How is Spirations unique?
We originate in Story.
Your story, God's story, the stories of our world and cosmos - and all the places they intersect.
We're just for Women
We deeply value the presence of men and honor their contributions to life in sacred circle and our co-creative dance together with all creation. And it has been our experience that something unique happens in women-only gatherings.
Ancient-Emergent Fusion
We are committed to exploring spiritual formation as a fusion of the ancient wisdom of the world's rich spiritual traditions with the most fresh, innovative expressions of body-mind-soul living. Some would call this a post-modern and creative, lively and cutting-edge approach to spiritual direction training. We would receive this as a supreme compliment and would gently bow, smiling.
Our Approach
- Honoring the Cosmic Story, the Personal Story, and the Community Story
- Recognizing the whole of human experience as revelation of the Sacred
- Valuing process over progress
- Integration of sacred ritual
- Steeping our explorations of the Sacred deeply in the arts
- Moving through the world with openness, grace and compassionate action
- Entering into the ancient linage of women Story Midwives
Terms you might like to know more about
Spirations - Related to breath as union with the Sacred
Interspiritual - A term coined by the late Brother Wayne Teasdale. Refers to the contemplative essence of the world's great religious / wisdom traditions.
Story Midwifery or Story Midwifing - A term coined by Trish Bruxvoort Colligan to describe her organic understanding of spiritual direction or soul mentoring. Spirations Institute's foundational principle is that each person (and community for that matter) has a story that shapes his or her life; this story is sacred; and when we are invited to share our stories, there is healing and wholeness for ourselves and the world. Spiritual Directors are sometimes called Spiritual Companions, Spiritual Mentors or Soul Friends. The Spirations emphasis on Spiritual Director as Story Midwife speaks to a woman compassionately and powerfully holding space for another to birth her own Story anew.
We Meet You Where You Are
Spirations is paving the way for distance-based and online spiritual direction training. Learn more about our distance learning internship here.