The Contemplative Life

There is much to learn from the lives of contemplative people in history. Today, we explore the legacy of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Learn how his spiritual exercises continue to influence our modern lives and ways we can apply and adapt for the 21 century. Additional Resources: Pray As You Go app Jesuits Guide to Almost Anything by James Martin, SJ Learning to Pray by James Martin, SJ Support the Show.

Regardless of your country of origin, election years can be stressful. Join us today as we explore practices that can help us love our neighbors as ourselves. Support the Show.

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.

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.

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: kristinamkaiser@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-kaiser-73a00337/ Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 their experience of wilderness in ways that help us experience integration and transformation. Because grief isn’t meant to be something we get over or repress. It’s there because we love and care deeply. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to check out the Additional Resources section below. Additional Resources Website: mettacentertraining.com Program: Grief Companion Training Hashtags Grief, Loss, Spirituality, Spiritual Direction, Wilderness, Counseling, Anticipatory Grief, Trauma Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 more aware of our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations so that we can be more empathetic overall. And don’t forget to check out the Additional Resources section for more information. Additional Resources Author: John Kabat Zinn Organization: The Path of Freedom Workbook: The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens by Gina M Biegel Website: PrisonMindfulness.org Facebook: Wisconsin Prison Mindfulness Initiative Documentary: Dhamma Brothers Film: Holding Still Retreat: A Day of Mindfulness for Helpers and Healers: June 20, 2024. Siena Retreat Center. Training: https://www.uwhealth.org/services/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction (UW-Health MBSR courses) Hashtags Jon Kabat Zinn, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Empathy, Interconnection, Awareness, Awareness, Ego, Prison Ministry Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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: What protective measures have we put in place that now keep us from being in touch with what we really enjoy and need? Join us as we talk about how the contemplative life can help us create more space for tending to what our deepest selves need most. Additional Resources Movie: America’s Sweethearts Podcast: Ep 166 Stress vs Stressors from The Contemplative Life Poem: For One Who Is Exhausted, A Blessing by John O’Donohue Hashtags Inner Critic, Outlook, Noticing, Spirituality, Self-talk, Retreat, Life Rhythms Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 ignore emotions in favor of just the facts? When we are feeling more at ease and connected, our brains are able to engage with both of these instead of having to choose just one or the other. Join us as we talk about how this can look in our day to day lives. Additional Resources Book: Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors by Robyn Gobbel Book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Hashtags Jenny Taitz, Emotion Mind, Reason Mind, Wisdom Mind, Naming Emotions, Playfulness, Curiosity, Mindsets Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 need to put everyone and everything on mute? All of these, and more, can be signs that you are experiencing undue loads of emotional labor. Join us as we talk about how a contemplative life can help us lessen our emotional-labor-load so that we can ride the waves of our emotions without being taken over by them. Additional Resources Podcast: Ep 159 Community Care from The Contemplative Life Hashtags Surface Acting, Deep Acting, Emotional Intelligence, Division of Labor, Spiritual Direction, Group Spiritual Direction, Awareness, Community Care Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 have enough capacity for what’s being asked of you? Asking questions about how to navigate a tricky situation? Feeling like you’re just going in circles? Sensing that what used to work for you isn’t working anymore? Join us as we talk about the many contemplative possibilities for recalibrating so that you can experience the Beauty of life again. Additional Resources Poem: Clearing by Martha Postlethwaite Poem: Coleman’s Bed by David Whyte Hashtags Counseling, Therapy, Discernment, Seasons of Life, Benedictine, Family Relationships, Work Relationships, Spiritual Practices, Anxiety Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 natural environment, both in our work lives and in our experience of life overall. Join us as Jeanette speaks about how engaging with the great outdoors can lead to building communities that are sustainable, equitable, culturally proficient, socially just, healing, and so much more. Additional Resources Website: Spiritual Guidance Training Institute - Outdoor Companioning Training Book: Belonging by Toko-Pa Turner Book: Eco-Emancipation by Sharon R. Krause Hashtags Forest Bathing, Mindfulness, Deep Listening, Eco-Justice, Tree Equity Index, Eco-Activism, David Abram, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Thich Nhat Hanh Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 the dangers of AI. Join us as we talk about how the contemplative can aid us in these kinds of dialogues. What spaces exist for us to learn? To name our emotions? To have conversations? What contemplative ideas might aid our discernment and implementation processes? May all be well as we process these questions, offering one another gentleness, generosity, and graciousness. Additional Resources Website: Spiritual Guidance Training Institute Hashtags Reid Hoffman, Geoffrey Hinton. Luddite, Ethics, Equity, Curiosity, spirituality Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 contemplative life can be of use to us in our current environment. Let’s take a long, loving look at what’s real and discover what’s there for us to build on. Additional Resources Podcast: Ep 159 Community Care Episode from The Contemplative Life Hashtags Technology, Esther Perel, Vivek Murthy, Ghosting, Awareness, Rituals, Rule of Life, Balance Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 freedoms might be gained? In a world where we’ve learned to live with our possible lack in mind, what would happen if we chose to live into the possible goods and abundances? Join us as we talk about the distinct differences between toxic positivity and living into the best case scenarios. Additional Resources Podcast: Ep 158 Self Care for…Bussinesses Hashtags Angel’s Advocate, Devil’s Advocate, Toxic Positivity, Pollyanna Principle, Starfish Story, Ignatian Discernment, Meditation Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 natural environment, both in our work lives and in our experience of life overall. Join us as Jeanette speaks about how engaging with the great outdoors can lead to building communities that are sustainable, equitable, culturally proficient, socially just, healing, and so much more. Additional Resources Website: Spiritual Guidance Training Institute - Outdoor Companioning Training Book: Belonging by Toko-Pa Turner Book: Eco-Emancipation by Sharon R. Krause Hashtags Forest Bathing, Mindfulness, Deep Listening, Eco-Justice, Tree Equity Index, Eco-Activism, David Abram, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Thich Nhat Hanh Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 alone? Join us as we talk about how being both givers and receivers of care has been not only life-giving but absolutely life-changing. Additional Resources Podcast: Ep 156 Self-Care for…Medical Professionals Podcast: Ep 157 Self-Care for…Clergy/Spiritual Leaders Podcast: Ep 158 Self-Care for…Businesses Meditation: Interspiritual Meditation by Ed Bastien Hashtags Mia Mingus, Interdependence, Therapist, Peer Groups, Henri Nouwen, Melissa Harris Perry, Squad Care Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.

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 offered him a new trajectory, and now living that out on a daily basis. Do you desire to work in or to lead in environments that feel safe? Does your line of work require innovation that you often find difficult to live up to? Do you often feel stretched thin, overworked, and emotionally exhausted? May the contents of this podcast be a balm to your soul. Additional Resources Website: RyanBauers.com Book: Consolations by David Whyte Book: Crossing the Unknown Sea by David Whyte Book: The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck Website: The Work of Byron Katie Hashtags Present Moment, Sleep Habits, Transition, Burnout, Psychological Safety, Innovation, Overworked Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter Support the Show.