess facilitates what I call “practical spirituality” by providing a way to apply teachings and tools that are practical and helpful in day-to-day life.
How can you do the same with your course? Some practices to consider giving your students:
Create a vision board
Write a poem or short story
Journal about the emotional response
Guided meditation or visualization
Movements and affirmations or mantras paired together
Music or art to meditate upon
Share and process with a buddy
Explain how they can apply what you have taught them and why it matters
Engage the whole student and their experience of your course will transcend their expectations, deepen their understanding, and keep them coming back for more!
