Spiritual poetry - Barbara Payman. Meditation, mindfulness & compassion. Lotus flower and reflection.

Spiritual poetry with Barbara Payman. Bespoke services. Stepping stones.

Bespoke services

Having had the great privilege of working as a psychotherapist for almost thirty years…nearly half my life…I now feel called to bring to a close a chapter of my service that has meant a great deal to me. I feel an exciting unfolding in my work, focusing explicitly on facilitating people in the realm of their spirituality and spiritual development. What I now offer are meditation, mindfulness and self-compassion; guided visualisation; spiritual poetry; spiritual counselling; and ceremony.

What I now offer are meditation, mindfulness and self-compassion; guided visualisation; spiritual poetry; spiritual counselling; and ceremony. An initial discussion about any of the services offered is given free. Fees will then be outlined according to your individual requirements.

1) Personal development work

‘One-to-one packages’ of one to three sessions will be designed for your particular needs and growth, and I will provide resources for your ongoing use. This might be a personalised poem; a guided visualisation; meditation, mindfulness and self-compassion practices; or reference to other useful sources. Our work might include a one-to-one ceremony or ritual, if this would be of help to you, to mark a significant transition or to enable a ‘letting go’.

At present, all one-to-one work takes place via Zoom. For more information on one-to-one work, please click below.

More Information

Personal development work

Background

I believe the key to our happiness lies deep within our own heart. However, we human beings are complex and much can get in our way! We naturally lay down defences to protect ourselves against life's hurts. Yet sometimes these defences prevent us from growing and living our lives fully, or from being in alignment with our deepest values. It is human nature to have a busy mind, such that we rarely live 'in the moment'. Our inner dialogue too can be harsh and demoralising. All these things affect how we feel about ourselves and our lives, and we may find it hard to feel inner peace or deep joy. Nevertheless, our hearts retain the capacity to be touched...by something in nature, a poem, a loved one...many things.

Spiritual development work can help us nurture our heart and put us in touch with its intrinsic qualities of wisdom, compassion and connection. The spiritual path takes courage and commitment yet the rewards are a gradual opening up to our true potential (which some may call our 'inner divinity'); and as we become 'more fully ourselves', we feel a deeper contentment and fulfilment. In any work we do together, I would see my role as helping you to 'kindle the spark' for your spiritual development work, and would offer you helpful resources.

Our Work

There are many possibilities to tailor the ‘one-to-one packages’ to your individual spiritual needs. For example, spiritual poetry can help take us immediately to deep places within. The poem ‘Born to Be’ may speak to that in us which wants to grow; and you may choose to explore this further in one-to-one work with me. The poem opens with a searching inquiry:

'Who were you

Born to be?

Who is it

That lives

At the very core

Of you?'...

What is it

That makes

Your heart open

Your soul dance

Your body tingle

Your mind thrill…

What unique expression

Of life

On this Earth

Are you…?

What is it

That awakes

The essence

Of you…?

What calls you

To come close

And embrace it…?

What song

Lies on the page

For you to sing…?

What message

Do you have

For us…?

Who do you want

To be

In this world...

Who were you

Born to Be…?

The poem 'Born to Be'. In 'Poems from the Heart and Soul, Volume Two: In Honour of Peace.' Barbara Payman (2021).

Similarly, the questions below can be useful for self-reflection; these help me in my own life and can serve as a starting point in my one-to-one work with others:

What is it that that helps my heart to recognise its joys and pains, to open in compassion, to acknowledge love, beauty and gratitude?
What is it that inspires me, that resonates deeply, that moves me?
How aware am I of the habitual negative patterns of thinking and feeling that may be hindering my ability to find my deeper self, to 'be in the moment' and find inner peace?
How can I live my life as fully and meaningfully as my heart and spirit are calling for?
What practical resources might I need in order to move forward on my life’s path?
How open am I to ‘the mystery of the universe’…to that which is beyond myself and others? (you may have your own language here, e.g., nature, divinity, spirit, source.) How open am I to connecting with the support and guidance the universe offers?

Many other options are possible too within the one-to-one work I offer, and our initial free discussion would help determine what feels most useful to you at this point on your spiritual path.

2) Bespoke poetry commissions

Would you like to capture the essence of something or someone or a special event in a poem written specially for you? For example, I am presently collaborating with a textile artist to produce a commemorative panel of silk and poetry inspired by a weekend gathering of interfaith ministers. I am happy to discuss your requirements with you, to see whether I may be able to help. For examples of my spiritual poetry, please click the button below.

Poetry Excerpts

3) Meditation

One-to-One

Whether you are new to meditation and would like some one-to-one help to get started, or are a more experienced meditator wanting to explore further, I offer between one and three personalised sessions. At present, all sessions take place via Zoom.

For more information on meditation, and audio and written examples of meditations, please click the button below.

Meditation

Groups

I am completing a training to teach the eight-week 'Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Course' developed by Christopher Germer and Kristin Neff; I will be co-running this MSC course in the future as part of the 'Kind Mind Academy' team who run this course (and other courses enhancing self-kindness and self-compassion) on a regular basis.

Currently I am qualified to teach the eight-week Mindfulness Association ‘Mindfulness Based Living Course' and the eight-week Macmillan 'Mindful Compassion Course'; I bring my past experience of running these courses to future courses and teaching.

4) Ceremony

Would you like to mark a special event in a ceremony that has been designed for you? When we participate in ceremony, we invoke a sense of 'witness' or 'marking' that is beyond the ordinary, which can bring an unforgettable sense of meaning to important times in our life. We are probably most familiar with ceremonies such as baby blessings, weddings and funerals, but any rite of passage or personal milestone can be honoured by ceremony.

As an ordained Interfaith minister, I bring a spiritual dimension to ceremony that can be as subtly stated or as overt as you wish it to be. At present, this face-to-face work is offered via Zoom. I am also available to write pieces (including spiritual poetry) for a ceremony you may be conducting elsewhere.

For enquiries about any of these services, or anything related to them, please complete the form on the contact page to speak to me, Barbara Payman.

Contact Me

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