Episodes

Send us a text Today we talk about our stories, why they matter and how we’re changed as we interact with both our own stories and the stories of others. As it turns out, research and experience show that sharing our stories helps us overcome pain, adversity, and struggle. But sadly, many of us suf…

Send us a text Today we talk about rest! As we begin to move towards post-pandemic life, some of us have questions: Do we like our old pace? Are there rhythms we’ve enjoyed that we want to keep? Today we talk about the many benefits of rest. Because let’s face it, productivity is great! It’s caused…

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 “liv…

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: …

Send us a text Today we’re talking about some of the many ways in which Nature seems to have the power to bring us in touch with The Divine, allow goodness to flow in our lives, and even help us navigate our more difficult seasons. How we interact with nature may change depending on the season of l…

Send us a text Today’s podcast is a continuation of a conversation that began after we had officially ended last week’s podcast. The questions that kept us talking: Is a conversation about Vocational Discernment for the privileged? Or is this a universal conversation that spans many walks of life? …

Send us a text Sometimes it’s hard to admit we’re having questions about our work. But on the other hand, maybe these moments are invitations from The Divine that can help us along in our journeys. In today’s episode we’ll talk about how the contemplative can help us even in the midst of our vocati…

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...

Send us a text Today we are talking with Ken, Spiritual Companion and member of numerous contemplative communities. Ken talks to us in this episode about practices that have been meaningful to him, why being powerless turns out to be a good thing, and what some of his favorite connections are betwe…

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 …

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 pr…

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 …

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, …

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 li…

Send us a text Today we are talking with Marcia Bentley, Spiritual Companion and Supervisor for Spiritual Companions. What is Spirituality? What is the value of Spiritual Companioning? It turns out that great awakening is possible in our lives as we gain the ability to listen with our hearts, our m…

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 fea…

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... Th…

Send us a text Today we are talking with Mary Reynolds, certified Spiritual Companion and Yoga Instructor in the Boston area. What are some of the similarities and differences between Mindfulness and Contemplative Spirituality? Why do we sometimes shy away from Spirituality that includes our bodies…

Send us a text Many of us can sense at various times in our lives that we need help – relationship – even more than that – companionship. But we also feel stuck. We don’t have anything set up and developing anything meaningful feels hard, maybe even too hard. In this episode, we find that the strug…

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 …

Send us a text Today we are talking with Steve Spilde, Associate Director and Spiritual Director at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI. What is it about vulnerability that is just so amazingly hard and what makes vulnerability so special anyway? No doubt, we’ve probably all been a …

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…

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 availa…

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 rh…