Contemplative Practices Guidelines

Contemplative Practices is a section unique to our journal that blends creativity and contemplation into a guided meditation. We accept both pitches and full submissions. If you are querying with an idea, please include any relevant experience and, if available, a couple writing samples. We do not accept previously published pieces, whether in print or online, including self-published material (e.g., on a personal blog or social media). Please send queries or submissions to hello@vitapoetica.org.

We publish guided meditations of up to 800 words and/or between 5-15 minutes of recording time in any medium. It may include an introduction to the practice in addition to the meditation itself, such as in this Moving Meditation by dancer Emily Wright. Or it may invite the audience directly into the meditation, such as in this A Blessing for Your Skin by Rebekah Vickery. In either case, the piece must include a guided meditation that involves the audience in the practice, rather than only talking about the practice in more general terms.

The practice should be accessible to a general audience with no training in the medium. It should use inclusive language without disrupting the flow of the narration. Any necessary materials should be minimal, with alternative options suggested (e.g., a scarf/napkin for a movement meditation, or playdough/clay for a clay meditation).

Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read past issues of the journal to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for. Some examples of contemplative practices that are particularly relevant are included below.

Moving Meditation by dancer Emily Wright

Made by Hand: A Meditation with Clay by Marjory Bankson

Contemplation of Creation: A Nature Meditation Walk by Kolya Braun-Greiner

Collaborating with God through Natural Dyeing by Ellie Benedict

A Blessing for Your Skin by Rebekah Vickery