Spiritual direction
What if you could talk with someone about what’s happening in your life and what it all means to the tender, hidden part of you that some people call the soul?
And what if that person didn’t try to change you or fix you or tell you what you should do—just listened, and held space, and asked a few questions that invited you to hear the voice of your soul more clearly?
That’s the essence of spiritual direction, an ancient practice whose tools are attentive listening, silence, compassion, and intuition.
Spiritual direction might be right for you if…
- You’re seeking a deeper connection to your spiritual side, and to the larger reality that has been called Mystery, Spirit, God/dess, and countless other names.
- You want to live out your religious tradition with integrity…or maybe you’ve outgrown the religious tradition you grew up with and you’re not sure what’s next…or maybe you’re not religious at all, but you’re hungry for a space to explore what spirituality means to you.
- You’d like to integrate your spirituality into your daily life.
- You’d like a space to explore (and celebrate!) your unique calling in the world.
- You’re wrestling with tough decisions and wishing the answers were clearer.
- You want to accept your shadow sides with compassion.
- You’re struggling to make sense of all the suffering in the world.
- You’re longing for a space to just lay it all down with someone who will listen and not try to fix it.
So how does it work, exactly?
In spiritual direction, we typically meet for an hour a month. We often start with some silence, so that you can settle in, breathe, and notice whatever in you might be asking for your attention in that moment. Sometimes you might show up already knowing what you want to talk about. If not, that’s fine too.
Then, whenever you’re ready, you just start talking about whatever is on your mind and heart. It doesn’t have to be “super-spiritual,” though we can absolutely go there whenever you want. It could about work or relationships or anything, really—only, here, I’ll invite you to explore how it’s affecting you on the inside. And we’ll just talk—I’ll mostly listen, and occasionally ask a question.
Sometimes I might invite you to take a little silence to reflect on something you just said, to listen to your intuition. Often in the silence, you might hear a word or phrase that helps. An image might come to mind that contains some meaning for you. Or you might just get a “felt sense” of what to do.
Some people also like to try out different spiritual practices during spiritual direction sessions, such as dreamwork, lectio divina (meditating on poems or sacred texts), or pulling an oracle card or tarot card. We can also draw on personality typing systems, such as the Enneagram and MBTI, for insight into your spiritual journey.
Here’s a really important thing, though: in spiritual direction, we’re not here to work on goals or accomplish things. There’s nothing you have to do or not do. We’re here to listen—to your life, to the voice of your intuition. To listen to your soul, and to the voice of the divine, if those words resonate with you. Or call it this: the part of you that feels awe, and loves deeply, and wonders about why the world is so hard sometimes, and reaches out for connection to something bigger than yourself. That’s what spiritual direction is all about.