Click on a link below for more information about workshops and activities being held on different days during the conference.  Alternatively, you can print this page to get a complete list of all workshops and activities being held during the conference.

Friday Workshops

Friday Evening Optional Activities

Saturday Workshops

Saturday Evening Optional Activities 

The % figures in Workshop Descriptions indicate the relative percentage of presentation, discussion, and experiential activity.

Friday Workshops

One and a Half Hours (choose two and one alternative)

F1. Supervision for Self and Others

This workshop will present a simple tool that describes the spiritual direction process and the art and skills needed to reverently attend to another in a spiritual direction conversation. Participants will have an opportunity to reflectively engage in a self-evaluative process using one of their own spiritual direction conversations. Finally, participants will participate in a process that uses this tool for the supervision of another. At the end of the workshop participants will have a simple, effective tool to support the ministry of spiritual direction. 40%, 40%, 20%.

Lucy Abbott Tucker is a teacher, spiritual director, and supervisor at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Chicago, USA. She contributed to Guidelines for Ethical Conduct, Sacred is the Call (2005) and has written for Presence Journal.

F2. Berur: How Do You Know if It's God?

Discernment is a key pillar supporting the ongoing practice of Spiritual Direction. Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, refers to this process as Berur: the identification, extraction and liberation of sparks of godliness embedded within the busyness of our lives and the darker motivations of our psyches. Through group exercises, textual study, and discussion we will explore the concepts and actual discernment practices that might indicate the godliness of particular choices, especially when they fall outside the bounds of convention or accepted religious norms. We will also examine how Berur carries with it redemptive potential for repairing the fissures of our broken world. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Rabbi Howard Avruhm Addison, PhD, is a founding teacher of the Lev Shomea Institute for Jewish Spiritual Direction. He is the author of The Enneagram and Kabbalah, and co-editor of Jewish Spiritual Direction.

F3. Self-Emptying Love in a Global Context: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and the Environment.

Western spirituality has traditionally emphasized human redemption as "ascent" to God. Thus, nature's role in Salvation History has been seriously neglected. This workshop devel­ops an alternate spirituality that highlights the importance of the earth and its fruitful­ness as a sign of our human covenant with God. The view is God's self-emptying love as empowering, in contrast to overpowering the free decisions of human beings and the spontaneity of non-human creation. 60%, 40%, 0%.

Robert T. Sears, SJ, is Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago, USA and well known spiritual director and writer on various aspects of healing. Joseph A. Bracken, SJ, is Professor Emeritus of Theology at Xavier University, Cincinnati, USA and author of various books and articles on Trinitarian theology, process theology, and comparative religions. Their most recent book is Self Emptying Love in a Global Context: The Spiritual Exercises and the Environment (2006.)

F4. Spiritual Direction with Survivors of Suicide

Over a million people die of suicide worldwide every year. Their deaths release a primal scream of anguish into the atmosphere, leaving an imprint of pain and sorrow on the hearts of those they leave behind. Conservatively, each suicide directly impacts at least six people, some of whom will become directees. This workshop will acquaint directors with the unique dynamics of suicide grief and the spiritual challenges that survivors face. You will be empowered to gently hold the hearts of those who may be walking on glass. 50%, 30%, 20%.

C. Karen Covey Moore, DMin, is an ordained United Methodist minister and spiritual director in Delaware, USA. Anne Cronin Tyson, MA, is a spiritual director in private practice in Texas, USA and Michigan, USA. Both lead survivor retreats and educational workshops for professionals who work with survivors.

F5. Biblical Archetypes and Return to Essence

Returning to one's essence is an integral part of coming home to the cosmos. Learn how biblical spirituality is orientated to a new creation. We will reflect upon three characters from the Judeo-Christian biblical tradition in an ongoing search for truth, wisdom and wholeness. Through them we will participate in blending the human, the cosmic, and the divine. We will witness their return to themselves and the larger community. You will be enriched as a spiritual director when you engage with this illustration of human development unfolding as a spiritual enterprise. It is hoped that through this communal experience the flow of divine energy will help participants bond as a new creation at one with themselves, and with the universe. 25%, 50%, 25%.

Bishop Remi De Roo and Pearl Gervais are experienced presenters on spiritual issues, biblical themes and the Enneagram. With Diane Tolomeo, they co-authored Biblical Characters and the Enneagram.

F6. Finding God in the Heart of the Other

Together we will explore ways in which interfaith friendships, relationships, and collaborative partnerships create pathways for us to experience the profound "Loving Presence of the Divine." These graced relationships create the foundation for deeply felt spiritual connections that will support us on our individual faith journeys as well as in our work for peace and social justice. This workshop offers a unique opportunity for interfaith dialogue and healing. Using prayer, chanting, sacred text, contemplative silence and interactive discussion, we will experience directly the unique spiritual gifts that come as we encounter the "Other" with an open heart. 20%/30%/50%.

Karen Lee Erlichman, MSS, is a licensed clinical social worker in San Francisco, CA, USA providing psychotherapy and spiritual direction. Formerly the director of the Interfaith Outreach Program at Jewish Family and Children's Services, her article entitled Cultivating Compassion was chosen as one of the winners of the 2005 International House Vision of Hope Essay Contest, addressing prejudice and stereotyping in the wake of 9/11/01.

F7. Sufi Mystical Psychology

We will explore two interrelated Sufi models of spiritual psychology-transformation of the self and inner evolution-and their implications for spiritual direction. The model of the transformation of the self involves development through seven stages: tyrannical self, regretful self, inspired self, serene self, pleased self, self pleasing to God, and pure self. We will discuss classic Sufi disciplines of self-transformation, including work with a sheikh or guide, remembrance, and service. Next, the model of inner evolution describes our seven souls: mineral, vegetable, animal, personal, human, angelic, and divine. We will discuss the gifts of each soul and how to balance the energies and motivations of our seven souls. 70%, 20%, 10%.

Robert Frager, PhD, is Director of the Spiritual Guidance program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. He has been a sheikh or Sufi spiritual guide for over twenty years.

F8. Exile and Homecoming in Thomas Merton

In a 1941 journal, Merton says: "I am not physically tired, just filled with a deep, vague, undefined sense of spiritual distress, as if I had a deep wound running inside me and it had to be stanched." The wound is only another aspect of the fact that we are exiles on this earth. In our time, exile can be political, cultural, or, as in Merton, a kind of spiritual alienation. Together we will hear what Merton says about exile, reflect on our own experiences of exile and homecoming, and discuss how these primal themes affect those with whom we work as we journey with them in and towards God, "who is our home." 33%, 33%, 33%.

Don Grayston, PhD, is an Anglican priest, retired academic, Merton scholar, and director of the Pacific Jubilee Program in Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction, co-sponsored with Vancouver School of Theology in B.C., CAN.

F9. Canku Wakan (Sacred Road): Coming Home to a First Nations Cosmology

Traditional Native ceremonies are integral for the lifelong traveler on the Red Road, but they are not for everyone. The principles which underlie those ceremonies, however, form a basis for an inclusive approach to spiritual direction, here called Canku Wakan, the Sacred Road, which can enrich all travelers. "All my relations" expresses the core Native understanding that all nature is part of Creator's cosmology. This workshop will review the spiritual function of the prayers, the songs, the four medicines, the seeking-of-wisdom, the prayer pipe, the making-of-family, and other ceremonies. You will discover that the principles work like gears with spiritual direction, both Native and Christian. 65%, 15 %, 20%.

Rev. Tim Iistowanohpataakiiwa, MA, is an ordained Episcopal priest and traditional Native healer. He has conducted spiritual direction within Christian and Native traditions for four decades.

F10. Spiritual Direction and Eldering: Two Ways to Serve

Directors who have accepted the mantle of elderhood are a special resource to older directees. Elderhood is the last stage of human development for spiritual people. Elders are detectable in part because they show us they are on a spiritual journey: an elder journey. The scope of this workshop will be to define the archetype of elder as a model for a spiritual second half of life and to discuss the qualities of direction that reflect elder like expression. These include mentoring, "Earthkeeping," "wisdomkeeping," and being a source of blessing. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Terry Jones, DMin, is a retired psychotherapist, and founder and President of the Elderhood Institute in Oregon, USA. A spiritual director and author his most recent book is Elder: A Spiritual Alternative to Being Elderly.

F11. Star of the Sea: The Inner Artist as Pilgrim Guide to the Cosmos

This workshop focuses on the use of art as a means of discovering personal symbol. In addition to sharing his own paintings and stories, Mickey McGrath will offer several practical exercises which can be used by spiritual directors, especially those who feel "artistically challenged." Although his own art is inspired by Christian spirituality, his prayerful, non-threatening approach will appeal to people of all faith traditions. With equal servings of humor and passion, you will learn his own unique twists on traditional imagery, such as the black Madonna, and his love for the variety of all God's children. 50%, 25%, 25%.

Michael O'Neill McGrath is an award-winning artist, writer, and frequent presenter and keynote speaker at gatherings of Catholic religious educators. Since 1987 he has been a spiritual director at the Grunewald Guild, an interfaith art guild in Leavenworth, Washington, USA.

F12. Dying to Live: Beyond the Fear of Death and Dying

A paradox lies at the heart of this presentation: why are death and dying "the most natural and expected of life experiences" so feared and denied in our culture? Through discussion and gentle experiential work, we will explore our own struggles around these profound issues and will discover new ways of helping others come to terms with their mortality. By remaining soft and open in this heart-centered exploration, death and dying are revealed as an integral healing process in the human journey. The hidden gift in this challenging and sacred work is that by compassionately embracing our dying, we are liberated to fully experience, at last, our living. 50%, 25%, 25%.

John Pollard, MA, is a spiritual director and psychotherapist. He teaches at the Transformational Arts College in Toronto, Ontario, CAN, and is a social researcher at York University. John is also a long-time volunteer at Casey House Hospice.

F13. Being Sensational: The Taoist Perspective

The Taoist perspective helps us to experience living in the present moment with vibrancy and fullness of life. In this workshop we shall learn how to mindfully experience taste, sound, movement, art, and smells in order to really wake up to abundant life. We will reflect on the wisdom of several Taoist sayings such as "chopping wood and carrying water," "the uncarved block," "wu wei," and "the watercouse way." 20%, 20%, 60%.
Patricia Roberts, MA, MRE, has returned to her home town Arequipa, Peru, after forty years abroad, to finish her heroic journey. She shares in gratefulness the abundance life has taught her and is the Spiritual Directors International regional coordinator for Peru.

F14. The Power of Shame

In order to come home to the cosmos, one must have a place to come home to. According to Gershen Kaufman, "Shame is an entrance to the self." In other words, shame is an invitation to come home. As a hidden dynamic, shame blocks one's ability to see reality clearly. However, when shame is discovered, an opportunity for healing arises and a new awareness of God and self become available. In this workshop spiritual directors will learn ways to identify shame, to understand the importance of awareness of shame, and to journey with the directee toward healing. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Kathryn Royer, DMin, presents spiritual formation workshops and seminars across the United States. She is director of Innerbalance.org.

Friday Evening Optional Activities:

One and a Half Hours (choose one and one alternative)

FE1. Soul Shapes: Knowing Body, Earth and Universe as Home

At this critical time of life on the planet, we find ourselves healing body, mind, and spirit separations that alienate us from our own true natures and the very life systems of earth that sustain us. In this workshop, through gentle body movement, sound, silence and reflection, we shall explore the "shapes", rhythms, textures, and dynamics of our human journeying. Awareness of the soul movements in us and directees will increase. Thus, spiritual direction is shown to be a radical ministry for the increase of compassion in beholding the story of "other" in both human form and in all creation.

Alexandra Caverly-Lowery, M.Div, MTh, is a liturgical dance artist, therapist and spiritual director whose ongoing work is in the area of "Theology, the Body, and Healing" from a Deep Ecology perspective. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, CAN.

FE2. The Integration of Nurturing Touch with Spiritual Direction

You will be introduced to touch as the most basic means of communication. Every cell of our body has a memory. This workshop is designed to introduce nurturing touch to spiritual directors so that you may become aware of the healing arising from the release of both suppressed and repressed emotions concealed in the body.

Peggy Dawson, CMT, CHTP, is licensed as a Diocesan Lay Minister, and authorized by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand with permission to anoint. She is a spiritual director and international trainer with "Service Through Nurturing Touch."

FE3. Body Prayer

Body Prayer is a deeply healing and restorative contemplative practice for spiritual directors who would like to experience an embodied form of spiritual discernment and prayer through the practice of yoga and meditation. Gentle yoga stretching, flowing postures and breathing awareness are introduced as a path for relaxation and also as ways to open the heart and body to a healing encounter with the transforming Spirit of Christ within.

Ingrid Hauss is a certified Yoga Teacher who has taught yoga and Body Prayer at academic and church-conferences, universities and retreats to ministers, spiritual directors and youth in Canada, the United States and Europe. She lives and works in Vancouver, BC, CAN.

FE4. Creating Space for God: The Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project

This workshop will offer an overview of the theological perspectives and spiritual practices that have informed the work of the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project and its effort to promote a contemplative approach to youth ministry. It will begin by offering a brief theological reflection of the two predominant emphases in current approaches to youth ministry: entertainment and catechesis. It then explores how a fully Trinitarian image of God's presence and activity can be discerned in contemplative ministry to youth and how this divine activity invites parents, educators and pastoral leaders to make a fundamental shift in their own way perceiving and responding to the spiritual needs of young persons. Finally, it outlines the elements of a spirituality of youth ministry.

Michael Hryniuk, PhD, is a teacher, writer, consultant, retreat leader, and director of Theosis Ministries, a network of spiritual directors and teachers promoting contemplative formation in churches, seminaries, and denominational bodies.

FE5. Experiencing Tibetan Singing Bowls

Tibetan singing bowls, with their lingering and penetrating sounds, will offer us an invitation to experience the open and accepting vibration of the Cosmos. Recognizing that creation was called into being by the Word and Vibration, we will listen to the circle of sounds emanating from a collection of bowls of various sizes and characteristics as they are struck or rubbed. The use of bowls on the body and their value as a delicate, internal massage will be demonstrated. History and background information will be included, as well as a period of silence, personal reflection, paired sharing, and group discussion related to the use of bowls in prayer and spiritual direction.

Ann Kulp, DMin, is a member of the Associate Staff of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. She leads workshops, quiet days and retreats, is a spiritual director, and the author of Spirit Windows: A Handbook of Spiritual Growth Resources for Leaders.

FE6. The Tree of Life Pointing the Way Home: Guidance from the Teachings of Kabbala

"And the tree of life is in the middle of the garden." (Genesis 2:9) The Story of the Torah and the practices of Judaism are at core about the inevitability, the necessity and the process of each of us, personally and collectively returning to a state of harmony and well being. You will be introduced to Kabbalistic Jewish teachings and texts that offer spiritual direction to the soul in its journey home to a state of harmony and well-being. These teachings will also address the obstacles and blocks and discuss ways of opening the gates. This workshop will include lecture, discussion and the breath and body meditation practice called Ophanim. It is a recently emerged "Kabbalistic Yoga" whose goal is to help the spirit reconnect to the cosmos.

Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein, MSW, is the author of Mila Yomit: The Torah, Word By Word. He teaches Kabbala, Ophanim a recently emerged Kabbalistic Yoga, and the teachings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook in a variety of Jewish and non Jewish settings worldwide.

FE7. Manspeak: Sharing Sacred Stories of Male Spirituality

Come to a facilitated environment where men can speak freely, listen compassionately and honor each others words. There is a growing hunger in men's spirituality, a thirst for a deeper understanding of what it means to be male and spiritual. Is this a rare combination? What are the spiritual elements that lay hidden in the man's soul, waiting to be recognized, honored and valued? What do men do about unfulfillment, purpose and identity? An exchange and stimulating conversation will help discover deeper paths to the soul.

Jim Neppl is a Corporate Spiritual Consultant who partners with businesses and organizations to develop healthy work cultures and environments through engaging others in corporate spirituality. He is a spiritual director, executive mentor, retreat facilitator, mediator, and public speaker from Minnesota, USA.

FE8. Adventures of the God Detectives: Spiritual Discernment for Children

Come to hear stories, to sing songs, to remember and share your childhood experiences with the Holy, and explore issues around accompanying children on their spiritual journey. Nancy Reeves will tell stories and Linnea Good will teach discernment songs for children. Both will present material on accompanying children in their spirituality.

Nancy Reeves, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, spiritual director, author, poet, and international speaker recognized in the areas of grief and loss, and spiritual discernment. She is an adjunct faculty member at University of Victoria, BC, CAN. Linnea Good is a singer-songwriter specializing in Music in Christian Education, tours internationally. Her most recent CD nominated as Outstanding Children's Album of the Year in Canada.

FE9. Coming Home to Our Sacred Female Bodies

Our bodies are as sacred and miraculous as any part of creation. However, many women feel a sense of shame related to their bodies and sexuality. Within religious traditions women have received messages perpetuating the idea that a woman's body and her sexuality are dangerous if not downright sinful. Today's culture also perpetuates negative attitudes towards the body. These messages affect our self-understanding and personal spirituality. This workshop will create a safe environment so that participants feel comfortable exploring their questions, sharing stories, and experiencing embodied prayer and healing ritual.

Rev. Dr. Anne Simmonds is a United Church Minister, spiritual director, and workshop facilitator in Canada and Belize. She is a former nurse and hospital chaplain. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, CAN.

FE10. Coming Home to the Songs of the Cosmos

Chant leads us home to the Divine within us and the Cosmos. In this "chantshop" you'll discover ways to use the "music of the spheres" for personal and community transformation. You will learn a selection of simple, lyrical chants drawn from a wide range of faith traditions, including Buddhist, Baha'i, Christian, Hindu, Indigenous peoples, Jewish, and Moslem. Many people feel that they are not singers. But chant is not singing, it is a prayerful expression of love and devotion accessible to all. Come discover this therapeutic tool for assisting people in their spiritual journeying.

Nancy Watters, MA, is a Baha'i­ and founding director of Sacred World Song, a project that activates human nobility through multi-faith "chantshops."

Saturday Workshops

Three Hours (choose one and one alternative)

S1. Cosmic Desire: The Beauty of the Holy

In this workshop, we will explore the centrality of desire in the life of the human spirit and of the cosmos, using sources from Plato, to the Buddha, to the gospels, to insights drawn from the sciences of cosmology and psychoneuroimmunology. We will delve into the power of attraction, described by Brian Swimme as one of the basic operating principles of the cosmos. We will consider the corrupting effects upon desire of consumerism; and ask how we may reclaim desire as pure spiritual energy, to be fanned into flame recognizing the beauty of the holy in our deepest desires. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Dr. Anne Benvenuti, professor of philosophy, religious studies, and psychology, and a clinical psychologist, has done post-doctoral work in psychoneuroimmunology. She most recently presented on science, religion and public policy at Oxford University, and on the connection between love of the land and spiritual future at the Institute for Feminism & Religion in Ireland. Dr. Elizabeth Davenport, Episcopal priest, Associate Dean of Religious Life at University of Southern California, USA.

S2. Letting God Guide: A Contemplative Approach to Spiritual Guidance

Together we will explore the spiritual terrain of the "inner cosmos" and our willingness to allow God to guide us. We will look to aspects of the new cosmology as well as to the lives of three God-centered spiritual teachers (Julian of Norwich, John of the Cross, and John Woolman) for examples of attitudes that can free us to be available to the Spirit's Guidance in the present moment. Through prayer, experiential activity and plenary conversation we will learn from one another the diverse ways in which God works through our personalities to attend to the Spirit in holy conversation. 30%, 20%, 50%.

Martha Campbell is the Director of the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Bill Dietrich is the Co-Executive Director of the Shalem Institute and a member of the Spiritual Guidance Program staff. Catherine Powell is an ordained minister and the Founder and Executive Director of The Anchorage, a Ministry of Spiritual Direction and Contemplative Retreats. All have completed the Spiritual Guidance Program offered at the Shalem Institute.

S3. Awaken Your Senses: Creating Sacred Circles and Gardens

This experiential workshop consists of meditation, art making and a sharing circle. You will create a mandala, a symbol of the human experience found in all cultures. Using your sacred, intuitive way of knowing, the mandala and the theme of gardens will connect you with your greatest gift: imagination! Through this process you will become aware of the unique patterns of your own Spirit and your process of spiritual growth. Mandala's have a centering effect, creating wholeness and calmness in the individual. This sacred circle is healing to self, others and your connection to the earth. 25%, 50%, 25%.

John Griffith, United Church of Canada clergy, is director of Spiritual Directions in Alberta, CAN. Straja Linder King, Registered Art Therapist, creates and delivers programming at The Strawberry Tree Art Studio, CAN.

S4. Points along the Way: The Astronomical Year as Template for Spiritual Guidance

"Navigating the spiritual journey" is a worthy metaphor for the work of spiritual direction. Given that navigation is linked to the heavens, the observation of our experience of the cosmos can enlarge our sense of vocation and inform the work of providing guidance. The first half of this workshop will examine the course of the astronomical year from an objective standpoint. We will construct a model of the earth's orbit around the sun and note particular aspects of the relationship between sun, earth and the background of stars. In the second half, we will move to a subjective consideration of the course of the year, plotting into a schematic drawing the position of the sun from the perspective of the earth. Using the result, participants will examine their lived experience for images associated with significant points along the way and discern applications of the model to their role as directors. 40%, 40%, 30%.
 

Rev. Dr. Murray Groom is a spiritual director and lifelong amateur astronomer. He holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics with an emphasis in number theory and systems analysis. In this workshop, he continues his efforts to integrate the "music of the spheres" with "the rhythm of the saints."

S5. SH'MA! The Soul of Listening

This workshop will explore how we may become more open to the transformative power of listening to ourselves, our directees, and to God. We will use the wisdom of Jewish mysticism to help us experience the multi-faceted nature of listening, and to learn how to draw deeply from the well of this life-giving, life-changing practice. We will focus on learning more about our inner landscape so that we can traverse this territory using all of our experiences as "Sh'mas!"--calls to wake up to the holy gift of listening soul-to-soul. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Sandy Jardine, MS, LPC, is an interfaith spiritual director, licensed professional counselor in private practice, who directs the Connecting to God program in group spiritual direction at Temple Chai in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Ann Kline, a spiritual director, group facilitator and author, has led workshops and retreats for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, Elat Chayyim Jewish Retreat Center, and various Christian and Jewish congregations.

S6. Animals in our Midst: Companions for the Journey

As companions, guides, sustenance, and a source of beauty, animals are an integral part of our human existence. Together, we share an ancient and mysterious bond.
Here, we will learn how animals and animal imagery can be touchstones to establish and strengthen relationship to all beings, the Sacred and our innermost selves. We will explore the human-animal bond, grief related to pet loss, and methods to incorporate animal wisdom as a tool in spiritual direction. Wisdom from a variety of spiritual traditions will be used. Participants are encouraged to bring a personally significant animal related object or picture. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Carrie La Jeunesse, DVM, CGC, is a spiritual director, Certified Grief Counselor, ER/Critical Care veterinarian, consultant, wife, mother, and an inveterately hooked pet "mom."

S7. Creation Awaits Your Homecoming

How is spiritual direction a journey into the heart of our Creator God? How does one who greets the rising of the sun each day find a home-coming experience at sunset? Each of us seeks a path through the rhythm of our lives, through the yin and yang, through light and darkness, through our humanity and divinity to arrive in harmony with ourselves, with our Creator God and with all of creation. This workshop explores the experience of being at "one" with the "other." As creatures, we continually birth into the dance of life, into the cosmic canvas where silence awaits to embrace us again into its womb of love. 25%, 15%, 60%.

Elizabeth Lim, RGS, MA, is regional coordinator in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, Programme Director of Spiritual Direction Formation Programme in Singapore, a Christian mediator, and practitioner in spiritual direction and retreats. Francisca Tan, RC, MA, a Cenacle Sister; offers ministry in spiritual direction and formation programmes, retreat direction, and is a graduate of the Spiritual Direction Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.

S8. Supervision: Contemplating Reality in a Multicultural, Multifaith Context

Contextual realities for supervisors today include the challenge of cultural dynamics within the spiritual direction session. Sensitivity is called forth on the part of the supervisor. Participants are asked to bring reflected spiritual direction experiences and to participate in group dynamics including role demonstrations, real plays, and supervision. Participation in groups includes reflective observation. This workshop hopes to challenge and support a "contemplation of reality" to deepen the awareness of The Mystery of God at work in the ministry of spiritual direction and supervision. 30%, 50%, 20%.

Dr. Kathleen McAlpin, RSM, and Maureen McDonnell, DMin, are engaged in adult faith formation, spiritual direction, and currently work with ministry programs and the Spiritual Direction and Supervision program at Regis College, Toronto School of Theology, Ontario, CAN.

S9. Writing the Sacred: Psalm-Writing and Sacred Poetry for Embracing the Cosmos

Honoring the wisdom of the circle as a way to gather, this workshop will invite both writers, and those who have never put pen to paper, to articulate their soulfulness through the aliveness of language. Particular emphasis will be given to the Hebrew Psalms as a type of sacred poetry; and to some of the poetic forms found there that are present in other sacred poetry from the East and West. We will explore our thanksgivings, laments and vision for renewed relationship with the Holy as we seek to come home to the cosmos. Step-by-step practical guidance will be given with time provided for everyone to compose a new creation-themed sacred poem. 35%, 30%, 35%.

Ray McGinnis has taught over 5000 people the power of writing as an aid to spiritual growth and healing, is author of Writing the Sacred, and lives in Vancouver, BC, CAN.

S10. Money, Work, and Identity

Life crises are often occasions for an awakened interest in exploring the spiritual as we cope with life changes and re-evaluate meanings. This workshop will provide an opportunity for reflective work on the meanings of money and work as we find them in our culture and clients. A select reading list in Financial Counseling and Career Counseling areas will be provided to interested participants at the end of the session. 40%, 40%, 20%.

David William McKay, MTS. His work as a credit counselor has opened an understanding of how financial crises are rooted in spiritual values and practices.

S11. The Promise of Interfaith Spiritual Direction

In this workshop, Rabbi Ted, Rev Don and Jamal will each present some crucial teachings from Judaism, Christianity and Islam that relate to living with an expanding spiritual awareness, helping individuals learn to better assist those seeking to walk their spirituality into the world with compassion and love. They will focus on how metaphors of Creation from each of their traditions can support personal spiritual awakening. 33%, 33%, 33%.

Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, guides Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue, in Seattle and Bellevue, USA. He is the author of A Journey of Awakening and co-author of Judaism For Dummies. Rev. Don Mackenzie, PhD, is Minister and Head of Staff at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle, Washington, USA. Jamal Rahman is Muslim Sufi Minister of Interfaith Community Church, adjunct Faculty at Seattle University, Washington, USA and author of The Fragrance of Faith: The Enlightened Heart of Islam.

S12. The As If Relationship: Transference and Counter-Transference in Spiritual Direction

(recommended for experienced spiritual directors)

This workshop will deepen directors' understandings of Transference and Counter-transference in the spiritual direction relationship. Particular emphasis will be on expectations of directees related to the director's spiritual qualities and presence. It will probe director's comfort and discomfort related to these projections, and possible counter-transferential reactions and their consequences. Special attention will be given to the new understandings of the "use of the self" in pastoral relationships in general and spiritual direction in particular. The need for competent supervision and personal work for spiritual directors will be explored in order to benefit directees in this sacred relationship. Spiritual directors are encouraged to bring examples or case material with them. This workshop is for experienced spiritual directors. 40%, 30%, 30%.

Dr. Janet Ruffing, RSM, is professor in spirituality and spiritual direction at Fordham University, USA, founding member of Spiritual Directors International in 1990 and author of Uncovering Stories of Faith and Spiritual Direction Beyond the Beginnings, and Selected Writings of Elisabeth Leseur, an important and neglected figure in lay spirituality.

S13. Cosmic Story--Spirit Path: Deepening the Practice of Story in Spiritual Accompaniment

We are story beings, naturally attracted to the storyteller, intuitively making our lives in a narrative that is written into the great storybook of the cosmos. Our stories do not live in isolation, but connect into a vast sacred web of story that includes the great archetypal stories of the human journey, a few of which are recorded in texts like the Bible. Seeing ourselves as practitioners of story can transform our relationship with the story people who come to us for accompaniment and direction on their spirit path. We will be a story circle, telling pieces of our experience and story as a way of more deeply appreciating how story can deepen our living and our accompaniment. 25%, 25%, 50%.

Tim Scorer is an educator, writer, spiritual director and retreat guide, thinks in story, finding ways to illuminate the journeys of individuals and groups through the light of metaphor and narrative.

S14. Expanding Circles of Compassion: Coming Home to the Cosmos

This workshop focuses primarily on experiential embodiment of the wisdom we all hold, as accessed through our theme, "Coming Home to the Cosmos." Through language, reflection, and silence we will open to a place within us that knows more than we are aware that we know. You will discover the sacred space of "Iona" is everywhere, when viewed from within your heart broken open in compassionate wisdom. Explore the opportunity to discover yourself as "the other," in each and every aspect of the Cosmos. Dare the possibility that you exist as an interpenetrating and co-arising participant of Reality. Start where you are, with Self Compassion. Move out with infinite Circle of Compassion. 20%, 30%, 50%.

Sally Taylor is a 15 year practitioner within the Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa Tradition. She hosts "Hermitage Cottage" in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, and administers two charities that benefit Tibetan Refugees in India and Mongolians living in great need.

Saturday Evening Optional Activities:

One and a Half Hours (choose one and one alternative)

SE1. Dancing the Cosmic Dance: Accessing the Art of Movement in Spiritual Direction

As participants in the dynamic evolution of the cosmos, each of us is given the gift and challenge of having a body. Can we access the body as source of revelation, wisdom and manifestation? One of the most exciting ways is to dance! In this workshop, explore simple movement and InterPlay exercises that can help you and your directees become more comfortable with the gift of the body as instrument of prayer, expression, discovery and discernment.

Betsey Beckman, MM, is a spirited dancer, storyteller, teacher of SpiritPlay and dancing spiritual director from Seattle, Washington, USA. She leaps across the continent calling out the creative in body, breath and bone.

SE2. The Journey of Coming Home in our Inner Cities

Are you pulled to walk among those marginalized by our culture and society? Are you wondering how to create a sacred space for those "with no money to come?" What would a space look like that is open to different faith journeys and a variety of walks of life? Come and hear the story of “The Listening Post” in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, in the heart of the inner city. We will share our experiences of journeying with those on the margins and how our own lives have been shaped by their teachings.

Kathi Bentall and Lorraine LaMarre, SSA, spiritual directors and retreat leaders in the Vancouver area who brought "The Listening Post" to Vancouver, BC, CAN in 2000.

SE3. Reiki: A Spiritual Doorway to Natural Healing

Learn about Reiki, a way of attuning ourselves to the Universal Life Force, opening to the healing energy of God and living in harmony with God in us and in all creation. Discover the potential in Reiki for healing and renewal of body, mind and spirit. Experience simple T'ai Chi Chih movements that relax and energize as they circulate and balance your energy. This workshop will include the viewing of a DVD by Sr. Eileen, personal sharing, teaching about Reiki (the definition, history, and benefits of it) and time for questions and discussion.

Eileen Curteis, SSA, a published author, poet, and educator, has taught Reiki classes and given Reiki treatments at Queenswood Centre in Victoria, BC, CAN for twelve years. Karen Williamson, MCM, DASD, has worked as a spiritual director for twenty-five years, including four years on the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction staff at San Francisco Theological Seminary, California, USA.

SE4. Turangawaewae: Coming Home to the Cosmos in a South Pacific Context

Participants will explore what it means for their spirituality to come home to a physical place in the cosmos in the South Pacific. In doing so they will be encouraged to dialogue with the internal landscape of the soul and find ways in which they can facilitate this for their directees.
Dr. Anne Hadfield is a founding member of Spiritual Growth Ministries, an ecumenical Christian organization in New Zealand. She currently serves on the New Zealand Association of Christian Spiritual Directors and assists people in exploration of the landscape of the soul through her consultancy, SoulScape.

SE5. Conversations with Dorothy Day

A dramatic one woman presentation of the life of Dorothy Day depicts her stopping by to visit with friends and to share a cup of coffee while she reminisces about her life. The setting is the present time and the "powers that be" have given Dorothy permission to be gone from the heavenly realm for a very short time. Come sit with Dorothy for a while as she shares the story of her conversion and the founding of the Catholic Worker. Dorothy Day can be an inspiration to spiritual directors. We can point to her as an example of the final integration of a radical inner and outer journey.

Sharon Halsey-Hoover, storyteller, actor, retreat presenter, spiritual director, adjunct staff at the Center for Spiritual Development in Orange, California, USA and Assistant Director of Bethany, a transitional living residence for homeless women who are striving to return to self sufficiency.

SE6. Weaving a Web of Light: A Movement, Meditation and Prayer Workshop

As manifestations of the divine, we are filled with the light of the cosmos. Prayers are channels of light and take many forms. By using the creativity of our bodies to pray, we collaborate deeply with that in ourselves which is divine and can direct this energy to the outer world.

Tannis Hugill, RCC, RDT, ADTR, dance and drama therapist, creator of ritual theatre, and community movement rituals. Her passion is helping others experience the presence of spirit in their bodies. She lives in CAN.

SE7. Caribbean Women and Spiritual Exile

An opportunity for participants to "come reason together" by taking a concrete look at Caribbean culture, music, and dance forms as a source for exploring and engaging a spirituality of homecoming in response to women's experiences of exile. Participants will be encouraged to develop a critical spirituality that appreciates the Caribbean culture as a spiritually formative and countercultural to our lived experiences.

Rev. Vivette Jennings is a Jamaican Anglican Priest working in Barbados. She is priest-in-charge at All Saints Church, lectures part-time in Christian Spirituality at Codrington College and is regional coordinator for many Caribbean Islands.

SE8. Accessing Cosmic Unity with Wordless Song using Nigunim from the Jewish Mystical Tradition.

Our souls desire to connect to the place of cosmic unity. By releasing from words, we tap into the cosmic primordial where words only diminish the experience. Nigunim are wordless melodies from the Jewish mystical tradition that take us to that place of cosmic unity and help us access our deep wordless prayers. Chanting (or listening to) nigunim arouses a deep contemplative state, evoking the cosmic sense of timelessness and inner space. This workshop will teach a few simple Jewish nigunim to help enhance our connection to cosmic unity and our work companioning others.

Wendie Bernstein Lash, MA, is co-director of Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction. She is a chanting service leader, Morei Derekh Jewish Spiritual Direction program faculty member, and a Jewish meditation and spirituality teacher in Redwood City, California, USA.

SE9. Coming Home to the Cosmos According to Harry Potter

The books about Harry Potter have become very popular to both young and old. Why? What do they have to teach us about archetypes and living authentic lives in our cosmos? Through dialogue, journaling, artistic expression and shared experiences we will explore the themes and values that Harry Potter suggests are needed to live wholesomely in our world.

Sharon Miller, CSJ, PhD, Mary Jane Wilson, CND, MA, and Bill Wilson, SJ, PhD, minister as a team at both Queenswood Retreat Centre in Victoria, BC, CAN offering spiritual companioning, retreat and workshop facilitating and Cedars at Cobble Hill, a Residential Treatment Centre for those suffering from addictions.

SE10. Audio Divina: A New Contemplative Practice for Spiritual Direction

Carefully selected music has the power to deepen Christian contemplative prayer.
Audio Divina: a music-assisted contemplative practice, offers a new pathway for meeting God in silence. Combined with Lectio Divina, Audio Divina can deepen the prayer life of spiritual directors and introduce directees to an easily accessible practice of contemplative prayer. Participants will learn the theory and practice of Audio Divina. Applications for individual use and group spiritual direction will be discussed. Participants will experience how music can be a guide into sacred silence and learn beginning principles of music selection for creating Audio Divina music programs.

Mary Terry Rankin is a registered counselor and spiritual director from Bellingham, Washington, USA. She is the author of Audio Divina: Introducing a Contemplative Practice for Contemporary Times.