The Contemplative Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 her continue to feel centered and grounded. Be inspired and encouraged to advocate for yourself and for others, to be a part of creating a culture that cares enough about one another to offer time to rest.

Additional Resources
Book: See No Stranger by Valerie Kaur
Church: Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL
Website: Faith Community Initiative.org

Hashtags
Community care, asylum seekers, clergy, self-care, vacation time, interfaith, healthy habits

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 smaller. We invite you to join us in being a witness to the story of healthcare providers like Sarah and to allow the wisdom of her experience to be an encouragement to your soul.

Hashtags
Healthcare workers, vicarious trauma, countertransference, burnout, Covid-19, self-care, therapy, connecting

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 feel unbalanced and unstable. Find out what she had named for herself as her must-do’s and what she does when even the must-do’s need to be compromised.

Additional Resources
Coaching, Consulting, Speaking: Mary Bouras: https://www.marybouras.com/

Hashtags
Military, Military Family, Weekend Getaway, Post-Partum, Counseling, Adapting, Mentors

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 fulfillment ourselves. Join us as we talk about what we do to help us feel whole and restored.

Hashtags
Poetry, Yoga, Retreat, Music, Sports, Ritual, Tonglen

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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. Join us as we talk about how awe has helped each of us shift when we felt we needed it most.

Additional Resources
Book: Awe by Dacher Keltner

Hashtags
Contemplative Prayer, Ordinary, Extraordinary, Gratitude, Metaphor, Eco-spirituality, Continuum

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 needs may be quite different from those of our neighbors. Join us as we talk about how we can evolve in our journeys towards oneness and wholeness.

Additional Resources
Book: Journey to the Heart, edited by Kim Nataraja

Hashtags
ADD, ADHD, Solitude, Retreat, Culture, Spirituality, Balance

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 to be that way. Instead we can discover what is speaking to us, what emotions are arising, what our bodies are trying to tell us. And in doing so, we can bring our being side back into friendship with our doing side.

Additional Resources
Image: The Contemplative Tree
Class: Being With

Hashtags
Merton, Contemplative, Ritual, Mind, Body, Gut, Desire, Heart, Transcendence

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 balance with our “being” side. Join us as we embark on this journey towards a connection with the Divine that allows for more flow and friendship in our lives than we might have previously thought possible.

Hashtags
Relational God, Meditation, Prayer, Stillness, Life Seasons, Savior, Wisdom

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 inspire your path.

Additional Resources
Podcast: Ep 21 The Sacred Space Inside Today from The Contemplative Life

Hashtags
Islam, Nature Pilgrimage, Coming of age, Stations of the Cross, Shabbat, Thin Places, Journey

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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-heart-body, and spending time in discernment, to name a few. Join us as we talk about the many ways to engage this practice.

Additional Resources
Podcast: Ep 95 Sound Healing, The Contemplative Life

Hashtags
Music, nature, awareness, sound bath, movement, spirituality, mindfulness

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 mind but the mind-heart-body, it is also the case that many have returned to these ancient forms of prayer - as if seeing again for the first time. Join us as we talk about the variety of ways to engage in a Visio Divina prayer practice.

Additional Resources
Podcast: Ep 143 What is…Kataphatic Prayer from The Contemplative Life

Hashtags
Images, Soul Collage, Iconography, Imaginative Prayer, Transformation, Modern Icons, Contemplative Prayer, Illumination

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 ecumenical, both personally and as communities of worship. Consider with us what it looks like to find common ground, even as the particulars of our faith may be different from one another.

Additional Resources
Website: Wisconsin Council of Churches: wichurches.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wichurches
Email: Kerri Parker: execdir@wichurches.org
Contact: https://www.wichurches.org/contact/
Event: Ecumenical Service, Monday, November 20th, 2023, 6:30pm, City Center Church

Hashtags
Ecumenical, Body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12, Volunteer, Values, Mutual Admiration, Mutual Admonition

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter

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 feelings of overwhelm and days of exhaustion, this practice could be for you.

Additional Resources
Book: Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister
Book: The Rule of St. Benedict

Hashtags
Rule of St. Benedict, Community, Prayer of Examen, Hospitality, Values, Wellness, Spirituality

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://foundrysc.com/about/newsletter