Episodes

Send us a text On today’s podcast, we take some time to think about where we come from and why that might be something we’re interested in knowing more about. American culture has tended towards individualism in almost every aspect of life. But in fact, in how many ways do we embody those who have come before us, whether knowingly or unknowingly? And how much does it matter? Today, we consider the invitation to think bigger than ourselves. Join us as we consider the vastness of who we are.&nb...

Send us a text How do we relate to the Divine? It’s easy in our cultural context to interact in the world as a fixer, a doer, a mover and a shaker. We’ve all been trained to engage in these transactional ways. And yet, another way is possible, a way that values our belovedness and allows us to become more comfortable with our tensions, our questions, and our not knowing. In today’s podcast, we consider the paths we can take in order to strengthen our ability to simply be, for “simply being” t...

Send us a text Sound healing is the practice of using sound to improve your physical health as well as your emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, and is accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. In this week’s podcast, guest speaker Jim Powell speaks to us about his many years of experience with this healing and restoring practice, sharing stories of astonishing improvements in people’s overall health. Join us in hearing about how even a simple playlist, or singing “...

Send us a text When was the last time you saw something so beautiful and inspiring that it caused you to stop in order to really take it in? Maybe you heard a story about how someone else was doing something to make the world a better place, and it moved you to feelings of hope and excitement of your own. Awe, as we’ve learned through the sciences, is experienced on a continuum, everything from mild amusement to complete overwhelm. And while it’s easy to notice the things that completely amaz...

Send us a text Measuring “spiritual growth” can be tricky. Many of us have been taught to explore metrics that are easily quantifiable, which makes sense. Numbers help us feel like we have a solid answer. They help us set goals. But as you can probably guess, on this week’s podcast, we’re taking time to look at alternative ways to “measure” our spiritual growth. Join us as we talk about the different sorts of questions we’ve found helpful when considering spiritual maturation. #Spiritua...

Send us a text Today we are joined by Amy Hoyte, founder of Beautifully Made Adventures who speaks to us about the power of nature to speak to us, inspire us, and teach us. Stress, anxiety and lists of shoulds are common in today’s world. But whether we’re sitting on a park bench or hiking a trail that challenges our limits, nature has the ability to teach a myriad of powerful lessons, including the lesson that everyone matters. Do you desire some grounding and connection in your life? Join u...

Send us a text “Being calm” seems to be all the rage these days. But what we need at any given moment isn’t always the same. On this week’s podcast we share about how desperately each of us has needed this calm lately and the wide array of things we’ve been doing in order to get back to those places of stillness. What are some of your go-to ways of finding your center? We’d love to hear from you. Additional Resources App: Calm app Book: My Deepest Me by Janice Lynne Lundy Website: Fork...

Send us a text Today we are joined by Claudia Greco who speaks to us about the intersection between spirituality and trauma. Oftentimes, it feels hard to be present to what goes on in the world. We struggle to know who to talk to about our experiences and feelings. But what we know is, with trauma, we often experience life as feeling fractured, as if we have a before and an after. Claudia offers us hope today for reconnecting our bodies, minds, and spirits. Join us as we explore our need for ...

Send us a text Art and creativity can be a useful way of opening our awareness. So many moments in our lives can leave us feeling disconnected and out of touch. Today we talk about how engaging our creative side can help us slow down and open to possibility. We name our own struggles with feeling vulnerable and inadequate. And we share our moments of feeling like we’ve broken through the veil in order to encounter the Divine. We hope you’ll join us as we engage in the reality that art is ever...

Send us a text Today we are joined by Sister Denise who speaks to us about her own spiritual journey, the struggles and the surprises. We hope that hearing her story will be a source of inspiration for others looking to connect with the Divine Spark within. We hope it will allow us to ask ourselves about our own stories, to look compassionately at the dynamics we’ve lived in the middle of, and to lovingly seek out spaces where we can experience healing and freedom to become our authentic selv...

Send us a text We all have an inner critic - a voice that tells us we are “too this” or “not enough of that,” a voice that chides us for not doing things the “right way,” a voice that tells us in one way or another: You’re bad. Today we take some time to talk about developing our awareness so that we can recognize when this voice is coming in, dampening our experiences and creating disconnect in our lives. Join us as we explore ways to release this voice so that we can hear God’s voice more c...

Send us a text Today, Marv Baldwin joins us to talk about the experience of engaging the spiritual journey to discover the pull on our hearts towards love and compassion, the struggles we tend to encounter once we become aware of that internal desire, and what we can do to stay grounded and centered in the midst of it all. Marv Baldwin is a pastoral counselor and spiritual director living in Western Springs, IL. He founded Soul Journeys in 2018 and is honored journeying with small group...

Send us a text There’s something special about enjoying connection and abundance in the context of hospitality. Across time and culture, it would seem that each of us is hard-wired to give and receive from one another. And yet, for some, we may find we feel more comfortable in the giving role. Or we may feel we need to adhere to a certain style of hospitality that just doesn’t work for us. Today we take some time to talk about the contemplative aspects of connecting through the art of hospita...

Send us a text Many times, when we think of contemplative practices, what comes to mind is stillness and silence. But it turns out that there are so many ways to engage with the contemplative – art, movement, and even play! Both rest and play are important to our lives. And for each of us, there are often specific-to-us ways we like to do that. In this week’s episode, we ask: What all can count as play? How do others fit into our experience? And what can we do if we realize that something jus...

Send us a text For many of us, being an adult can sometimes look like trying to have all the answers. We can easily feel foolish to have to say, “I don’t know.” But what if the thing that lies on the other side of “struggle and not knowing” is possibility? What if choosing to live with “the question” is what allows us to evolve and transform? For certain, this requires an internal culture shift. But given the anxiety and stress that comes with feeling like we have to have all the answers, per...

Send us a text Transformation can happen in both big and small ways. It may come as we intentionally nourish our souls, or it may come quite by surprise. We may find ourselves feeling the sting of impatience or the burden of rigidity, both of which can feel unsettling to our souls. But the contemplative can help us find joy in this moment now, even as we journey towards our next moment. Join us as we talk about the remarkable journey of transformation. Additional Resources: Tree: The Bu...

Send us a text Today, we’re talking about the benefits of our contemplative practices as it relates to the brain. It turns out there are four main brain chemicals playing a role in how we experience happiness and wellness in our lives. But no two people are exactly alike. What helps one may not at all be helpful for another. Join us as we talk about what we’re learning in regards to our motivations and anchors. Additional Resources: Movie: What about Bob #BrainChemicals #Intermittent...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about the possibility for evolution in our personalities as we grow and mature. For many of us, we tend to notice personal internal variances. Maybe we behave one way at home, one way at work, and another way in social situations. Maybe spiritual practices that used to work for us seem not to offer us the same spark and connection to the Divine that they once did. Today we talk about what might be going on for us as we walk through our lives, looking to unde...

Send us a text Today we talk about the spiritual practice of paying attention to the people around us, making space in our days for each other, and being willing to be interrupted. For some of us, this comes naturally while for others, we may need to schedule it in to our days. But the delight and the closeness we can experience by living in to the present moment is worth it. Join us in seeing the person in front of us with full attention. Additional Resources: Quote: Meister Eckh...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about how contemplative practices can help us when our bodies and nervous systems are feeling unsettled due to stress or trauma. Many of us have heard about the body’s ability to access fight, flight, or freeze at the turn of a dime. When that happens, the thing that we most need is Fawn – the chance to shake off the aftermath of whatever caused us to feel dysregulated in the first place. Join us as we talk about ways to process, calm, and shake off the trig...

Send us a text Grief is a universal experience. And yet, how it manifests, what we need in that time, and how long it takes to work out our grief will vary from situation to situation and from person to person. We’ll also talk today about how residual grief can affect our present griefs. We’ll embrace the importance of naming our grief. And we’ll close by taking a moment to honor even this part of who we are and how we experience life. We hope you’ll join us. #NamingGrief #StagesO...

Send us a text The Summer Solstice is a time to relish the abundance of light, beauty, and life, soaking it all in with great joy. Today we talk about accepting the invitations that come at this time of year, to take a more leisurely pace, shift our schedules, and celebrate by paying attention to the things that allow us to see that goodness and hope are available to us. Everywhere we look, life is radiating! Join us as we take a contemplative moment to bask in the wonder and awe of it all.&n...

Send us a text We often talk about nature as a pathway to the contemplative here on the podcast. But what if we don’t consider ourselves outdoorsy? As it turns out, how we engage the outdoors seems to involve both our personalities and the evolution of our personalities. Today we take some time to celebrate the many different and wonderful ways that each of us connects with nature, engaging in its wonder and beauty, and noticing the role nature plays in our great ecosystem of life. Addi...

Send us a text Many of us have hopes for what life will look like as we age. The question is: What will it take for us to live well, and even thrive, in our later years? It turns out that those who are in that stage of life often have helpful words of advice – lived experience that we can soak up and benefit from. Join us as we muse about our own aging experiences and take time to embrace the words of wisdom that are coming from the sages who have crossed our paths. Additional Resour...