It’s not uncommon to hear a client say, “I’m exhausted at the end of the spiritual direction session.” Spiritual directors also can feel wiped out after a series of sessions in one day. That’s because heart work is hard work. The same thing can happen in therapy or pastoral care. Taking a long look at your inner life with someone trained in helping you do that is a deeply personal and soul-searching kind of work, probably much different than... Read more
You’ve made the commitment. You’ve set aside the time for spiritual direction. But you wonder: “What do I need to talk about at today’s session?” When we have a burning question, situation, or spiritual experience to explore with a spiritual director, then it’s no problem. That’s where you begin. But what if you don’t have a mystery sitting right in front of you? Here are some ways to get the most out of your spiritual direction session regardless of whether... Read more
Don’t know about you, but I’ve needed a lot of help with prayer during the Coronavirus pandemic. Practices that used to draw me closer to God suddenly were flat at a time I felt I needed God the most! Many other people are having this same experience: more time on their hands to slow down and consider their contemplative life with God, yet not feeling able to. And there could be many factors making this the case. What I share... Read more
It’s not always easy to sit down and meditate, but practice makes perfect! If you’ve ever thought you couldn’t do silent or meditative prayer, this video is for you. In it, I go over some simple methods to warm up to silent prayer exercises that build on mindfulness. Mindfulness, explained simply, is about focusing our awareness on the present. Often, it’s confused with an idea that claims that we ought to find peace by completely clearing our minds —... Read more
Cultivating a relationship with God can be hard in the midst of our busy lives, and that’s why Ignatius of Loyola came up with the Examen in the 16th Century. His monks tired of all the different prayers they had to do every day, so the brilliant Ignatius came up with one prayer they could practice just three times a day. The Examen is a contemplative prayer with a somewhat scientific approach: it’s a practice repeated at least once daily... Read more
The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is changing how we have meaningful conversations and gatherings — yes, even spiritual direction sessions for a while. Leading experts in the fields of immunology and medicine are advising us to practice “social distancing,” which merely means you are very careful about getting physically close to people when in groups or crowds. It does slow down the spread of the virus, which is great, but we still need to be able to communicate with one another,... Read more
Put simply, Lent is a Christian season during which we honor the sacrifice Jesus made with a sacrifice of our own. Usually, whatever it is we let go is something that’s good for us, something that clears our heads and bodies, enabling us to feel better and find a deeper relationship with the Spirit. We can do this by giving up certain foods like meat or desserts, or replacing time watching TV with time spent in prayer. For the latter... Read more
The Prayer Walk is a physical prayer. If you’re new to physical, body-oriented prayers, an introduction is in order. Our perception of the world and our bodies change with each other, even if we don’t know it. Our bodies react to stressful situations by increasing heart rate and breath, and sweating, even though we’re not doing any physical activity. We tend to unconsciously stand taller with better posture when we’re feeling confident, maybe in new clothes or after nailing a... Read more
Let’s sit down and listen to our heart. Western culture tends to reward quick-thinking, fast, type-A people — but the constant distractions in our environment can make it hard to hear that one small voice we associate with God. Hearing that voice requires setting aside some time to focus, which helps us build our relationship with the Spirit, quiet our minds, shed our judgments and fears, and open ourselves to love just the way we are. We are constantly being... Read more
Here’s a simple spiritual practice you can do when sitting with a choice you need to make. It’s based on the ancient practice of the Ignatian Examen, a prayer where you take a reflective look at where you are most spiritually energized and where you are least energized (and that’s just one way to do it — there are hundreds of variations, but this one is helpful for discernment). Crafting the Question Let’s say you are trying to decide whether... Read more
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