The Contemplative Life

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 conversation about what it can look like to stay conn...

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 have been required for St. Patrick to return to a...

Today, we’re joined by Lead Pastor of The River in New York City, Charles Park, who is sharing with us about what Agape love is and why it’s so important to our overall well-being. Do you ever find that you’re measuring yourself harshly - your looks, your professional performance, your social competency? Perhaps you’ve experienced the loss of a close friend after years of trusting them with your l...

Sometimes the words fly out of our mouth too fast, or we hit the send button too soon. Our desire to have a good relationship is there, but we need a do-over. On this week’s podcast, we talk about what it takes to do more than put a bandaid over the wounds we inflict on one another. Sometimes, it’s as simple as starting the conversation over. But at other times, we may need more. When this happens...

What does it look like to experience healing in the spiritual sense? Healing is often a journey requiring support, nourishment, and practice. In this week’s podcast, we take time to consider a few common triggers that have historically created wounding. We talk about why healing is best done in a holistic environment. And we talk about the importance of going slow so that we don’t shock our system...

Today we contemplate the difference between “the good” and “the perfect.” Oftentimes, we live our lives through the lens of a series of expectations. But what happens when those expectations don’t play out the way we thought they would? What does it look like to explore our lives with the understanding that life is dynamic - always changing, always being reborn? Join us as we consider the in-betwe...

Many of us have probably heard someone say, “Oh that’s just the way that I am,” which causes us to believe we can never change, which then causes us to feel stuck, which then lowers our sense of wellbeing. But on this week’s podcast, we talk about 4 key areas you can focus on in order to increase your sense of wellbeing. Join us as we talk about the journey-like nature of wellbeing, the twists and...

Today we talk about the benefits and possible drawbacks of visualization practices. Oftentimes, sacred scriptures use metaphors and parables to help us connect with spiritual things. This allows us to continually have fresh revelations and new connections in our lives. We may find new hope, find that our anxieties decrease, or even experience a moment of connection between our heart and mind. The...

Many of us grew up hearing about an angry and stern God. This has, perhaps, caused us to wonder, “Is laughter appropriate? And if so, in what circumstances?” On this week’s podcast, we take time to wonder about what place laughter may have in our spiritual practice and what that might look like in our daily experience. Join us as we talk about the healing power of laughter and the possibility to o...

The unexpected crops up in our lives in both little and small ways. At times, we manage to accept these experiences easily. In other moments, the things we encounter require a bit more processing. Drawing on the wisdom of poets, children, and spiritual teachers, this week’s podcast leans into talking about that which feels like too much to accept. Do you ever find yourself bitterly complaining, bl...

This week’s title says it all. Oftentimes, we hear people try to describe spiritual direction by likening it to something that is “similar but different.” And so this week, we offer up a working definition for spiritual direction, talk about why the word “direction” is a bit of a misnomer, and then share a bit about what sorts of things we might actually do during a spiritual direction session. Jo...

Human nature tends to be such that we want to figure out who we are, who “our people'' are, and then settle into whatever feels easiest and most familiar. What’s more, psychologically speaking, our brains appear to be hard-wired to seek out people who look, think, behave, and even believe similarly to ourselves. But on the other side of that coin, an increasing number of people are disco...

Today we’re joined by Nicki Nelson, Director of Spiritual Guidance Initiatives at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, who is sharing with us today about how caretaking has a way of bringing us to the edges of ourselves. At the end of the day, it turns out, we need a way to both nurture ourselves as well as those we’re caring for. Join us as Nicki shares with vulnerability and wisdom abo...

The (Spiritual) Wilderness is often associated with times of dryness. It may be that we come to find ourselves thrust suddenly into this world by way of suffering, trauma, and loss. We may experience it alone or in community with others. But however we arrive there, it would seem that the Wilderness cannot be avoided. And so, on this week’s podcast, we talk about what might be possible during thos...

Money can be a challenging topic, fraught with emotions and baggage that we may or may not even be aware of. But on this week’s podcast, we talk about the value of having a safe space to become still, to look at our values, and to become aware of where our notions and feelings about money are coming from. In that sort of environment, we have the freedom to become gentle with ourselves, to name wha...

Today we’re taking some time for a little behind-the-scenes glimpse: Who are we? What has our spiritual journey been? How did Foundry Spiritual Center, the sponsor of our podcast, come to be? Join us as we think through the desires of our hearts that have led us to this particular moment now. And then, maybe take some time for some soul searching of your own. Check out the other offerings of Found...

Fasting can occur in many forms, both for religious and non-religious reasons. And, as we’ll explore on the podcast, there are many personal and communal benefits that can come from it. But also, as we’ll discover today, it’s not uncommon to find that fasting has been something that has required journey as our faith lives have evolved. It’s been helpful to ask questions like: What do I want to bec...

Today we’re joined by Jon Anderson, executive director of Collaboration Project, who’s sharing with us the win-win rewards that come when we put relationships first, listen carefully to one another, and allow good work in the community to emerge from a sense of meaningful partnership. Do you sometimes feel like you’re spinning your wheels trying to be helpful in the world around you? Maybe you lik...

On this week’s podcast, we take a moment to become aware of - and to celebrate - the spring equinox and how the seasons of life can be teachers for us along the way in our own journeys. And boy the spring does not disappoint! Perhaps you're in a season of contemplating balance in your life? Maybe there’s something new that is ready to bud. Or, as is true for some of us, could it be that you’r...

Today we are joined by Zil Eiler, an intuitive business coach and mentor who is sharing with us about how to “get unstuck,” whether those points of struggle are about our decisions, our circumstances, our relationships, or something else. This 20-minute interview is jam-packed with tips on how to reframe your thinking, how to increase your experience of joy, how to follow your intuition, and what...

Spiritual bypassing can take many forms. We may find ourselves avoiding difficult emotions or trying to explain-away negative experiences. And in truth, spiritual bypassing turns out to be the opposite of the connection we seek, ultimately leading us to feel emotionally confused or worse. On this week’s podcast, we take a look at some of the common phrases we might hear or say when spiritual bypas...

This week, we are joined by Kristen Emerson, licensed social worker and founder of Breaking Light Counseling who is sharing with us about the impacts of grief, loss, and trauma. Many of us experienced the effects of cumulative grief as we struggled to adjust and adapt during the height of the pandemic. We were often forced to forego the usual rituals and outlets for processing our losses, both in...

On this week’s podcast, we’re taking some time to talk about how rituals can help us find our empowered voices - particularly in those moments where we just don’t feel permission to have a voice. Do you sometimes struggle with a negative ticker-tape of words going through your head? Maybe you truly feel that something isn’t right but, for whatever reason, you just can’t seem to find it within your...

Today we’re talking about the expansiveness of self-care because, as it turns out, there are no less than six types of Self-Care. What we need in one season of life may look very different from what we need in another. What our internal list of “shoulds” tells us we ought to be doing may or may not be what we really need in order to nourish our souls right now. And so join us as we talk about what...

At first blush, it may feel like an easy yes to imagine that gratitude and hope can co-exist. But on today’s podcast, we ask the question: Is it true? Can we hold space for the things we hope for? Or does having hopes make us ungrateful? We further ask the question: What is hope anyways? And if we were to have hopes, how do we have hopes in a way that doesn’t devastate our day-to-day experience? J...