If this practice surfaces thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out before continuing.
US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 24/7) · Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 · UK: 116 123 Samaritans · AU: 13 11 14 Lifeline · International: findahelpline.com. This practice is a complement to clinical care, not a substitute.
Quick Answer
The Ignatian Examen is the daily review practice from Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises (1548). The classical five-step form, gratitude, petition, review, forgiveness, renewal, names moments of consolation and desolation, training pattern-recognition for what feeds the inner life and what drains it.
Tradition and source
Tradition
Ignatian Christian (Society of Jesus)
Classical source
Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises (Ejercicios Espirituales, 1548), the Daily Examen
Modern source
Jim Manney, A Simple Life-Changing Prayer (2011); Timothy Gallagher, The Examen Prayer (2006)
What this practice does
Ignatius designed this as the one practice he would hand on if he could only hand on one. The consolation/desolation distinction is the practical heart, over weeks the pattern reveals which activities, relationships, and habits feed the inner life and which drain it. Useful in the Long Winter when the practice itself feels empty: the structure keeps the channel open.
How to practice
The instructions below run 10 to 20 minutes. Read through all the steps before you begin. The practice is not the goal; you are.
GRATITUDE: Name one thing from today you are grateful for.
PETITION: Ask for the light to see the day honestly.
REVIEW: Replay the day. Notice moments of consolation (life-giving) and desolation (life-draining).
FORGIVENESS: Name what you regret. Offer it.
RENEWAL: Look at tomorrow. What grace do you need?
What to notice, and when to stop
Best for which inner weather
According to Aria's comparative-traditions framework, this practice is the matched prescription for the following inner weathers. Tap any to read the full weather prescription.
Take the 12-question Inner Weather Reading → to find your dominant weather today.
Difficulty and duration
Duration
10 to 20 minutes
Difficulty
beginner
Category
Journaling Practices
Crystal companion
In Crystal Cassandra's work, certain stones are the somatic companion to certain practices. The pairing is not magical; it is a steady weight in the palm that becomes part of the noticing.
Smoky Quartz
Smoky Quartz is the stone the modern Western canon names for grounding work during contemplative dryness, its dark translucent structure carries the symbolic resonance of staying with what is. Many practitioners hold it during long-form sitting through the Long Winter. The classical pairing makes it the natural cross-sell for chronic groundlessness work.
Related practices
These practices complement The Ignatian Examen, same category, or matched to overlapping inner weathers.
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