Send us a text We are continuing our series about food, looking at 4 common ways we relate to food. Check out Ep 198, Spirituality of Food, for the first part of the series. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Food is something every single one of us interacts with regularly. Join us as we take what might seem like a mundane part of life and explore some of the spiritual implications. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text As the US is in an election week, we are reminding ourselves of some helpful spiritual practices Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Join us for Part 2 where we continue the conversation from last week around common questions and ideas about spiritual direction and contemplative spirituality. For part 1, please check out Episode 195. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text We have collected a few common questions and ideas about spiritual direction and contemplative spirituality. Join us as we address some myths and help expand our understanding around the benefits of spiritual guidance. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we have the honor of interviewing one of the leaders of Spiritual Directors Europe, an organization that networks and trains spiritual guides across that continent. Join us as Rafael Maria Theuvenet shares about spiritual direction in the Netherlands, as well as other parts of Western Europe. Support the show…

Send us a text Today we hear from an interior designer (Carol), bus driver (Chris) and non profit worker (Abbie) about ways they are seeing God show up in their work and everyday lives. We hope you find inspiration in your own life and work. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we learn wisdom from Ancient Chinese Medicine about the shortest season and how we might engage with it. Even though most of us follow a four- season calendar, we hope you find ways to contextualize this fifth season. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text There is something deeply spiritual about places and our orientation to particular places. Poets, photographers, and families remind us of their importance and meaning. Join us as we explore our relationship with place through a contemplative lens. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today non-profit community director, Justin Markofski, shares insights on what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. He dives into the delight of deepening our love of God and how that overflows into the community around us. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we talk about the speed of life. Join us as we explore a topic that comes up over and over again and has relevance for our daily living. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we explore the idea of resource netting, a term first heard by the author Greg McKeown and then built upon by Martha Beck & poet, David Wythe. Join us as we look at our resource rich world and the contemplative invitations for us in it. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we explore various times in our lives when we face interruptions, both small and large. We discuss ways we’ve found helpful in reframing them. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we discuss some of the benefits and challenges of those who identify as Empaths. We also note people who do not identify that way but live, work or regularly relate to those who do and how we can learn and grow together. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Join us as we reflect on the cyclical nature of life and the wisdom our seasons offer us. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we explore aspects of activating something new and reactivating former parts of our lives. Discover how these 2 aspects build off each other. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we are joined by Linda Hershberger. Learn how empty nesting, relocation and a cancer diagnosis led her to seeking out training as a spiritual guide for others. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we are joined by spiritual guide, Grace Schmelzer. Learn how a recent graduate (less than 2 years) has started her practice and mindsets faced along the way. Additional Resources: graceschmelzer1@gmail.com Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we are joined by spiritual guidance trainer, Jo Giarrante. Together we explore what Jo has learned in her decades of spiritual guidance ministry and hear wisdom as it relates to her hopes for the future of this work. Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we are joined by spiritual guide and avid paddler, Becca Langhough. Learn how she combined her love for canoeing, spiritual direction and outdoor adventure. Additional Resources: becca55nb@gmail.com Support the showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text Today we explore a modern contemplative, Brother Roger. Join us as we talk about the inspirational community in Taize, France and how it has captured the imagination of people around the world. Additional Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngA8BFbjrE0 Check out past episodes of exploring contemplative figures: The Contemplati…

Send us a text Today we talk about the Desert Fathers and Mothers from the 3rd-5th Centuries. Join us as we explore their values of hospitality, storytelling, and the spiritual landscape of the desert. Additional Resources Check out past episodes of exploring contemplative figures: The Contemplative Life, episodes 130-136 Support the show…

Send us a text Today we discuss the legacy of Clare of Assisi. Learn how her choices as a young teen continue to inspire people today in the areas of focus, mission and care for the poor. Additional Resources Check out past episodes of exploring contemplative figures: The Contemplative Life, episodes 130-136 Support the show…

Send us a text 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 Al…

Send us a text 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 showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text 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 showChris & Christina Roberts

Send us a text 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…

Send us a text 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…

Send us a text 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 Kri…

Send us a text 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:…

Send us a text 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 so…

Send us a text 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 hel…

Send us a text 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 …

The following audio is an excerpt from a lecture given by Shinzen Young, who has taught, and written, from a Buddhist perspective.Shinzen Young

Send us a text 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 so…

The following audio is an excerpt from a Dharma Talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh on October 20th, 2003.Thich Nhat Hanh

Send us a text 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?…

This audio is an excerpt from a lecture given by Pravrajika Divyanandaprana at Duke University Chapel, on April 7, 2023.Pravrajika Divyanandaprana

Send us a text 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. Won…

The following audio is an excerpt from an Andre Duqum interview of Sam Harris.Sam Harris

Send us a text 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 i…

The following audio is from a Russell Brand interview of Eckhart Tolle on June 27, 2020.Eckhart Tolle

Send us a text 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 warn…

Send us a text 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…

Send us a text 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 o…

Send us a text 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…

Send us a text 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 …

Send us a text 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 ab…

Send us a text 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 fo…

Send us a text 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 tha…