Prayer Workshop December 2024

FEEDBACK

What a beautifully magical workshop the Prayer Workshop is! I joined looking to deepen my connection to prayer, to be open to more options when it came to prayer and communicating with God/the Divine, and this workshop did not disappoint. Every bit of information, every moment of each week’s practice and every minute of discussion had me thoroughly enthralled – I didn’t even THINK about my phone or checking it, which is rare these days, unfortunately. Honestly, I selfishly don’t want anyone to know what a gift Carolyn and her workshops are mainly because I like the intimate setting! Ha! I’m walking away with a more varied, exciting and deepend spiritual practice – as well as more to ponder, and with more ways to connect to the Divine. Superb.

At a time where I was reconnecting with Prayer but feeling confused and conflicted about the what, why and how… the opportunity came along to attend this six part series with Carolyn. It did indeed, answer my prayer to have a bit more clarity for myself and assurance in my practice. Carolyn thoughtfully guides you on a journey through the different topics sharing her ample knowledge in a safe space. Through discussion, reflection and experiences including meditations, you will come away with more than something even if you don’t exactly know what you’re looking for but curious to sign up.

Raised in a deeply religious family, prayer has always been an integral part of my life. It’s what I do all the time. So – being a prayer expert (or so I thought…) – I simply expected the Prayer Workshop to be a lovely experience of praying with others. Only a fool underestimates Carolyn Cowan in this way! Each week, Carolyn introduced a concept, a question, a perspective that changed everything about how I see prayer. All week in between modules, the concepts, questions, perspectives stayed with me, and putting them into practice led to the deepest and most beautiful personal experiences with The Divine I have ever known. What struck me is that you do not need to be religious at all to explore what this workshop offers. I think you don’t even need to consider yourself “spiritual” to delve into this exploration, since (you will come to learn) what is Divine for you need not be defined by traditional thought. I leave the Prayer Workshop gifted with the awareness of how sacred each moment can be, and in awe of the vast, immense, exquisite realms in which we can play.

I am a Prayer Workshop regular, having now done the series several times, and I have little doubt I will do it again. I think it’s important to say that I do not feel that one must attend more than once, as I am certain that the thought processes opened up, for an ongoing personal exploration of the ways we can think about prayer, ways we can practise prayer, and how we may more broadly enquire about our belief systems, are enough, after the five modules, to feast on for a long time. A lifetime!

From the box of magical items arriving in the post it all felt so special. I considered myself an atheist with no relationship with an external divine but someone extremely curious about the concept of making life sacred, being drawn to ritual and the concept of prayer. But really had no idea what I was doing signing up to a prayer workshop. But what a lovely way to spend a Sunday early evening and what a journey. The sense of community, The ceremony of the tea and the cacao and the incense. The 5 weeks of the series overlapped with a really challenging time for me that was full of self-discovery, and there was typically at least one thing each week that happened in the prayer workshop that seemed to hugely resonate with where I was at. Over the 5 weeks I found a new relationship with myself, culminating in the really incredibly special meditation in the final week where we went down to find gold. Thank you so much, I am so glad I signed up. And I miss it! xx

I had looked at the prayer workshop in the past, but I wanted some space in my life to totally immerse myself. The last two years have been a HUGE period of transformation for me and this workshop came just at the right time. Carolyn held a space for open discussion, exploration, information and practices to nourish and expand. This immersion will change the way I look at ‘devotion’ forever. One word of advice, if you are ready to expand and explore. DO THIS COURSE!

Thankyou for the prayer workshops. I have always felt the need for ceremony and ritual and The Easter Prayers  have been the nearest I have got to anything remotely like a devotional practice. The workshops have offered plenty of ground for contemplation and have rekindled in me a yearning for the Sacred. And it was lovely to be guided through this process with other people. I wish it was more than a course!

Such is the prayer workshop that it is held in a way that you can meet ‘it’ where you are in the moment and allow to travel in any direction that you feel you want , or are able or is of interest for you to explore. This was my second exploration of this workshop with a completely different experience of it. That is what I love so much. There really is no right or wrong, it’s an invitation to be with the freedom of your internal landscape, the world we have within and how tallow ourselves to connect beyond, to swing and weave with the divine as we wish. Super for those like me who dont feel understood, can’t create a connection through words created and shaped by another. Much comes from the spirit guide who explores the breath and depth of prayer and possibility with and not infront of each of us . LOVE.

When I saw your note about the Five Part Prayer Workshop on your website I instinctively said yes to it and I am so glad I did.

I loved how you reached out to soul, heart and mind, and invited us to use our intellect, while speaking from the heart and listening to our soul and encouraging it to sing.  As always, you guided us with the fire, grace, wisdom and kindness that makes your workshops and lessons such grounding and elevating experiences, and means that I keep on coming back to them. 

It reawakened some spiritual forms of expression which had gone dusty in my soul and, as a result, the sessions left me feeling soothed and reassured.  And with lots of food for thought – I find myself pondering it all from time to time still.   I think your idea of going deeper in a longer course with people who do the initial one is a good one and I’d be totally up for that.  I was left wanting more after every session and at the end of the course which is the perfect way to finish!

I was also equipped with and reminded about some tools which are really helpful and grounding. Rituals work for me and now I have the means to create more of my own.  Nightly prayer which I had somehow lost the habit of, creating altars, burning incense and drinking cacao are practices that I will continue.   And guess what?  I had a fortuitous encounter with a Columbian yogi on my evening walk one day and now possess a big lump of cacao!   My prayers were answered! 

I loved how we all come together and prepared for the rituals from our own personal spaces around the world. You have a wonderful way of just being you in your own personal space while speaking to the universal.  It was a shame that it was impossible to send the package here since that would have added further to my sense of the collective experience but it was fine and I made do with what I could source here. And it means that I shall relish using all the items on my return to UK.

I thought the way you broke down the five parts worked really well. The importance of contribution/service has been awakened in me and I needed that. Session 4 made me realise how limited in my lockdown selfish bubble I had become.

The practices that we did within class were incredibly powerful and I would love to replicate them myself (as much as I can) but I haven’t a clue where to start!  (Partly because I got so deep into them.) So perhaps it would be good to have some of those practices clipped up and put in a dropbox folder so they can be accessed any time? And the same with some of the text?

It is very hard to put in to words how magical the space that you hold for the prayer workshops is. It is an incredibly safe space for me. An unknown type of safety that makes me emotional because it is so unfamiliar and so beautiful to feel so held. Quite unbelievable that you can achieve that on Zoom.

Of course if is fascinating intellectually because everything you do is, but equally it is so unchallenging. So open hearted and inclusive (can we still use the word inclusive?) Even if an idea you bring challenges some aspect of my thinking it feels totally cool to just go with it. It is the neutral mind made manifest. And it is holding a pile of blankets to wrap yourself up in. And it smells really nice because of the incense and the herbs and everything. It really is impossible to put in to adequate words. But I really love it, if you can’t tell.

“I can’t put into words how beautiful and refreshingly different this workshop is.  It’s so easy for so many of us, in this day and age of ‘doing/achieving’ to go from course to course thinking about the end goal / the certification / the tasks / the learnings, but with this one, yes there are of lessons and learnings – literally divine ones at that – but it’s really the space and time it gives you / that Carolyn gives you to contemplate and listen to what it is that really matters. The space and time to actually stop, on what for many of us can be the day of Sunday blues/’Sunday Fear’[ and put the notepad and task driven brain down, and gift ourself some insight that we’d never otherwise hear. Can’t recommend it highly enough xxx.”

Carolyn’s prayer course is life changing – having grown up in a disfunctional Catholic family in Ireland I had fallen out of love with prayer for the most part. But this approach is so open and accessible to all – I really found solace and peace in these uncertain and anxious times. I would love to do it again – there is so much more than just me and my anxious brain – I connected with something bigger and found more compassion and love for myself. I wish it was on every Sunday!

The prayer workshop is so so precious, valuable and nourishing!  I am so grateful it is open again over Christmas and into the new year, i already signed in again! This will be my sanctuary. Thank you Carolyn!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this course, but knowing Carolyn’s work, I knew it would be thought provoking, challenging, fun and interesting. Each week we explored a different topic, from the origins of traditional Prayer, to how to make an personal altar meaningful, and more contemporary and accesible ways that we can ‘pray’ every day in a non -religious way.
A perfect balance of listening, discussing, doing exercises in the class and homework. At the end of 5 weeks, I found myself wishing to learn more, and asking for more classes.

Huge thank you for sharing your knowledge and very rich experience.
It was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn so much in such a short time. It’s a life changing Workshop! Prayer and gratitude are transformative practices and I am glad I’ve deepened my knowledge. Making and drinking cacao was fun, heart and soul sweetening thing. Also, I loved the magic box you prepared for everyone. This Workshop should be number 1 in the list things to do for everyone. I wish you good luck, you are doing magical thing.

It takes extraordinary grace and generosity to lead a diverse group of people in an exploration of a potentially-precarious subject like prayer. Carolyn has both in spades, and holds a safe, judgement-free space for the group to consider new perspectives. I started the workshop with very definite ideas about what prayer is. I leave expanded, uplifted, moved, inspired and deeply grateful for the poignant experience.

I started the course wanting to connect with you and gain some clarity on where I am at when I pray – where’s it coming from and where’s it going to!
I really enjoyed all of it – I thought it was ingenius of you to give us all an altar and the materials for the rituals – I relished the dialogues you triggered and actually enjoyed the break out rooms,  any initial discomfort I felt was part of the fun of exchange.  I loved the structure of each session and was sorry that you felt bent into having to skip a break out session (4) – and glad that you reinstated it. Each practice focus contained me through the week – (I had to laugh at having to practice gratitude during the week of falling off my bike) – through that I came to experience its value and realise the need to keep prayer practice stoked. By the end of the course I realised that I needn’t feel self conscious about what I already do – nor whip myself into thinking it’s not enough – I felt on track – like never before. And that feels wonderful. I greatly appreciate you being all that you are – leading us to discover – all that we are.

This evening I will be logging on to the third module of the 5 part Prayer Workshop with Carolyn Cowan. I am going to be bereft when it ends. The first two have been absolutely glorious. The stillness, the sacredness of the space, the total bliss of it all… honestly it is like the warmest blanket being wrapped around you on a Sunday evening. I feel cocooned in the energy of it. And for a long time afterwards too. I don’t think I have ever experienced anything quite like it.

Thank you for your inspirational prayer workshop, I found myself looking forward to it every week. It was so rewarding to carve out a few hours of contemplation for myself. I really enjoyed the cacao making ceremony and the altar set and will carry on with those in my own practice of connecting to the divine.  The last meditation was very powerful and soul expanding for me. Thank you for the stories, readings and prayers you shared, the whole workshop was pure magic energy. 😊

Thank you Carolyn for a really special experience.  The prayer workshop began beautifully before it even began – receiving the gorgeous parcel of tea, cacao, insense, the altar etc created a lovely sense of anticipation and occasion. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the prayer workshop and I really loved the way you took us on a journey over the 5 weeks exploring different ways to experience prayer and a way to explore and discuss some of life’s biggest questions!  I liked that the discussion groups were optional as not everyone is so comfortable sharing their thoughts.    The explorations of different types of prayer and the impact of these was well explored by you and most of all experienced –  I’m glad this was done over 5 weeks to give time in between to absorb and experience.  I liked that we saw you in your kitchen too – the cacoa and tea were heavenly and I’ll be doing my own cacao ceremony again soon!   This workshop has given me a new way to explore spirituality and I feel a significant shift in my outlook, especially given this challenging time.  I may even do this workshop again!  I love the timing too, it’s a lovely way to start a sunday evening, and beyond being a lovely experience, it is one of life’s experiences which I know I won’t forget.  Thank you xxx

Every week I learn something new supporting my own practice and rituals. After each session I’m left with something to think about, to look at a prayer from a different perspective and maybe try new things to see if they could enrich my ways of praying. I feel the workshop helps me in my spiritual growth. Thank you for sharing so much with us from where you’re getting the ceremonial cacao through the books are worth reading to your favourite incense brand :).
I’ve mentioned you and the workshop in my gratitude journal already few times.

I’m so grateful to be a part of this experience 🙏💫💕

Gratitude and joy are the two words that describe how I feel after attending only 4 of the 5 modules of the Prayer Workshop led by Carolyn. I was divinely guided when I signed up for this experience and my expectations have been far surpassed….don’t miss out. It is truly a gift.

Thank you eleven times with a smile.

I so LOVE being part of your Prayer Module when I first saw your list of gifts to us all this definitely resonated with me

Because I am very dyslexic as far as my head is concerned when you are addressing us all most of which goes over my head but my instincts kick in this is my degree in life since all of my schooling landed up by me being expelled albeit I can spell with the help of spell check!!!!! The word University that was a pipe dream which had a large leek in the pipe!!!

I was a magistrate for 17 years again the training days were a nightmare as for reading books most of which landed up in the bin yet again my instincts kicked in which eventually lead me to be chosen for the Chair in court F…. that was scary

I AM taking in what your are discussing with all of us just in a different way

So enough of me I AM JUST LOVING THESE MODULES Thank you 🙏

How excellent that Carolyn has stepped forward to highlight how prayer matters and is a humble yet powerful practice that enables us to hold ourselves up during testing times. Carolyn offers many worthwhile courses and is a teacher I respect and trust, for teaching from a place of genuine knowledge. She has made her own life experience her alchemical gold for serving others. Hurrah for her sacred and special prayer workshop that walks us softly towards acceptance and bowing; to explore the divinity that is in all of us, and around us.

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,” wrote Tennyson. Many of us, and I have no doubt Carolyn too, are broken open and brought to our knees by significant events in our lives. Yet, this ‘our’ personal gold and once again, Carolyn’s workshop, like so many of them I have joined, allow a safe space to explore, accept and meet ourselves and our relationship to the divine with exquisite tenderness and grace.

Prayer is a sensitive word, often whispered, in fact, sometimes prayer becomes a secretive practice that we hide from others so that we do not seem weak. But we are resilient and open-hearted if we come to revere the power of prayer and open up to the magic prayers bring into our lives. Actually, prayer is more simple, more accessible than we may have allowed ourselves to accept. Carolyn explores prayerful practices through a multi-denominational lens so that all of us, can set aside any cults of belief and can come to a place of pure presence.

Each Sunday we are ready to sit with asking, thanking, accepting, emanating, and listening. We set aside the time to honour ourselves and shed the layers of our limitations to know that prayer helps us grow limitless, joyful, and creative. Prayer helps us grow. Hidden within us in the darkest cellars of our being, is a deep longing to belong that is crying out to birth into eternal light. You are in safe hands with Carolyn and her prayer workshop. Prepare yourself to enter your heart and soul, with a trusted teacher, for two hours each Sunday.