Join us today as we explore 4 ways we are currently engaging in nature. We hope this inspires you to find your own inspiration outdoors. Additional resources: https://www.scottericksonart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/scottthepainter/ Support the Show.Par Chris & Christina Roberts

Today we are joined by Stephanie Spencer, co-founder of the organization 40 Orchards. We discuss the Jewish practice of Midrash, the value of asking questions in community and how to expand our engagement with ancient texts. Learn more at: 40orchards.org Searching the Sacred podcast Support the Show.…

Today we are joined by Pastor & Certified Forest Bather, Zayna Thomley. We discuss what to expect in a forest bathing session, the importance of community and nature and how to embrace obstacles that might come with the outdoors. Follow Zayna at: https://wisdom-and-wonder.com/ Support the Show.Par Chris & Christina Roberts

Today is a special episode where we hear from Dr. Kristina Kaiser about her doctoral work with the topic of Joy. It also marks the final episode with Kristina as our co-host, as she plans to focus more time and energy towards this work. Tune in as we learn more about the academic, emotional and spiritual aspects of joy. To follow Kristina: kristina…

Today we are joined by spiritual director Heather Watts exploring the journey of deconstructing faith. We discuss how spiritual guidance can provide space to be heard, wonder together and sit with uncertainties one faces in these seasons. Additional Resources Listening and Caring Skills by John Savage Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundr…

Today we welcome Dr. Jan Lundy to the podcast who is talking with us about what it looks like to companion people through their grief. Though grief is something many people find difficult to talk about, it's likely that each of us is experiencing loss continually. Join in as Jan shares with us about what it looks like to stay with someone through t…

On this week’s podcast we hear from Tom Buhler, a certified spiritual guide offering mindfulness to prisoners. Tom shares with us about the powerful transformations possible when using mindfulness, particularly in the midst of high-stress situations. Join us as Tom relays how formal practice can lead to shifts in perspective that help us become mor…

Many of us have heard that we ought to do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves. But how many of us have heard that we ought to treat ourselves with the same kindness and respect we offer to others? Certainly, loving ourselves sounds good in theory, but the daily practice of it is quite another thing. It can be helpful to ask ourselves: …

The following audio is an excerpt from a lecture given by Shinzen Young, who has taught, and written, from a Buddhist perspective.Par Shinzen Young

Stress is a part of life and can happen in both big and small ways. On today’s podcast, we consider how the contemplative life can help us recognize what’s happening so that we can respond in more balanced ways more and more often. Do you find yourself sometimes feeling flush with emotions? Or, on the opposite side of that, do you sometimes try to …

The following audio is an excerpt from a Dharma Talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh on October 20th, 2003.Par Thich Nhat Hanh

On this week’s podcast, we’re talking about what it takes to be present to those things that are taking up mental real estate in our heads, buzzing in the background, ticker taping through our heads, and the like. Do you sometimes find yourself blowing up when you normally would have been able to remain calm? Having trouble sleeping? Feeling the ne…

This audio is an excerpt from a lecture given by Pravrajika Divyanandaprana at Duke University Chapel, on April 7, 2023.Par Pravrajika Divyanandaprana

Do you ever find yourself feeling frustrated or confused about which way to go next? In this episode, we talk about the helpfulness of being able to take a pause as a way of getting our bearings again, whether those pauses are related to something in particular, a season of life, or the need for discernment within a larger group. Wondering if you h…

The following audio is an excerpt from an Andre Duqum interview of Sam Harris.Par Sam Harris

Join us as Dr. Jeanette Banashak shares with us about a new certification program being offered in Outdoor Companioning that has come about as a result of her own lifelong desire to connect with the more-than-human world. Are you a spiritual guide or working in some form of service profession? Outdoor Companioning teaches us how to integrate the na…

The following audio is from a Russell Brand interview of Eckhart Tolle on June 27, 2020.Par Eckhart Tolle

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay and is rapidly changing our world. For some, a tool like this can bring about equity in their lives. But in our individualistic society, where we are applauded for the ways in which we can stand out, will everyone be willing to applaud this equity? At the same time, many have taken to warning us about th…

Do you ever feel lonely, even if you’re in a room with other people? Do you sometimes feel like you’re missing that sense of meaningful connection in your life? If so, you’re not alone. For a variety of reasons, common social interactions have shifted over the years, leaving us with an epidemic of loneliness. Join us as we talk about how the contem…

How many times have we heard someone say, “Let me just play devil’s advocate here for a moment.” For many of us, it’s a total mind shift to ask a question in the opposite spirit. What if instead of asking what could go wrong we spent even a little bit of time asking what could go right? Who would be served? What possibilities might open up? What fr…

After several weeks of hearing from others about how they think about self-care given their particular experiences of life, we turn our attention today to thinking about the community. Who do we turn to when we need help? And fo that matter, do we believe that we can turn to others? Or do we tend to live with the feeling that we have to do it all a…

Join us as Ryan Bauers, Consultant and Organization Development Specialist, shares with us about why self-care is so important in the business environment and how it positively impacts those businesses. Hear about his own journey that led him to finding self-care so important: working to the point of total exhaustion, receiving from mentors who off…

For those who have a tendency towards helping others, feelings of guilt and shame can often lead to overworking. And what’s more, depending on our family or cultural contexts, we may not even feel permission to do what we need to do in order to keep ourselves feeling whole and healthy. Join us as Rev. Dr. Beth Brown shares with us about what helps …

As we continue our series on self-care, Sarah Kiser joins us to share her experience of being a healthcare professional at a time when 87% of people in the field are reporting experiences of burnout. For many of us, our career experience changes as we age. Our lives become fuller, our responsibilities grow, and the margins of life for self-care get…

Today we are joined by Mary Bouras who is sharing with us about what it has been like to be married to someone in the military. Mary comes to us with over 2 decades of experience, including nearly a dozen moves, motherhood, and a career. Join us as she shares candidly with us about what has created balance and stability in a life that can easily fe…

As we begin a new year, we embark on a new series, talking to people from a variety of fields to discover: What do you do for self care? And is there anything you do for self care that might help me? Spiritual Directors spend a lot of time listening to people’s stories, which means we have to have ways to release those stories and find personal ful…

In our fourth and final week in this series, we talk about one very key but, perhaps, unexpected tool that can bring about restoration and connection in our lives. In a busy world, we’ve become accustomed to turning our attention away from even the simplest things that can help us bring the being side of ourselves into balance with our doing side. …

Today we take time to talk about some of the barriers that can come into play when we’re looking to bring our doing side into friendship and balance with our being side. And in particular, we get down into root causes because, oftentimes, we may find ourselves using similar words to the people around us. But our inner motivations and our particular…

As we continue our Being With series, we turn our attention to the lens of Body, Heart, and Mind, asking the question: How can we strengthen what is already innate within us while also exploring areas of ourselves we maybe don’t visit as often? Life is often so full that our lives can begin to feel disconnected and unintegrated. But it doesn’t have…

Do you ever feel like your relationship with the Divine is more transactional than relational? Can you relate to that feeling of just wanting someone to be with you over and above wanting them to fix your problems? During the busy month of December, we’re offering a series that extends an invitation to bring the “doing” side of ourselves into balan…

We conclude our “What is” series with the topic of Pilgrimage. What is it and how is it done? What does pilgrimage share in common with exile and in what ways does it differ? Is pilgrimage always life changing or do some people return feeling as though not much has changed? Join us as we talk about this journey of the soul. May the conversation ins…

As we continue our exploration of words we may hear in contemplative circles but not know what they mean, we turn our attention to the experience of Divine Listening, allowing sound to become a part of our meditation and prayer experiences. Many have found Audio Divina to be a helpful tool for becoming aware of Divine Presence, connecting the mind-…

This week’s podcast invites us to look around the world with wonder, curiosity, and an openness to Divine Presence. Visio Divina, a form of contemplative prayer, offers us the chance to pause, to notice, and to become aware of what is stirring within. And while some amount of controversy has arisen around forms of prayer that appeal not only to the…

As we talk about ways to practice and promote unity and cooperation between our communities of faith, we are joined by Rev. Kerri Parker, Executive Director for the Wisconsin Council of Churches. Join us as Kerri shares with us about why this is passionate and meaningful work for her. Listen as she helps us consider how we can become more ecumenica…

This week, we continue our “what is” exploration, looking at a Benedictine practice that has been used to help people discover and live out their values. Join us as we talk about the creative ways that people today are employing this ancient practice and how you can use it both for personal and community purposes. For those of us who experience fee…

What does it look like for us to sit in silence, whether it be for two minutes or twenty? As we sit in that silence, what do we do with it? Is it a time for rolling over the to-do’s of our day, for sitting with an image or a phrase? Is it something we do alone or with others? On this week’s podcast, we explore the ins and outs of Centering Prayer -…

As we continue our “What is” series, we turn our attention to prayers that use words, which may well be the most popular form of prayer in Western culture. Join us as we talk about the many personal and communal ways that prayer can lead us to transformation. Consider with us why it is absolutely okay that the words of yesterday may not fully encap…

Do you ever wonder about the value of sitting in silence or of rhythmically repeating a word or phrase over and over again? Join us as we talk about the many possibilities that we (and others we know) have discovered for engaging this prayer practice - a form of prayer that exists specifically for helping us connect with - and encounter - Divine Pr…

On this week’s podcast, we begin a new series, exploring words that are often heard in contemplative circles. Our journey through this series begins with Contemplative Prayer. Join us as we consider how this form of prayer tends to expand and open our awareness in ever-deepening ways, how we discover layers we may not have been aware of before, and…

Many of us can relate to feeling like there’s just too much, that whatever we’re doing is never enough, that the things we’re facing are more than we can bear. We live in a culture that is constantly calling us to more and that asks us to continually be at the top of our game. On this week’s podcast, we talk about why so many of us revert to numbin…

Do you ever feel sort of blah, like you’re neither quite happy but not necessarily depressed either - just, sort of, in the middle? On this week’s podcast, we explore reasons for why this feeling can occur. We talk about when this might be a good thing for us, when it’s okay to just rest in that space. But we also talk about what to do when this is…

Ever feel unsure about what to think? Find yourself having trouble expressing yourself? This week’s podcast leads us to talking about how using our contemplative practices can be of use when we’re feeling too much inner swirl. Whether we’re trying to get back into the swing of things or we just don’t know where to go next, feeling jumbled is an exp…

For those who aren’t sure if their questions are welcome, for those who have physically been relocated, for those who are wondering if they need a new community, for anyone feeling spiritually without friends or company…This week’s podcast aims to encourage the one who is feeling grief and loss spiritually. It is okay to name your feelings. Join us…

Teresa of Avila was a nun in the Carmelite Order who lived during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Her life and her writings speak to us about what it looks like to truly find union with God in the midst of our struggle and difficulty. She teaches us that this deep connection with the Divine is not just for the spiritual giants but for all of u…

Brother Lawrence, a 17th century Carmelite monk offers us hope for the future and a chance to see how God is present to our lives in the here and now. Join us as we talk about some of the themes from his spiritual practices that continue to inspire us today - how awareness allows us to connect with God in even the most ordinary of things, how it gr…

St. Thérèse of Lisieux becomes our spiritual companion this week as we talk about how she continues to inspire people yet today with this idea that little acts make a big difference. Have you ever found that one person’s simple act of kindness made your whole day better? On this week’s podcast, we talk about how surprisingly impactful it is when on…

On this week’s podcast, we turn to St. Benedict whose life and work offers us a practical approach to living that has influenced many across time. Join us as we talk about how his Rule of Life has helped us find everything from spontaneity to pause, has increased our ability to be more present to this moment now, and has given us a framework for th…

On this week’s podcast, we explore the life and work of Hildegard von Bingen, a multi-faceted woman who lived in the Middle Ages and yet continues to inspire people today. Join us as we talk about what it must have been like to have visions at the age of 3, begin convent life at 8 years old, and live in a world where few women were given permission…

On this week’s podcast, we take our inspiration from Julian of Norwich, an Epsicopalian nun who lived during the time of the Black Plague. In a season where suffering and trauma were hitting such a large population of people, Julian’s message brought hope. That same message continues to bring comfort and inspiration today as well. Join us for a con…

Our exploration of mystics and contemplatives begins with St Patrick, the patron saint both of Ireland and of dreams. Have you ever had a dream that just stuck with you, so much so you felt like maybe it meant something? If so, you have something in common with St. Patrick. On this week’s podcast, we spend time asking: What sort of forgiveness may …