Alongsiding

Being alongside wonderers and wanderers on their spiritual path is a calling of mine. My offer is the hospitality of deep listening and unconditional positive regard. Fully heard in a safe space, folk often find the words for their doubts, yearnings and the something understood that drives their seeking.

I know I have benefitted from kind, whole listening, and it’s powerful.

In a warm space of being heard comes freedom to explore, to look around, and to light on practices that sustain you. Creativity and flourishing in your relationship with God can follow. And there are all the uphills, great views, refreshing streams, lost ways (and more!) of the path analogy.

In the spiritual direction relationship we have a third person: the original alongsider, Spirit. And so there is also listening to them, sometimes loud and clear, sometimes muffled simply by the noise of being human. Where is God in this? is the ground of the work.

I can help you foster practices for listening to Spirit in and outside sessions. Goals, accountability and challenge work at different times and for different people; and also there are no oughts and shoulds with the Divine. Spirit loves the open space of mental, physical and emotional relaxation. Being and doing dance in a natural rhythm.

Is spiritual accompaniment right for you at the moment? Maybe my elements of my experience resonate. In my younger years I yearned for spiritual connection, but was hemmed about by making my way in life and didn’t know where to start. Later, I had a spiritual experience that both overjoyed and confused me, but I got negating or unreliable advice so I guarded it in my heart.

I found myself in the routines and rituals of organised religion, and grew a lot, but came to feel paralyzingly inauthentic. Moving into elderhood now I want to enjoy life, face death well, and support the generations. I want to rest more in the arms of Jesus. Your stage is unique to you, but an alongsider falls into step with you.

For full transparency, here’s my long-story-short. With a many years in yoga practice and spirituality, I trained in theology and was ordained in the Church of England. It was painfully clear that despite a vocation to priesthood I was contorting myself to fit. The relinquishment of holy orders will soon be legally complete. However, I retain a calling to facilitate space for encounter with the divine and to share the good news of a whole life in Christ. I run a retreat place in deepest Devon, offering a contemplative space for deep rest and personal insight…and good vegan food.

I completed the Spiritual Direction training with Exeter Diocese (now unaffiliated). I have been a workplace mentor and have an advanced diploma in life and business coaching, so bring honed skills of listening, reflecting and asking the right questions. I’ve been facilitating yoga for participants since 2001 so will ‘get’ you if you are more a felt sensation or knowing person, but I can support heady thinkers too. We need both intuition and reasoning on the path.

Please contact me on the form right and you might like to follow on substack