“There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
– Rumi
Core Spiritual Practices
All spiritual practice invites us to go beneath surface appearances in relating to life, seeking experiences of the Oneness that is invisibly upholding and giving rise to the Many. Spiritual practice invites us into new metaphors for understanding human experience. Can we go from seeing ourselves as something like separate billiard balls, knocking about on the table of life, to seeing ourselves more as shimmering patterns, woven inextricably into the larger web, shimmering and dancing – Indra’s Jewelled Net, to draw on just one image. Whatever metaphor we draw on, mystical or naturalistic – spiritual practice recalls us to our connection to Self/ Source/ Spirit in revivifying ways.
There is no one practice that is right for everyone, nor for any one person in every moment. The variety of practices forms a palette of luscious colors for the canvas of life.
Rev. Cat weaves these core practices, in varying ways, into her work as a spiritual director and into her own life. Each can be a subject of for a class, workshop or retreat on its own.
“Do not mistake ‘more’ for ‘beyond.” – Unknown
Compassionate Communication (NVC)
Compassionate Communication (also known as Non-Violent Communication) is
much more than an effective strategy for problem solving. It is also a simple, accessible, yet profoundly demanding spiritual practice. The process itself is based on the foundational principle of Family Systems Theory, Self-Differentiated Leadership. This principle defines mature adult development as the capacity to stay genuinely present to ourselves and to others – simultaneously. This is a challenge for us all! Compassionate Communication invites us to deepen this capacity through very clear processes which nevertheless call on us to confront our defensive strategies head on!
“I have new excitement hope for our congregation and for what Unitarian Universalists could accomplish. This could really change everything.” – workshop participant.
Enneagram
Among the many systems for understanding human behavior, the Enneagram – a classification system of nine fundamental personality types offers some distinct advantages. First it rewards students of all levels. Its basics are easily comprehensible and immediately useful. There are also increasingly complex levels of understanding for those drawn to this work. Most importantly, perhaps, is the astonishing reliability of the Enneagram as a predictor of human behavior. Want to see yourself and others more objectively? Want to deepen your sense of living your purpose? The Enneagram offers a wealth of insights.
“This is incredibly useful stuff. It’s helped me get out of my own way and really see my own choices with a kind of objectivity I never had.” – private client
“Where I used to see walls, now I see windows!” – workshop participant
Dreamwork
Dreams are the laboratory of personal and cultural evolution. Beyond our conscious mind lies a source of wisdom and inspiration that expands our sense of possibilities for renewal and change. At the level of the collective unconscious, ordinary distinctions which isolate us from one another fall away. Everyone of us, every night in our dreams, taps into the universal symbols and images of the human experience. Dreamwork explores and mines this rich landscape, not only for the guidance which emerges, but also for the experience of seeing through prejudices and false expectations which limit our perspective and separate us from knowing and being known by people very different from ourselves.
All dreams come in the service of health and wholeness – Rev. Dr. Jeremy Taylor
Inquiry
“Inquiry” is a way of naming processes which involve questioning the believability of our own thoughts and the ways our unexamined beliefs keep us enmeshed in suffering. The Socratic Method, Zen Buddhism, the poetry of Rumi – these are among many valuable lenses for Inquiry. Rev. Cat blends such approaches to Inquiry with the powerful processes of “The Work” developed by Byron Katie, a simple set of questions with transformational power.
“When you argue with reality you lose, but only 100% of the time.” – Byron Katie
Voice Dialogue
How often do you feel like you’re arguing with yourself. For most of us, it’s a lot oftener than we’d like? Do you have an inner “Rebel Teen” who can’t stand to be told what to do and argues with your inner “Ms./Mr. Responsible” for example? Voice Dialogue work gives a name and “personality” description to these different energies within the Self – which can be thought of as a kind of committee vying for the microphone – and the keys to the car! Naming and dialoguing with your inner “committee” brings new possibilities for creative integration and a freer sense of choice in decision making.
“The idea of asking ‘who is speaking now?’ was revolutionary for me.” – client
Journaling
Journaling is a reflection practice for an “examined life.” The key to journaling is to get past surface reporting of “what happened.” Two basic approaches, quite different but equally valid, encourage this. One opens to the “stream of consciousness.” The practice is simply to keep the pen moving for a given length of time and to avoid editing out whatever arises. The other is to formulate, or adopt, a set of personally meaningful questions as a guide. Rev. Cat offers guidance in a range of journaling practices.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates
Meditation and Prayer
World Religion scholar Huston Smith has observed that the post-Enlightenment West is the only culture in the history of the world not to believe that the visible world is upheld by an invisible layer of reality with which it is possible to be in relationship. Meditation and prayer are ancient practices that offer us ways to access this deeper realm of experience. How we name it, or whether we view the “what” we are tapping into as personal unconscious, collective unconscious or direct connection to Source, is less important than having ways to let go into it. Centering ourselves in something larger than our own conscious ego grants access to a serenity that does not depend on outside circumstances.
“Mind is a good servant and a poor master.” – Unknown
Myth, Story and Meaning
The function of myth and folktales is to show us who we are at the deeper, archetypal layers of our being and to bring into awareness new ways of relating to the energies within and beyond us in creative and life-giving ways. Myth, like dream, relies on symbol and metaphor to lift up the many-faceted, paradoxical nature of existence, illuminating the underlying patterns and the unimagined possibilities. Myth makes the Universe a sacred place to live.
“Myth awakens and supports a sense of awe before the mystery of being.” – Joseph Campbell
Art, Music and Movement Practices
A spiritually alive, meaning-centered life involves the whole human being. Cultivating practices that center our attention while directly engaging the body and senses also enlivens the heart, mind and spirit. Art, music and movement extend our “range of motion” intertwining us with the world. The Universe itself is our larger Body. Inhabit it with the fullness of your being.”
“There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” – Rumi
Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT is a simple, non-invasive self-accupressure technique that can yield remarkable benefits in shifting the emotional state holding back desired change. This easy to learn “tapping” procedure is now a widely used adjunct to many kinds of counseling and coaching and can be a wonderful support to the psycho-spiritual shifts that meaningful inner work entails.
“It was a huge surprise to me how much EFT helped – even though I didn’t believe in it at all” – client
Self-Care as Spiritual Practice
The body is the sacred vessel through which Spirit pours forth into the world. Self-care spiritual practices are never about subduing, subjugating or denying our physical being – or any other part of ourselves. Rather they are about nourishing the self with love and awareness. Giving ourselves what we truly need allows what doesn’t nourish body and soul, heart and mind to naturally fall away.
“You’ll never give up an addiction if what it gives you is basically the only pleasure you permit yourself.” – Anonymous