Spirituality That Works

Q: How do you lay the groundwork to live a spiritual life? Are there stages?

How much time do you have? (laughter) Seriously, though, this is a big question. I think we have time for a bird’s-eye view. Let’s use the analogy of progressing through school, where each stage builds on the last, and each one has its own lessons, challenges, and rewards.

Kindergarten: The Magical Thinking Stage

We all begin here. Anything feels possible. We set noble goals: “I’ll … Read More

 As sensitive people, you probably know this scenario all too well. You’re constantly absorbing other people’s emotions and then feeling overwhelmed and drained in social situations that others seem to handle with ease. You might even avoid certain places or people because the energy exchange is just too much to handle.

What many don’t realize is that this sensitivity isn’t something to shut down; it’s a gift to manage with proper boundaries. Boundary setting is one of the most crucial … Read More

Q: Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about celebration. With the world in turmoil and this country turned on its head, it doesn’t feel like there’s much to celebrate. Is it important to find reasons to celebrate?

It can be a yes or no answer, depending on your belief structures and what you value. But from a purely practical well-being standpoint, celebrating can provide important benefits. It can help sustain motivation by providing a sense of reward and accomplishment. Getting … Read More

The recent surge in young people openly discussing and exploring their sexual and gender identity has sparked numerous conversations and questions. The following questions came up in a recent class.

Q: It seems that more young people today are speaking out about sexual identity. Is this an issue that’s always been there and just talked about more, or is there something new going on?

What we’re witnessing today with young people speaking out about sexual identity isn’t simply the continuation … Read More

Understanding Energetic Shifts to Achieve Mental Clarity and Emotional Release

We live in a time marked by significant change, and many of us are feeling the weight of this transition. This energetic shift is reshaping our lives and values in profound ways. This is not a fleeting sensation or a reaction to a singular event; rather, it is a deep and lasting transformation affecting us on multiple levels.  It can often feel like free-fall, where the world around us shifts … Read More

We talk about kindness as something we give. A held door, an encouraging word, an unexpected moment of patience, a helping hand. And it is. But what we often overlook is that kindness is also something we receive in the giving.

When we extend kindness, our focus shifts. The mental noise of not enough, too busy, so behind, lessens. And we start noticing tiny openings for chances to connect, to ease a moment, to offer the very thing we might … Read More

Q: I learned recently about someone calling their dog the true love of their life. I understand this, but could you talk about what this means? What’s this dynamic between us and our domesticated animals?

There are many ways people connect with animals, shaped by our needs and level of awareness. For much of human history, animals were seen as resources, here for our use. That view asks nothing of us: no responsibility, no awareness of the exchange of energies, … Read More

Q: Sometimes we search for so long we reach a point where we don’t even know what it was we were searching. But there is this longing that remains. What now? 

What’s needed is a moment of recognition. Something clicks that makes us feel alive and excited.

That’s one of the things that happen when we find an external teacher. We have that sensation of hope that here’s somebody who could take me further down the path. You may not … Read More