Upcoming Workshop: Healing Faith
Join me on Saturday, February 17 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am for HEALING FAITH; Let Go of Your Past to Create Your Future.
It has been interesting how often people probe to see what religion I associate with or practice. And it’s an interesting question, because I don’t feel like I want to be put in any category. I was raised in the Christian church (Methodist), and have participated in Christian worship through many of their varied and different traditions. I have studied the dominant religions of the World, including Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, and more.
I find beauty in the Catholic rites and saying the rosary. Spent years attending weekly services as an Episcopalian. I have knelt reverently in Hindu temples in India and in the US, and felt the power of devotion and symbolism. In our home we have Buddhist prayer flags in the garden, and prayer wheels that we spin regularly -- and I chant “love, peace, love peace” with every rotation. I truly believe in the power of the human beings who walked this Earth as avatars of God; as well as the magical and archetypal beings of the ancient worlds. I also feel deeply connected to that energy of God and spirit when I am in nature, and I can understand the worship of the trees, the mountains and the elements.
The more I study and learn, the more I can make connections between all the various religious traditions. I discovered that I prefer the idea of spiritual practices that bring me into a direct and very personal experience of connection to God/Goddess/Universe – however you envision that Divine Force.
Maybe the best way to explain is to tell a short story. I was grocery shopping years ago and the kind man bagging my groceries saw the malas wrapped around my wrist. “Are you a Hindu-ian?” he inquired. I smiled, noticing his unusual pronunciation. “No,” I replied, “I’m an I-love-God-ian.” He got it right away and we shared a laugh.
As we grow and learn and expand our belief systems and philosophies, it is important to contemplate, and potentially challenge what we have been taught and observe it through the lens of our own experience. Whether it was a specific religion; a set of moral codes of conduct; a certain country or culture; or even the small orbit of our immediate families. Whatever it was, that framework has shaped us. And as self-aware beings choosing the path of growth and wisdom, we either need to re-commit to that path that we were set upon by our families and cultural framework. Or, we need to find a new path.
This class is about finding that new path.
Join me to explore ways to heal and reconnect to your Spiritual self. Learn how to awaken to the beauty of ancient symbols and practices; and allow yourself to discover your own personal faith practices and path.
This path will include lecture and discussion, as well as recommendations for books and philosophical points of study. We will complete our journey with the Kriya Ritual of Forgiveness, as forgiveness is essential when walking the true path of your spirit.
