SPIRITUALITY
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
“Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose, and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”*
Spiritual direction, also called spiritual accompaniment, offers the opportunity for an individual (or a group) to explore one’s sense of spirituality, meaning-making, or purpose. For some, that may be an exploration of one’s relationship with God, Source, Inner Light, the Sacred, the Universe, Nature, or whatever name, collection of names or senses, metaphors, images one may give to that experience of the spiritual. For others, there may be no name but an intuition or sensation or longing or even a resistance-yet-curiosity to discover what spirituality may be for her/him/them. In spiritual direction, the director (or accompanier) listens with the directee (or seeker, sharer) to perceive of what may be stirring within the person: that which may be inviting that person towards a deeper sense of self, the sacred, alignment. Together, the directee and director listen, attend to, and move in a spiritual direction.
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Are you curious about spiritual direction but feel you are not a spiritual person or that you do not have “enough” of a spiritual life to speak of? Margaret Guenther writes:
“…[W]e all—even the most ordinary and least holy among us—…ha[ve] a spirituality…an ordering of our loves. What do we most cherish? What do we most desire? What is the treasure hidden in the core of our being? Our spirituality is not what we profess to believe, but how we order our loves. That ordering may be unarticulated, sometimes even unconscious, but the resulting spirituality pervades our whole life and involves our whole person. Our stewardship of time, energy, material things, and relationships to our fellow creatures reflects the way we express that ordering of our loves.”
Is there anything you love or cherish? Do you care about how you use your time and energy? Do you wonder about what drives you or where you are headed or what’s your life purpose? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then together, through spiritual direction, we can attend to these questions of your heart.
GIVE IT A TRY!
What gifts of rest and discovery await you when you pay attention to your inner life?
Spiritual Direction sessions are typically one hour. For a free introductory session, please inquire through the Contact Page.
*From Puchalski C, Ferrell B, Virani R, et al. Improving the quality of spiritual care as a dimension of palliative care: the report of the consensus conference.
RITUAL, RETREATS, GATHERINGS
[Please also visit the Community page to learn more about Group Facilitation, Workshops, and Teaching, offerings which intersect with my work with Retreats, Rituals, and Gatherings.]
◊ Rituals mark moments, transitions, or thresholds in our lives. When we engage in rituals, we create intentional space to mark important moments or connections. We take the time to step out of the ordinariness of our lives and recollect that there is a sacred aspect present.
◊ Retreats are periods of time designed to remove us from our regular everyday routines or environment so that we can reflect—on certain matters and on ourselves in relationship with the sacred—with greater intention, depth, or spaciousness.
◊ Gatherings bring people together with the hopes to nurture community, mark an important moment, pray/reflect, or collectively move towards a cause.
The common thread of rituals, retreats, and gatherings is the desire to create space — in time, in our consciousness, with our bodies — for the possibility of deeper connection and awareness, with ourselves, with others, and with God or a sense of sacredness at particular moments in our lives or history.
The following are a few examples of rituals, retreats, and gatherings I have crafted:
Retreats: In affiliation with various retreat centers and organizations, I have led retreats for families, church leadership and groups, students, prayer groups, and young adults. Themes include liturgical seasons (Advent, Lent, etc.), transitions, contemplation, mission, discernment, seasons of life, vocation, and so forth.
Prayer Service of Thanksgiving – This community event honored a beloved school principal who was retiring; she was also a co-founder of the school.
Community Dinner – A non-profit organization had a vision for a community dinner which would bring a diversity of stakeholders together to share their appreciation and hopes for the organization as well as make meaningful personal connections amongst each other. I served as program planner and emcee for the event.
Welcome baby – After a challenging birth and postpartum experience, a family desired to have an intimate gathering of friends and family with a ritual to welcome the baby again: this time surrounded by grounded sensations of peace, presence, equanimity, and gratitude.
Honoring and Releasing: Saying Goodbye to Things that No Longer Serve Us – We may have possessions which we wish to pass along or remove from our lives but are unable to do so easily, due to the emotional tether that binds us to them. This ritual helps us to honor these items and our emotions so that we can release them with care and freedom.
Is there a ritual, retreat, or gathering – an intentional marking of space, time, moment, and connection – that you are imagining for yourself, your family, or community? Share your thoughts and questions through the Contact Page.
Embodied Prayer, Liturgical Dance, and Authentic Movement
My spiritual practices, accompaniment, and leadership often incorporate creative and kinesthetic expression and experience.
Please visit the Body page to learn more about this aspect of my background and work.