Episode 13, Part 1 – Embodied Discernment: Noticing What Moves with Becky Eldredge
SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of the show, you can get 25% off Deb Gregory's new book, Spiritual Wayfinding (www.ivpress.com/spiritual-wayfinding) , by using the code IVPOD25 at checkout at ivpress.com. We hope you enjoy this season!
What does discernment have to do with the body? In this conversation, Deb Gregory and spiritual director Becky Eldredge explore the affective and holistic wisdom of Ignatian spirituality — a tradition where the whole person prays, listens, and discerns.
Becky describes how interior movements show up not just in our thoughts but in our emotions, our breath, our posture, and the subtle shifts in energy that surface when we face a decision. Ignatian discernment invites us to pay attention to these movements as real spiritual data: signs of what draws us toward God and what pulls us away.
Favorite lines:
We throw hope around like confetti.
Hope has a name, and his name is Jesus.
Following this thread, Deb and Becky take a deep look at hope as a theological virtue — a God‑given orientation of the heart and a trusted fruit of the Spirit in discernment. Hope isn’t optimism or positivity; it’s the interior movement that buoys us, widens our perspective, and helps us recognize where God is drawing us forward.
Themes
Embodied Discernment — how the body participates in prayer and decision‑making
Interior Movements — noticing emotional, cognitive, and somatic shifts
Ignatian Spirituality — whole‑person wisdom for everyday life
Cura Personalis — care for the whole person in spiritual direction
Consolation & Desolation — affective markers that guide discernment
Hope as a Theological Virtue — more than optimism; a God‑given orientation of the heart
Affective Discernment — reading the signals of breath, posture, and energy
Spiritual Accompaniment — the ministry of noticing what moves within
Resources
Becky’s Books: (www.beckyeldredge.com/books/)
Encounter Grace: Moments of Hope, Joy, and Peace
The Inner Chapel: Embracing the Promises of God
Busy Lives & Restless Souls: How Prayer Can Help You Find the Missing Peace in Your Life
Deb’s Book:
Spiritual Wayfinding: 33 Walking Meditations for Navigating Life with Embodied Wisdom (www.ivpress.com/spiritual-wayfinding)
Use Code IVPOD25 for 25% off
Follow Becky
Facebook: www.facebook.com/beldredge98
Instagram: www.instagram.com/beldredge98/
My website: beckyeldredge.com (beckyeldredge.com/)
Ignatian Ministries- the non-profit Becky founded: ignatianministries.org/
Where to Find Deb
Flourish Spiritual Direction (www.flourishspiritualdirection.com)
Substack (spiritualwayfinder.substack.com/)
IG (www.instragram.com/spiritualwayfinding) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/spiritualwayfinding)
Media Used in this Episode:
Palms Down by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)
Faded Promises licensed through Soundstripe. Code: LUJWGE5LY2FBKNAT
Music by Viacheslav Starostin (pixabay.com/users/viacheslavstarostin-50153119/) from Pixabay (pixabay.com/music/)
Closing Music: Roots by Ryvoli (www.musicbed.com/songs/roots-instrumental/39819)
