Lectio Divina and meditation: Exploring identity through contemplative practices

Engaging in contemplative practices, such as breath and body awareness, meditation, silence and the arts, allows for engagement in the deep work of identity construction to uncover 'the self who teaches' (Palmer 1998: 7). Through Lectio Divina, an ancient Benedictine practice, the work of identity construction is deepened through examination of the way in which words and imagery strengthen and support the inner life of the teacher. Researching and engaging in contemplative inquiry and practices, as well as teaching these practices to pre-service teachers, weaves together a tapestry of my identities as an artist-teacher-researcher. These practices support embodied experiences of deep-thought and reflection that includes the cognitive, the affective and the spiritual.