Spirituality Podcast

Send us a text Interspirituality is a new term for many of us, but broadly speaking, it’s the experience of finding the common ground between our faith traditions and appreciating the ways in which those traditions compliment each other. In this episode, we dive into four different ways of being Interspiritual, and we consider how we’ve seen these ways of being emerging in our own lives and in the world around us. Join us as we explore the beauty of sharing our inter-connectedness. &nbs...

Send us a text It happens to all of us. We reach that fated moment in life where we’re expected to behave like “a responsible adult,” where all the mundane tasks of life suddenly become ours to do. Did “being an adult” sneak up on you? Do you find yourself agonizingly asking, “Why is this happening?!” In this episode, we ask: Can contemplative practices and lifestyles help us in navigating the mundane (and sometimes overwhelming!) aspects of our lives? Join us as we talk about the benef...

Send us a text Many of us have picked up ideas – and ideals – about everything and anything. Ways that we think people *should* be, the ways in which we think things *should* be done, even ways in which we think God is likely to act and behave. And when the world doesn’t act the way we want it to, we tend to have feelings about that. In this episode we talk about the Images that have come to be in our lives – where they serve us, how some of those images have left us walking through lif...

Send us a text We all know that how we process – or don’t process – our emotions can affect our lives in big ways. What’s more, many of us haven’t been given a whole lot of help in figuring out how to process what we might view as “negative emotion” in our lives. And so in today’s episode, we explore any number of contemplative practices that have been useful in helping us move through some of the more challenging emotions and energies that we experience. #Feelings #FeelingsWheel #MoodMeter ...

Send us a text Ep 31 Second Naïvetés and Spirituality Second Naïvetés are the act of returning to our experiences and beliefs with fresh eyes and new outlooks, and it’s a common story for many in seasons of questioning in particular. In today’s episode, we spend some time specifically talking about how each of us has seen our prayer practices evolve as we’ve come in contact with the contemplative and why that evolution has felt so important to us. Two big questions we’ll ask as we look at the...

Send us a text Ep 30 Exvangelicals Exvangelicals are people who come from evangelical traditions but who no longer identify as such. Many have begun speaking out rather than quietly moving on. And so today we talk about it: How do we live into new spaces as we experience change in our lives? Where do we turn as our ideas about our faith lives evolve? What do I do with the grief and the angst that comes up in me sometimes? #evangelical #mystical #companion #evolution For Transcript: Go ...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about things we can do in order to boost that sense of joy in our lives, for which, the contemplative can really help us on this front because, it just so happens, that the contemplative is a great teacher of things like “the gifts of savoring the moment” and “living with intention.” And the best news in all of this is, even if finding the gratitude points in our lives doesn’t come naturally, thanks to neuroplasticity, we have our entire lives to learn...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about burnout and how contemplative spirituality can help us. First, the good news: Burnout isn’t necessarily a bad place. And in fact, it could even be a great place. Find out why in this episode. #RuleOfLife #Retreat #Wilderness #Awareness Additional Resources: Book: A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer Book: Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittisster Book: Joy Unspeakable by Barbara A Holmes For Transcript: Go to the "Transcript" Tab. If y...

Send us a text Today we are talking about the idea of “thin places” – the places where the veil between heaven and Earth lifts. Join us as we consider where those places are that feel set apart and separate. Wonder with us as we consider ways to experience Divine Presence in community. And in the end, may we all feel inspired to discover even more ways to experience these special places in our lives. #Nature #Poetry #Candles #Hammocks For Transcript: Go to the "Transcript" Tab. If you are in a p...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about Spiritual Independence. If we know this term, we may well identify by any number of names: Spiritual but not Religious, Spiritually Eclectic, Spiritually Fluid, Disaffiliated, Nones…But whatever we call ourselves and however we found ourselves here, many of us are finding our way into the Contemplative. In this episode, we explore a number of questions: Can we establish an openness and hospitality towards one another? Can we engage the universal ...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about using the Contemplative lens to create new mindsets. And in particular, we start with some questions: What does it look like to renew our minds and take thoughts captive? How do we manage to allow our minds to think on things that are noble, excellent and praiseworthy? And given that we’re all so unique, what we quickly discover is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But what we all agree on is that when we find a tool that helps us...

Send us a text Today we want to talk about life in the ordinary and about finding God in the more average parts of our days and lives. What can we find to sustain us? Where can something very usual become more extraordinary to us? Join us as we talk about returning to wonder, about slowing down to notice what we could not see before, and about the power of release and embrace. #SpiritualCompanioning #SpirtitualDirection #CenteringPrayer #Kairos #Chronos Additional Resources: Book...

Send us a text Toxic Positivity is the belief that no matter how difficult the situation, that one should always maintain a positive mindset. It’s culturally normal for us to share our positive emotions, but what about the negative ones? Many of us have believed that if we just ignore the emotion, it will pass. But is that really true? Join us as we talk through these questions and ideas together. #SpiritualCompanioning #SpirtitualDirection #PrayerExamen #JoiedeVivre #Loving...

Send us a text Today we’re offering an example of what one might experience during a Spiritual Direction session. In this particular session, Kristina is bringing a dream to Chris. “I felt discombobulated…I was trying to get somewhere.” …”I’m in a time of figuring things out. What does life look like now?” We invite you to join us as Kristina works through her dream with Chris. And if you’re interested in learning more about spiritual companionship for you...

Send us a text Fear, whether it comes from imagined circumstances or real ones, is something we all find ourselves having to deal with. If our goal is to be able to choose action over reaction, what can help us achieve that goal? In this episode, each of us shares ways in which we’ve identified fears in our own lives and what sorts of things we’ve tried that have begun to help us peel back the layers often associated with fear. What are some of your fear responses and what have you foun...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about how the Contemplative can helps us respond to the signals coming from our bodies without all the shame. Most of us know the feeling all too well – that comment that so embarrassed us, expectations that we hold of ourselves, pressures we feel in society... The Contemplative helps us engage motivation that comes from a far more positive space, one where both God and our bodies (gently) show us the way. Join us as we talk about some of the many way...

Send us a text In this episode, we talk about how the contemplative life informs our parenting. But! Even if we don’t have children, relationships are relationships! Each person in the world has agency – freedom of choice, freedom to think. And how our agency interacts with others can sometimes be wonderful and can sometimes be anything but. What’s more, each of us is living the context of our own set of struggles. What happens when all of that crashes into the story of everyone else we’re co...

Send us a text What can help us when words and experiences make us feel isolated, shut down, and less than? In this episode, we contemplate the struggle that comes along with triggering words and situations. We explore the cause and effect nature of these things, visiting a number of great thinkers along the way. If you struggle with various triggers in your life, you are definitely not alone. Join us as we explore some themes that have encouraged us. And as always, you’re invited to ad...

Send us a text If church doesn’t work for us, what does it look like to grow in our spiritual awareness? Join us as we reflect on the spiritual self. Each of our lives holds meaning and purpose. But many of us struggle to unpack what that is exactly. In this episode, we consider the pathways available to us all, regardless of titles, schedules, or belief structures. Additional Resources: The Jesuits Guide to Almost Everything by James Martin Blog Post: 6 Pathways to God For Light by Joh...

Send us a text How do we go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to faith? In this episode, we talk about the joys of discovering why we love the things we love and how we uncover the rhythms that can help us feel spiritually nourished. We also explore the benefits of stepping out of our everyday rhythms to find even more things that help us connect in real and meaningful ways with God, with ourselves, and with the world around us. We’d love to hear your experiences, too! Join us in the commen...

Send us a text Is it possible that the Shadow Side of our personalities are hijacking our spiritual life? In this episode we talk about how our personalities may be affecting our spiritual experience and how reflection about that can help us discover an evermore fulfilling spiritual experience. Join us as we explore the many ways that lead us to connect with the Divine! Additional Resources: Invitation to a Journey by Robert Mulholland Jr For more info on the Myers-Briggs Personalit...

Send us a text Can the contemplative help us with social justice? In this episode, we spend time asking where the work of justice begins and we talk about how the contemplative might help us find our way into long-lasting impact. We'd love to hear from you. Please join the conversation in the comments. Additional Resources The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams Dave's Bread RBG Documentary #Benedictine Spirituality #JoanChittiste...