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Mystery & Magic in the Unfolding
I lean in to the mystical. I can’t get enough of it … reading about it, having my own direct experiences (even if they’re brief and sometimes sporadic), living for the ‘big aha’s’ of life. So reading about boundaries and ethics didn’t set my soul on fire but I absolutely see the importance of it. The Virtual Residential Intensive (VRI) also made it come alive, as we talked about how we are physically integrating the principles more deeply into our lives. It might be one of the most important topics we cover related to how we do the work of spiritual direction. In terms of ethics as a Spiritual Director, SDI does a great job of outlining them. It feels pretty straightforward to me, not unlike the ethics I’m bound to as a yoga teacher. It’s important to understand the power dynamics at play…
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Harnessing Anxiety for the Good
Yesterday I had a peer group call with six others in and/or facilitating my Master’s Program. Because the program doubles as certification in Spiritual Direction (SD) and a Master’s in Pastoral Counseling (MPC), it very much asks us to get in deep contact with ourselves. I feel that I do that on the regular because of how I’m built, but I’m also seeing that I simply don’t have access to all parts of me. This isn’t new news but it continues to be graced with greater nuance. After all of the work I did last year to regulate my nervous system, I was surprised when my bodymind exhibited so much pushback at the retreat last November. I felt prepared to go. I was prepared. But after only a few days with my cohort, anxiety began to settle in. My throat chakra closed and I…
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Receiving the Sacred Tale
I let things be here. I show up. As myself. I have nothing to hide. It feels good. Training to be a Spiritual Director is life-changing and life-giving work. Below is my Reflective Expression for Modules 5 & 6. ‘Receiving the sacred tale,’ to me, is a lot different from ‘listening to a tale,’ or even ‘listening to a sacred tale.’ Receiving involves our whole being, and that is exactly what we are called to in spiritual direction, no matter on which side we sit. Pure presence is an amazing tool to cultivate this capacity. I loved all of the material in this module, and I love thinking about each of us going on a ‘hero’s journey.’ It’s something we rarely think about so thank you for giving voice to the physical thing we are doing (and have likely done several times over in…
