Today, Wendy Porterfield and Liz Kravitz join us to talk to us about how running has evolved into a spiritual practice for them – a place where they can release and let go, where they can process, and where they can connect with others in a sense of meaning and accomplishment. Join us as they tell us their stories of overcoming struggle and discovering personal retreat, inner strength, and freedom.Additional ResourcesLiz Kravitz Coaching Website: https://lizkravitz.wixsite.com/my-site-1Email: [email protected] Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, IG Justin Andrews – Running CoachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin2ultra/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin2ultra #Ragnar#TrailRunning#5K#RunningInSeasons#RunningCommunityFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9348486-ep-39-running-as-a-contemplative-practice.mp3?download=true

Interspirituality is a new term for many of us, but broadly speaking, it’s the experience of finding the common ground between our faith traditions and appreciating the ways in which those traditions compliment each other. In this episode, we dive into four different ways of being Interspiritual, and we consider how we’ve seen these ways of being emerging in our own lives and in the world around us. Join us as we explore the beauty of sharing our inter-connectedness. Additional ResourcesBook: The New Monasticsm: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Living by Rory McEnfee and Adam BuckoSpeaker: Mirabai Starr’s Talk: The Bees in the GardenBook: Foundations in Spiritual Direction: Sharing the Sacred Across Traditions by Beverly Lanzetta#PerennialWisdom#DeconstrucingFaith#ThirdWay#PrayerPracticesFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9310548-ep-38-interspirituality

It happens to all of us. We reach that fated moment in life where we’re expected to behave like “a responsible adult,” where all the mundane tasks of life suddenly become ours to do. Did “being an adult” sneak up on you? Do you find yourself agonizingly asking, “Why is this happening?!” In this episode, we ask: Can contemplative practices and lifestyles help us in navigating the mundane (and sometimes overwhelming!) aspects of our lives? Join us as we talk about the benefits of spiritual companioning in the midst of adulting. #contemplative#spirituality#PayingTheBills#AdultingFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9309990-ep-37-adulting

Many of us have picked up ideas – and ideals – about everything and anything. Ways that we think people *should* be, the ways in which we think things *should* be done, even ways in which we think God is likely to act and behave. And when the world doesn’t act the way we want it to, we tend to have feelings about that. In this episode we talk about the Images that have come to be in our lives – where they serve us, how some of those images have left us walking through life in fear…And we land on one question that ends up becoming central to our conversation: Who is God to me today? We hope you’ll join us. Additional Resources: Book: Awareness by Anthony de MelloMusician: Jeffery Foucault #Awareness#Idols#ContemplativeSpirituality#ReframingFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9268853-ep-36-reframing-our-images-of-god

One of the great things about music is the power it has to move us – to draw us out, to speak to us, to help us become more receptive – both to our experiences and to our feelings.In this episode, we “sing the praises” of music, pointing out how helpful it can be in interfaith settings and how easily it can be paired with other contemplative practices. So join us as we talk about the mysterious and mystical as it relates to music. Additional Resources:Music Playlist: https://www.thecontemplativelife.net/resourcesMusic Playlist also available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnma9HmG0antFRaGuE0XWA01Gmwnq2xHh#Inclusive#Emotions#Music#InterfaithFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9228086-ep-35-the-powerful-spirituality-of-music

Today we are joined by Grace Schmelzer, co-leader of numerous online contemplative groups and soon-to-be spiritual director. She shares with us today the struggles she’s experienced in being an extrovert approaching contemplative practices. But take heart! She also shares with us what has been enjoyable to her as well as what she was surprised to find enjoyable. May all of our extroverts out there feel invited to the contemplative table!#Extrovert#Silence#Solitude#Retreat Additional Resources:Book: Journey to the Heart, Edited by Kim NatarajaBook: The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother LawrenceWebsite: www.blueoceanfaith.orgWebsite: www.journey-on.net For Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9086832-ep-34-extroverts-and-the-contemplative

We all know that how we process – or don’t process – our emotions can affect our lives in big ways. What’s more, many of us haven’t been given a whole lot of help in figuring out how to process what we might view as “negative emotion” in our lives. And so in today’s episode, we explore any number of contemplative practices that have been useful in helping us move through some of the more challenging emotions and energies that we experience.#Feelings#FeelingsWheel#MoodMeterFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9086790-ep-33-processing-our-emotions

In today’s episode, we spend some time talking about the how-to’s of meditation and what some of our personal preferences are, all through the lenses of our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. Do you sometimes wonder: Am I doing this right? What does it even mean to meditate? Join us as we tackle some of meditation’s big questions together.#MeditationForChildren#CenteringPrayer#Journey#LettingGo Additional Resources:Spiritual Companion: Mary ReynoldsPodcast Episode: Ep 11 Embodied Spirituality with Mary ReynoldsAuthor: Sharon SalzbergAuthor: Ruth Haley BartonFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9021100-ep-32-how-to-meditate

Ep 31 Second Naïvetés and SpiritualitySecond Naïvetés are the act of returning to our experiences and beliefs with fresh eyes and new outlooks, and it’s a common story for many in seasons of questioning in particular.In today’s episode, we spend some time specifically talking about how each of us has seen our prayer practices evolve as we’ve come in contact with the contemplative and why that evolution has felt so important to us. Two big questions we’ll ask as we look at these prayer models from our younger days: What is the essence of that? And what does it mean to respond to that?#PaulRiceour#mystical#PrayerModels#PrayerOfLight Additional Resources:Book: Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley BartonAuthor: Barbara A. HolmesAuthor: Martha BeckBook: Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation through the Centuries, edited by Kim NatarajaRestaurant: Ted Drewes Frozen CustardFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9007854-ep-31-second-naivetes-and-spirituality

Ep 30 ExvangelicalsExvangelicals are people who come from evangelical traditions but who no longer identify as such. Many have begun speaking out rather than quietly moving on. And so today we talk about it: How do we live into new spaces as we experience change in our lives? Where do we turn as our ideas about our faith lives evolve? What do I do with the grief and the angst that comes up in me sometimes? #evangelical#mystical#companion#evolutionFor Transcript:Go to the "Transcript" Tab.If you are in a player that does not have the Transcript Tab, use the link below:https://thecontemplativelife.buzzsprout.com/1642654/9001074-ep-30-ex-vangelicals